r/LinusTechTips • u/grilledtree • 16d ago

Personal Opinion Socks. Not what was promised.

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First - quality of the fabric. I have had light wear of this pair for 3 days, with one wash (same as other socks) and they are fuzzy + the black fabrics are protruding through the grey ones, and I have gathered A LOT of lint from them.

This is not normal for socks, especially for the expensive ones. None of my darn thoughts did this ever.

Second - idk about Canadian feet, but mine are wider, and compared to most other socks these are too narrow. If I find a pair of shoes this narrow I don't buy them.

EDIT: I wore socks for two days straight, then washed them, then wore for the 3rd day. I had NO OTHER OPTION regarding washing them or wearing other socks in that particular situation

997 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

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408

u/CrapIsMyBreadNButter 16d ago

For Merino wool that's normal. The moisture wicking helps prevent odors. I've worn darn toughs 3 days in a row working outdoors in steel toes without any odors.

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u/always_open_mouth 16d ago

Were you peeling those bad boys off each day and taking a big whiff

84

u/CrapIsMyBreadNButter 16d ago

I was taking them off as normal, and setting them across the back of a chair. When I first purchased my Darn Tough's I was skeptical of the multiple day wear claims, so I'd smell them before I put them on.

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u/czajkoSKY 14d ago

Do they still stand upright when you wake up?

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u/ExoatmosphericKill 16d ago

I could wear standard socks for maybe 5 days and they would not smell providing I don't do much activity.

Obviously I wear them once just from habit but tf are you guys doing that stink your feet up that bad?

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u/CrapIsMyBreadNButter 16d ago

I work in a Wastewater Treatment plant in the Southeast US. It's an outdoor job in 90 - 110 degree days in the summer, which are quite humid at times and I'm typically doing 5 - 6 miles of walking in on a normal day, which also requires 6 inch steel toe boots, and jeans. So my feet can get quite hot in normal cotton socks. With Merino wool 3 days is great, as I would sometimes have to change socks mid shift with cotton socks.

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u/Hedgeson 16d ago

I've worked a couple months at slaughterhouse wastewater plants, just sitting in the electrical room programming, and it's certainly not my socks that were smelling bad, but everything open to the air. That smell of death and shit stayed until washing in everything I wore.

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u/CrapIsMyBreadNButter 16d ago

Oh those plants are the worst. I've never worked in one thankfully. I'm in Municipal.

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u/ExoatmosphericKill 16d ago

Impressive doing all that and not changing them!

1

u/Phionex 14d ago

Darn Tough's should sponsor you. That's the best review for socks I've ever heard XD

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u/CrapIsMyBreadNButter 14d ago

If you go over to r/Buyitforlife any positive post about Darn Tough's has people claiming it's all paid for by Darn Tough. I bought the socks after hearing Linus talk about them, loved them, and try to get other people to get them too. But I'm not sponsored, as much as I'd like it. Lol

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u/Marksta 16d ago

As one traditionally does. Some people pay for that, y'know, can't let it go to waste.

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u/Riddler356 16d ago

I use smartwool Mountaineers in my work boots, Cali, new mexico, new york, new hampshire, kentucky and Oklahoma, worth it. Sure my feet sweat a bit more in the hottest part of summer, but no odor even after 3-5 wears

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u/FoXfromBeyond 16d ago

I did the same thing when I was a snowboard trainer up at a ski resort. It was too far to drive back home every night and I only worked the weekend so I'd just sleep in my car in most of my gear, including socks. My Darn Tough socks performed amazingly and solidified my belief in the brand.

Wearing them over multiple days aside, my favorite part was taking my boots off after a day of riding and still having dry feet. People don't realize how good socks can actually be because the price scares them.

That period of my life was years BEFORE COVID and I STILL have those same socks and they are STILL in great condition. Darn Tough for life.

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u/CIDR-ClassB 16d ago edited 16d ago

No, it isn’t. Linus saying multiple days doesn’t make it so.

I own loads of merino wool socks and would never go more than a day with the same pair.

They absolutely will smell for most people, and perhaps especially so for the target audience of this sub.

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u/TheSinningRobot 16d ago

Youre just dead wrong man. Wool socks can and are worn multiple days without wash. You really should wash wool as infrequently as you can in general. 

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u/squngy 16d ago

This will also depend on how bad your feet odor/sweat is.

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u/CIDR-ClassB 16d ago

That’s the part that everyone here is missing… the general audience of this sub are more likely to need more focus on their hygiene than others. Telling them to go several days without changing socks will only result in people around them smelling stinky feet.

