Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew Cushion Socks
By: Mary Andino
Tags: Gear Review, Travel, Gear, Hiking, Outdoors

Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew Cushion Socks

Pros: durability, comfort, wicking property

Cons: odor, loss of cushioning over time

Price: $23.00/pair

Rating: 9/10

Darn Tough is a family owned, Vermont-based sock manufacturer. Their company offers an unconditional lifetime guarantee; if you can wear out a pair of their socks, they will replace them free of charge. Darn Tough makes socks for a variety of activities, including hiking, climbing, biking, and mountaineering, as well as socks with varying levels of cushion, compression, and length. The Hiker Micro Crew Cushion lays firmly in the middle of these categories: it has mid-level cushion and goes just above the top of a standard hiking boot. This review focuses on the women’s version, but Darn Tough also makes men’s and kids’ versions. They come in three sizes (S, M, L). With a size nine shoe, I tested the women’s medium. Check out the full review below.

Fit, Fabric, & Features

The aesthetics of the sock itself are stylish, but not obtrusive. The body of the sock tends to be one solid color, with the heal and toes in a contrasting color. “Darn Tough” lies on the top of the toes, while a mountain logo is near the top of the sock in another contrasting color. Some color combos include: Green, purple, and pink or Aqua, light green, and dark blue. The color patterns are fun and bright, but not overwhelming. If plain socks are more of your style, they also sell solid black and grey socks.

These socks fit snugly; they are not as tight as stockings or tights, but do provide a small amount of compression. They definitely require a bit of tugging on and off, but they also do not ever fall down. For the technical specs, they consist of 59% merino wool, 39% nylon, and 2% Lycra spandex. The nylon blend with the merino wool helps keep feet cool; I wore these socks with hiking boots in 90 degree plus weather. Of course, my feet sweated, but the Darn Tough socks remained dry and breathable. It’s amazing how light these socks feel, given their durability. Although they are sturdy, they do not feel as if I am wearing a woolly mammoth on my feet. They’re a special type of sock: thick and durable, yet breathable, wicking, and light.

I wore three different pairs of these socks on the Camino de Santiago, walking over 350 miles along the Northern coast of Spain. A summer later, I then wore the same three pairs while I completed another long hiking trail, the 350 mile Way of St. Francis in Italy. I wore them with with low rise hiking boots and they never fell below the boot line. If the user has higher rise boots, it might be best to go up to the next length that Darn Tough offers. The micro-crew length may be too short for some higher boots. Their tight fit did a good job of keeping dirt from getting into the sock and rubbing against my skin. I avoided any type of bunching or uncomfortable rubbing with these socks. Throughout all of these expeditions, I never discovered a torn hole or loosened thread in these socks. Over time, the miles and sweat wore down some of the cushion in the socks; they definitely felt broken in, but they were still comfortable. I never experienced problems with blisters or hot spots with these socks. Darn Tough boasts that their socks possess “True Seamless” technology; the user will not feel the seams in the sock in order to ensure a smooth fit. I wore these socks in boots, barefoot, and with sandals, and found this “seamless” guarantee to ring true. I did not get that annoying feeling of a seam digging into my toe or heel.

Along both of these trips, I was hand-washing these socks every day in a sink with soap and then air dried them, as I did not have access to normal laundry facilities. Despite this improper washing routine, they did not bleed colors or shrink. Even though these socks were never really “clean,” they did not lead to any athlete foot problems or any other foot ailments. Over the years, these socks have began to smell a bit; not horrible, but definitely a slight odor. No amount of washing or deodorizing has mitigated this scent.

I also wear these socks while rock climbing on cold days. They are thick enough to provide warmth, but not so thick that I loose any feel or grip on my toes. The socks are also great for providing some additional cushioning for climbing days when my feet are tired or achy.

The cost of these socks may seem high; they retail at REI and Darn Tough for $23.00 for a single pair. The quality and durability, however, make them well worth the price. I purchased three pairs of these socks in 2016, and have not had to purchase additional hiking socks since. This product is definitely a case of buying a high-quality, expensive basic, and then using it forever.

Overall, these socks provide comfort, wicking, and durability, with the only drawbacks of odor and loss of cushioning over their use. The guarantee that Darn Tough offers is also a great comfort of mind; even if ten years from now, I finally rip a hole in these socks, I’ll have another pair in the mail on the way to me soon.