Vermont Women's Merino Wool Micro Crew Cushion Socks

The materials are different than listed. The description online says, "67% Merino Wool, 29% Nylon, 4% Lycra Spandex" but I've attached a photo of the socks and the label says, "59% Merino Wool, 39% Nylon, 2% Lycra Spandex". In general the sock feels very thin.

I typically wear a women's size 9-10 shoe so I bought the large size sock but it still feels too small, especially around the calves. I'm 5'8" and 120lbs.

I'm switching back to those Kirkland wool socks from Costco. For $17 you get 6 pairs and they're 72% Merino Wool. They might not last forever but the price is right and they have more cushion.

I'd actually give these socks 4.5 stars. I have a real problem with blisters so anything that claims to help that situation, I'm willing to try. They live up to their claims of 'socks stay put and in place all day, no slipping, no bunching', however, I did experience hot spots. As much as I wish it were the case, I question the ability of any sock to claim no blisters and no hot spots, when it's really the fit of the boot that will determine those two things. In any case, these are a nicely made sock, they don't stretch out and they wash well (I washed in cold water and lined-dried).
The antimicrobial and moisture-wicking nature of Merino wool is also a great feature. I've worn these socks all day and when I take them off at night, I'm not blown away with the odor! Plus, my feet tend to get cold and I found these to be the best at keeping my feet dry and warm.
The 'fine gauge 'knitting' does make it a tight fit (but not too tight where the toes start to get scrunched) and are really comfortable and feel really nice when put them on.
They are 67% merino wool, 29% Nylon and 4% Lycra.
I bought a second pair, so I must like them and would certainly recommend them.

Honestly ... these socks (so far) have outperformed all other brands I've tried. I'm very hard on socks, wearing them out in the heel in no time. I'm a hard core hiker, and the socks are worn with hiking boots, water shoes, and everything in between. I've had these for 6 weeks now, and they show NO signs of wear. Not even pilling like some brands of socks I've tired.

As for comfort ... probably the best socks I've ever tried in that department. Only SmartWool brand has come close, but these Darn Tough ones have even less of a seam up at the toes, and so have no points of friction at all. Even after a long day of hiking, where my feet/shoes/socks have been wet and done miles of hiking, I'll have no signs of friction, hot spots, or blisters. I've even stopped wearing sock liners with these, since I've found I don't need them.

And while 6 weeks may not sound like a lot of time, for most sock brands, I'd already be seeing thinning and wear in the heel by now. I'll update this review as time goes on to let you know how they do!

I have a slightly wider ankle (from heel tip to top of foot at the bend) than average. I have to say that the socks feel a bit too tight, but not painful, at that spot on the top of my foot where it meets my leg.

I have the Darn Tough Vermont Women's Merino Wool Micro Crew Cushion Socks in Plum Stripe, size Large.

I LOVE these socks other than that is a bit too tight for my liking. So I have to deduct one star for that.

I have never worn wool or wool-blend socks before and lately my feet have become very sensitive to cold and even cool air blowing in the house and when outside even in sneakers. So much so that they can actually hurt from the perceived cold. I am not aware if I do have neuropathy but it's possible I do due to food allergies I've had my entire life but didn't know I had until earlier this year. Once I quit eating the foods my body started healing and my neuropathy PAIN went away on it's own. So maybe there is residual nerve damage. Anyway...

The socks are very well made. They do fit tighter than typical store-bought socks but it's not a painful experience, and one I actually prefer! I had worn these socks for three days straight, only removing them at night if my feet did not feel too cold. They did not get floppy like regular socks did, not one bit! That for me is one of the major things I look for in a good sock, and until these Darn Tough Vermont socks, I had never found it.

The contents of the sock are: 67% Merino Wool, 29% Nylon, 4% Lycra® Spandex. There appears to be NO lanolin, though I can't say for sure, but I did contact Darn Tough Vermont and asked because my immune system is crazy right now and I am reacting to many substances I never have before and they confirmed there is no lanolin in the socks as the materials are washed thoroughly prior to making the socks.

That said, I had no bad reaction to anything in the socks even wearing them for three days straight.

The cuff stayed up perfectly as one hope for, and with my legs socks 'never' stay up if they are any version of a crew sock. I usually always buy ankle socks because there is no point in buying the crew versions because they never stay up.

My feet and legs are larger than average for a woman. In fact, I tend to wear a Woman's 10 EE shoe, varies between 9.5 EE and 10.5 EE. WW is a little too narrow for me in most brands, so I have to stick with brands that offer EE shoes.

If you have bad arthritis in your hands I can see putting on these socks could be problematic as they do fit tighter and more snugly all around than regular white socks, though even when my hands were a bit fatigued and hurting I didn't have any issues with putting these on. Though I have been x-rayed for arthritis in my hands and there is none. So it's likely a Fibromyalgia-type issue.

These socks are very warm but do not make my feet sweat nor do they make my feet feel like they are on fire. It's just a comfy sock, and honestly, I have hated socks my entire life, so for me to say a sock is comfy is pretty rare.

I think the stripes and color blocking are cute. Due to my odd foot size I've never had a pair of fun, cute socks! I love it! The brownish band around the arch support seems very similar in composition to the rest of the sock, but it does help hug your foot more at the arch as it's a tighter area of the sock. Again, it's not too tight, nothing is except maybe for some women who have larger feet than me and then these socks might not fit at all for them.

