Darn Tough Socks: How to Buy the Real Thing and Avoid Counterfeit

While perusing Amazon.com a few months ago, I noticed a bargain offer for a 6-pack of Darn Tough men’s wool running socks. Most of you are probably familiar with Darn Tough—a Vermont industry that revolutionized the durability of the outdoor-play sock by tightening the weave and thread count and simultaneously offering an unconditional lifetime guarantee—if you are unhappy with them, for any reason, at any point in the life of the sock, they replace it.  The socks are produced by parent company Cabot Hosiery of Northfield, Vermont and are made exclusively in the USA.
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Before Cabot Hosiery invented the Darn Tough line, they were losing business to overseas sock makers and were in decline. Instead of fading away (as so many clothing mills in New England have) they adapted and innovated, coming up with a “darn tough” sock that “wouldn’t wear out” and successfully marketed it to those who would appreciate it most—the outdoor gear consumer (and later the U.S. military). The socks are made of fine Merino wool and are manufactured to the highest of standards. They will wear out eventually of course (nothing lasts forever, not even the mountains) but they do hold up a lot longer than any other brand on the market without any sacrifice in comfort.

​A basic pair of full-length Darn Tough hiking socks costs (2020 prices) $20-$27 per pair depending on style. Running socks, like the ones I was eyeing on Amazon, go for about $16 per pair. The offer on Amazon was $89 for 6 pair, or $14.83 per pair (shipping included with Amazon Prime). This was a substantial discount but not (in my mind anyway) an unbelievable one—and so I did not question it; I went ahead and clicked “Buy Now.”

The socks arrived promptly enough, with the correct  packaging, logo, and tags including the iconic image of a laborer pounding out a sock on a blacksmith’s ​anvil. The name Darn Tough was embroidered on the socks. But when I put them on, the socks felt different—they did not have the smooth texture that I had come to associate with the Darn Tough brand. I turned one of the socks inside out, and instead of a neat, tight weave, I noticed a disorganized tangle of loose threads and stitches. I sent Darn Tough photos and they quickly confirmed that the socks were counterfeits. 

I was able to return the fakes to Amazon at no cost but my trouble (Darn Tough, being the stand-up company they are, even offered to replace the counterfeits at no charge if I did not get satisfaction from Amazon) and I followed up by buying several pairs directly from Darn Tough (which made me feel better about my purchase for a number of other reasons, too).

Although I spend a lot of time in the woods I’m not so reclusive that I don’t follow the news—I was aware, albeit peripherally, that there exists a lucrative global counterfeit industry (a multi -billion or trillion dollar criminal industry according to the U.S. Department of Commerce). But I had mistakenly assumed that most of those rip-offs target big, universally recognizable brands: Nike, Adidas and the like. Apparently that isn’t the case—and clothing, when you come to think about it, isn’t hard to rip off—sweatshops in foreign countries already routinely churn out genuine product blessed and outsourced by our well-loved major brands; there is no reason they can’t churn out fakes just as easily.

So, how does one avoid getting ripped off? Here are some take-homes distilled from my experience:  

• Whenever possible, I purchase directly from the manufacturer (or a local gear shop—see the next bullet). Going directly to the source ensures that the product is genuine. In doing so, I also cut out the middle-man—which improves the manufacturer’s profit margins, allowing them to continue to practice high manufacturing standards, and (if not already outsourced) keep their labor force local. It is also frequently easier for me to find the desired size, color, and style on the manufacturer’s website, or backorder them if I can't.
  
  
• When purchasing from a physical retail store, I choose one that carries the manufacturer’s product line (multiple styles/types of product by the same manufacturer)—a good indicator that the retailer has an ongoing relationship with the manufacturer and it not engaging in fly-by-night bulk purchases from shady sources. Buying from a locally owned gear shop (versus a chain gear shop) helps support the local economy of which I am a part.
  
  
• When purchasing from an online retailer, I will choose one that has a good reputation and/or is an authorized distributer of the manufacturer’s gear. Popular online gear shops like REI, Campmor, etc. deal directly with gear manufacturers instead of 3rd parties. Markets like Amazon typically do not deal directly with the manufacturer—they sell through 3rd parties--nearly invisibly so. To find out who the actual seller is on Amazon, you must first choose a size/color/style; the name of the seller then appears in fine print below the “Buy Now/ Add to Cart” buttons. You can then click on the seller’s name and see their customer reviews and base of operations. Some brands (like Darn Tough) will even provide a list of approved Amazon sellers on their website. 

Amazon.com: choose the style/color/size option; the seller's name will then appear below the Buy Now button on the right.

• I shun buying new from vendors selling via online auction houses and the like, which tend to be more saturated with counterfeit product than other sources. 
  
  
• Upon receiving my gear, I check the packaging and the product. I consider missing or poor-quality packaging and typographical errors in packaging labels as red flags. Likewise, if the quality of the product doesn’t match what I’d expect of the manufacturer, a red flag goes up.
  
  
• I contact the manufacturer if I have concerns about counterfeit. In addition to being able to verify the authenticity of my product, I will also be helping them take action against sellers of counterfeit product.  In my communication, I send the manufacturer a description of my concerns, including photos and purchase information. I return any suspected counterfeit gear promptly. Amazon will usually refund in full where counterfeit is alleged, and it also provides me the option of leaving a review of the seller with which to warn other buyers.