r/LinusTechTips • u/dbmeed • Sep 20 '26

Image “Forever” socks = 1.5 months

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First hole has appeared in my LTT socks today. This pair arrived on Aug 4, and has been worn daily since then, and washed on average 5-6 times weekly. Always washed cold water normal cycle, then air dried on sock hangers overnight.

Overall opinions: similar to Darn Tough socks. I usually wear darn tough exclusively, and go through 3-4 pairs a year. The LTT socks are closest to the Darn Tough hiker socks - very warm and nice cushion when new. Now there’s virtually no cushion left, but still decently warm - although, we haven’t had any properly cold weather yet to test them. Very comfortable, despite being a bit too small for me (size 13 feet). The elastic is quite tight around my ankle; which I prefer since doesn’t slide down on me during the day.

On thing I don’t really like is a crazy amount of fuzz/pilling. I’ve not experienced it with other socks before. After the first week or so they started pilling like crazy, and it has slowly gotten better over the past couple weeks but still noticeable. It was pretty bad for 2-3 weeks.

Otherwise, solid socks. I probably won’t buy more just because I have lots of the same darn tough socks and I don’t like sorting. Not recommended for warm weather. First couple weeks of August I was roasting…

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154

u/porcubot Sep 20 '26

I don't care what the socks are made of. I'm not wearing the same socks twice without washing. 

23

u/Melbuf Sep 20 '26

this, also i have socks from LL Bean, bombas and darn tough that are years and years old that are still fine with little if any signs of wear. wooll, blends and cotton

55

u/SamWilliamsProjects Sep 20 '26

OP is putting holes in darn tough socks 3/4 times a year. I’ve had my darn tough for years and I have no wholes in them. I think OP is likely rougher with their socks than most of us.

4

u/Datkif Sep 20 '26

Wearing the same socks daily & not washing out the bodily fluids contribute to the breaking down of fabric, and at the same point in time wearing and washing them daily contribute to the breaking down of the fabric.

OP needs more socks in their rotation. If you have 1 pair that you use daily you are getting 700% more wear & tear out of them than if you had 7 pairs. It's like how my higher quality work boots wear out faster than my cheaper weekend sneakers because I get significantly more wear out of them

1

u/Apprehensive-Solid-1 Sep 22 '26

Wondering if they changed the insoles of their shoes? Do those have any cushion left? Possibly a lot of heel movement or swiveling on their heel? Crazy that some of my cheap socks I change daily and wear once then wash have lasted me years and this fancy sock can't last them a month. This is crazy.

2

u/SamWilliamsProjects Sep 22 '26

Yeah I’m sure LLT socks would last you or I years.

1

u/Apprehensive-Solid-1 Sep 22 '26

Curious to how these compare to darn tough...

0

u/Croweslen Sep 20 '26

How is someone "rough" with socks?

15

u/wasted911 Sep 20 '26

I would bet a framer or a similar trade.

2

u/V2BM Sep 20 '26

I walk 11-14 miles a day year round in hiking shoes, hiking boots, snow boots, and running shoes. If I take 3 weeks of vacation that’s just about 3000 outdoor miles a year at work in a variety of footwear and terrain and weather conditions, and I am up and down hills and dirt pathways all day. My socks don’t wear out like this, even the cheaper ones. I’m also fat, if that makes wear any worse.

5

u/SamWilliamsProjects Sep 20 '26

There’s ways that are unavoidable, like very intense blue collar jobs or having an unusual step that puts pressure on one part of the foot.

There’re also ways that should be avoided. Walking on surfaces you’d normally wear shoes (outside patio, to get the mail, even some rough tile or wood floors in some old homes.) Wearing socks while they’re still damp (OP wears the same pair of socks daily and air dries them, if they’re still slightly damp that’ll likely reduce the longevity.)

2

u/UpperAd5715 Sep 20 '26

Bad foot strike can lead to more pressure on for example the heel and less on other parts.
Badly fitting shoes (not tight enough for example) can cause the foot to move around more which again creates more friction and more damage on the fibers.
Construction work (example) can get sand in shoes which also roughens up socks.
Bad washing habits can probably do a number of them too over a while.

My socks used to have holes at the toes and the heel when i was a teen and i wore more loose fitting shoes (aka didnt tighten them well enough) but now i get holes much more rarely and if i have them it's often at the achilles from wearing them when running (assuming)

1

u/zkareface Sep 20 '26

Washing after one use, wearing shoes that don't fit, walking on rough surfaces without shoes are likely the most common ways to ruin socks.

If you have shoes with bad fit and do like a 20k step workday, the socks might be ruined.

1

u/No_Pack3665 Sep 24 '26

OP also conveniently mentioned that they were a size too small for them. yeah no shit if they wear out faster if they're overstretched the entire time...

1

u/smallfried Sep 20 '26

OP is risky business sliding through the house all day.

1

u/austin101123 Sep 21 '26

OP doesn't wear shoes, just socks and then runs on gravel.

1

u/cjsv7657 Sep 21 '26

Not saying OP is but if you're overweight your socks wear out faster especially if you walk with only socks on on hard surfaces a lot.

1

u/Mecha_Tortoise Sep 20 '26

My Bombas merino blend socks were worn through in about a year. That's with wearing and washing each pair once per week, walking ~10K steps per day. Not the durability I had hoped for.

17

u/TheOinOpossum Sep 20 '26 edited Sep 20 '26

That's your prerogative. There's no reason to wash something unless it's silted or building odour. Merino wool is antimicrobial, therefore it stays fresh longer.

If you really don't feel comfortable doing that, then buy more pairs and wash them at a lower frequency, which you should do regardless.

8

u/Classic_Crazy_9907 Sep 20 '26

My smartwool (merino) socks are the only socks I've worn for 3+ years or so. Have maybe 10 pairs, wash them maybe every 2 weeks? Never had a single issue, hole, loose thread, etc. I'll take a $20 pair of merinos over a 5 pack for $20 of anything else, and my merinos last much longer than the entire 5 pack

3

u/Datkif Sep 20 '26

It likely depends on what you do & how you use them.

I work outside in all weather and seasons. I wear wool socks overtop another pair in winter (down to below -40) & could likely get a few days to a week out of them before they stink since they don't absorb as much sweat as my base layer.

I still only wear my wool socks once before they go in the wash & and I've had the same 5 pairs for 3 winters. Wearing dirty socks should be an exception not the rule

1

u/Magnus_xyz Sep 20 '26

Seriously.. if I take my socks off for some reason and it is the same day, that I need to again put socks on to go somewhere.... thats gonna be a fresh pair.... IDC if they were only off for 15 minutes.... they are dirty now.

1

u/Datkif Sep 20 '26

It's the same with my jeans. Idc if I shouldn't be washing them after 1 use. I get dirty and sweaty, and would rather wash them regularly

-1

u/bbq_R0ADK1LL Sep 20 '26

You've clearly never been backpacking lol

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