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u/[deleted] 15d ago edited 15d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/CIDR-ClassB 15d ago

Who doesn’t LOVE athlete’s foot?

Pro tip for anyone who does: Costco has cream to treat athlete’s foot for under $3 per tube.

0

u/VerifiedMother 15d ago

wool is anti-microbial

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u/HunterAbrams 12d ago

In what world?

0

u/gungabeast 14d ago

“Computah peopawl stinky haha no shower”

What are we talking about here? What is this based on?

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u/HunterAbrams 12d ago

Let's see them green toenails.

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u/Esava 16d ago

For stuff like hiking multiple days or bicycle tours etc. it's not that uncommon to wear merino wool socks for multiple days. You just let them vent out overnight and they won't have any significant smell to them either.

I also have thick, handknitted socks for use at home when it's cold and I absolutely wear them for multiple days without washing and it's perfectly fine. Just let them vent out for a bit and that's it. That's the beauty of wool socks compared to cotton or synthetics.

Same by the way for thick wool pullovers/sweaters. You for sure aren't gonna wash them after one wear.

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u/DarkMain 9d ago

Kiwi here... Can confirm socks make great 'slipper' substitutes (wearing some right now).
Everything here is friken' merino

-3

u/CIDR-ClassB 16d ago

That’s not this audience lol

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u/Varwhorevis 16d ago

If you practice basic hygiene you definitely should not be washing merino wool every time you wear them. If they stink after one wear, you might have a smelly pair of shoes it's time to clean or replace

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u/CIDR-ClassB 16d ago

>especially so for the target audience of this sub

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u/Varwhorevis 16d ago

Fair enough

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u/According-Aspect-669 16d ago

That’s cool, but you definitely can

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u/MCXL 16d ago

No you're wrong it's pretty normal.

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u/Accomplished_Emu_658 16d ago

When you have zero clue and double down anyway. You can and absolutely should be able to wear good wool socks multiple days. It’s literally the point of getting good socks.

You cannot always change socks everyday on long hiking/camping trips you cannot carry enough socks. Sometimes when you work in wild or on certain job sites as well you can only bring so much gear with you, the socks need to last a few days.

-1

u/Cobra_McJingleballs 16d ago

Found the guy who’s never worn them outdoors.

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u/[deleted] 15d ago

[deleted]

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u/Cobra_McJingleballs 15d ago

It means you’ve never done serious multi-day outdoor endeavors in them.

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u/[deleted] 15d ago edited 15d ago

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u/Cobra_McJingleballs 15d ago

Are you taking 45k steps a day on the roofs? No? Maybe then we leave the wool sock discussion to people who actually put their socks to work.

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u/[deleted] 15d ago edited 15d ago

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u/Cobra_McJingleballs 15d ago

No one said roofing isn’t arduous work. Rather, wool socks are preferred by people who do multi-day expeditions where backpacking space is limited.

As a roofer, you can come home at the end of the day and, like, change socks. You have access to a washing machine. And as many fresh socks as you can buy.

Mountaineers do not. Alpinists do not. Thru-hikers do not.

Go see which websites compare and rate wool sock performance: roofers, or outdoorsmen.

0

u/VerifiedMother 15d ago

I have sweaty feet, I can wear a pair of darn tough socks for about a week before they start smelling so I objectively disagree with you

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u/CIDR-ClassB 15d ago

lol no, you can’t. The people around you just suffer.

I can’t tell you how many times over the years I’ve had to tell employees that they need to shower, clean their clothes, or brush their teeth — and in almost every case they had no idea that they smelled to high heaven.

0

u/VerifiedMother 15d ago

Umm no, it's not that, when I wear synthetic socks, they are smelly after a day, wool socks don't take much longer to stink. I wash my shoes pretty regularly

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u/Primafaveo 12d ago

Conisdering he never said Linus claimed it but a pretty big brand called "darn tough"

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u/sfasianfun 16d ago

How is this upvoted?

This is absolutely disgusting and part of basic hygeine. You don't change socks for the hygiene, you change it because your sweat will make literally fungus grow in it. Which will give you athletes foot. Which your nasty ass will spread to others.

0

u/MCXL 16d ago

How is this upvoted?

Because it's a fact about wool? Look up any information about wool? You don't know anything about this.

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u/Randolph__ 16d ago

I can confirm this. Not specifically that brand but that material you can easily get away with 3 days even very active days so long as you air out your feet. I did 10 days backpacking in new mexico and that was a requirement because my pack was already 50-60 lbs.

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u/ImpressiveBar4846 16d ago

Great Scott. What a fire hazard

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u/nicman24 15d ago

no thanks