I did buy the men's version of this sock (in the color scheme Chocolate) to see if the men's would be a bit wider to relieve the feeling in the ankle at the top of the foot and actually the men's version was too tight there and hurt within 1 minute of putting them on and were too tight in the cuff though the foot itself felt OK. That was a total shock for me as men's socks tend to be larger than women's at comparable sizes. So I am returning those and keeping this pair of socks. They are currently in the dryer on low heat.

For the Cushion socks, Darn Tough Vermont recommends washing them inside out in cold water with your normal detergent (I use castile soap due to my allergies) and then either air-drying them or drying them on the lowest heat setting in your dryer. This will be the second time I wash these socks so if they look or feel awful after I pull them out of the dryer I will definintely update this review, but I highly doubt they will. These do seem to have the potential to live up to their brand name.

Oh one thing which I love about these socks is that I don't have to wear slippers around the house anymore, or flip flops, because the sheet vinyl floor which is on top of a concrete slab is so cold. Nope, I barely notice the cold floor and usually don't at all when I am wearing these socks and walking on the floor with only the socks on to protect my feet. It's wonderful!!

I really hope to buy more pairs of this sock maybe in other color/stripe versions or to receive them as a gift for Christmas, then again at my Birthday in May next year. I NEED THESE SOCKS! I may branch off and buy a pair or two of the Solid Micro Crew Cushion in the color scheme "Green Tea" and see if they fit the same, if so I'll buy or request multiple pairs of those as they are less 'bold' in style and color.

By the way, these are listed as a Women's Hike/Trek sock on darntough dot com. And I forgot to mention that the toe seam does not bother me at all and yes they do truly feel "seamless" as listed on the Darn Tough website listing for this sock.

I highly recommend this sock for women and for men (whichever size fits your foot and leg best) as a great non irritating sock that provides wonderful blocking of cold and cool air to keep your feet warm, but not overly warm. It seem to be a great match for me and apparently for many others as well.

Darn Tough Vermont does have a 100% lifetime guarantee (from their website):

Our Lifetime Guarantee

Unconditional lifetime guarantee—simply and without strings or conditions:

"If our socks are not the most comfortable, durable and best fitting socks you have ever owned, return them for another pair, or your money back.

No strings. No conditions. For life.

When you are really serious about something you make it yourself.

Returning socks:

If you were able to wear out a pair of Darn Tough socks, we’ll replace them. At any time. Just package the socks up, fill out the form, and send to the appropriate address—we will send you a brand new pair!

Ric Cabot
President & CEO
Cabot Hosiery Mills / Darn Tough Vermont
still Made in Vermont, USA

See our Customer Service page for our FAQs, to send us a message and more."

I will never buy another sock again. This is THE BEST sock company. I love their funky colors and they are perfect for hiking boots, cowboy boots, and even walking sneakers (but I won't run in them). My feet are delicate flowers - they are too wide for my shoe size (I buy up in shoe size to fit my wide foot, but they're too "big" in length). If I use thin socks, the foot slips. If I use thick socks, I'm back to square one, too narrow and now my foot slips. These are perfect for all my shoes - medium AND warm! I guess I got circulation problems too! HA I love these. I have a couple of other pairs and NONE of them are "quitters," yet. Also, as a bonus, they don't "pill" like my REI brand, and they aren't itchy like the SmartWool brand. AH! I love these socks!

Nice but they do make my feet hot when the weather warms up. But SO much more cushion vs a regular Hanes sock. This was my first pair of "fancy" socks and I will most definitely be getting more. Much more comfortable when standing/walking all day, or even just walking around the house without shoes. SO MUCH SQUISH. They colors were lovely. Does not loosed up after one wear like most socks do. Stays in place. I love them. I wear an 8.5 wide and the fit was great. Does not squeeze my ankles are leave marks when I take them off. Just a nice, attractive, soft, well fitting sock that stays up. Win!

These socks were comfortable. I went on a road trip and they definitely worked as expected. I went to the Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree Nat'l Park, Salt Lake, and Zion National Park, just to name a few of the big spots of my trip, and these socks really held their own through it all. I felt they were a little tight to put on, but it didn't bug or bother me when I was walking and hiking about.

I love these socks! I bought them on sale and because of the price I've only treated myself to two pairs of these in two years; but will keep an eye out for deals. I can tell you that they last a long time and are super comfortable. I wear a size 6 shoe and find it difficult to find socks that fit well, without extra fabric bunching up or hanging off my heel, but the size small fits perfectly. I have a lot of small Smartwool socks in my drawer and I find that these socks are a step above since they're 100% wool (while most of my Smartwools are a blend) and the knit is so tight you wouldn't know they're wool except for the fact that they keep my toes warm in the winter. And I'm not talking sweaty, but comfortable. I wear these socks when I wear shoes that are too small to pair with thick socks. The added bonus is that they're made in the US--in VT (if they were union made they'd be perfect). The colors remain vibrant and if the top peeks out of my boots they add extra color to my ensemble. The package says there's a lifetime warranty, but I don't know how that works. The socks I bought for my parents and I last winter are all holding up very well. The care instructions recommended are to turn the socks inside out to wash in warm water and tumble dry. I don't follow the instructions and wash all my wool socks the same: in cold water (I don't turn them inside out) and I air dry. This was the care recommended to me when I bought wool socks years ago and seems to prolong the life. These socks are a great investment!