Sock it to me! Seeking good quality men's socks
March 28, 2014 12:33 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for good quality men's dress socks. I want socks that are mid-calf and either solid brown or solid black. SmartWool's nice, but they are quite expensive and I also find their wide range of options baffling, so I'd like something cheaper and simpler. Would prefer someplace I can order from online (I'm in the U.S.). Thanks!
Uniqlo socks are cheap in price but not quality. (If you are not familiar with the brand, it is the Japanese Gap i.e. modern basics). Their heattech line is especially nice for the cold weather.
posted by rada at 12:53 PM on March 28, 2014
posted by rada at 12:53 PM on March 28, 2014
As I've mentioned in other threads, I love my Darn Tough socks. (They have a lot of options, but these are simple, as are these. I have several pairs of these. Amazon has them cheaper. I think they're also at REI.)
They're not (significantly) cheaper than SmartWool, but they somehow last about three times longer. I am just now thinking about replacing my first pair, three years later, where SmartWools generally lasted me about a year or less before they started getting too thin on the ball of my foot. Darn Tough has a lifetime warranty, too, so theoretically I could send these back and they'd send me new ones for free.
Anyway, I've never been someone who loves socks, and I honestly love these socks.
(I used to be a gold-toe man, but have come to realize that cotton is a terrible material for socks.)
posted by sportbucket at 1:00 PM on March 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
They're not (significantly) cheaper than SmartWool, but they somehow last about three times longer. I am just now thinking about replacing my first pair, three years later, where SmartWools generally lasted me about a year or less before they started getting too thin on the ball of my foot. Darn Tough has a lifetime warranty, too, so theoretically I could send these back and they'd send me new ones for free.
Anyway, I've never been someone who loves socks, and I honestly love these socks.
(I used to be a gold-toe man, but have come to realize that cotton is a terrible material for socks.)
posted by sportbucket at 1:00 PM on March 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
They make DarnTough up the road from me. They're not technically "dress" socks if you need something sheerish, but if you've been wearing SmartWool in the past, they should be fine. Don't know if you live anywhere near Central VT but there is an annual sock sale where they have these things (factory seconds) for crazy prices, usually a few weeks before Xmas. I have a bunch of their military-style Darn Tough socks and they do last forever in a way that is almost uncanny. So another vote for them.
posted by jessamyn at 1:04 PM on March 28, 2014
posted by jessamyn at 1:04 PM on March 28, 2014
If you truly want THE BEST SOCKS POSSIBLE - socks that retain their shape, that last for years, that do not get stinky or saggy - you must buy mostly-merino socks. Since you, like I, understandably balk at spending $25 on a pair of socks, you must do the following to obtain them:
1. Sign up for Sierra Trading Post's mailing list.
2. "Like" Sierra Trading Post's Facebook page.
3. Check your e-mail's spam filter for the glut of Sierra Trading Post coupons which are now hurtling at you like cheery little outdoorsy-themed missiles.
4. At least once or twice a month, you will get an STP coupon for 30% - 40% off of your ENTIRE order. It is then that you must strike!
5. At this point, visit the Sierra Trading Post site and search for "mens merino sock black". You're gonna want one of the following brands: Goodhew, Icebreaker, Point6, SmartWool, Thorlo, or Lorpen.
6. Buy a dozen effing pairs of the same sock, using the coupon code(s) you have obtained by playing in to STP's craven marketing ploys.
7. Spent the next several years getting daily enjoyment out of owning durable, comfortable, bulletproof Socks of Glory.
I myself do this every three or four years, and it has legitimately improved my life.
posted by julthumbscrew at 1:10 PM on March 28, 2014 [11 favorites]
1. Sign up for Sierra Trading Post's mailing list.
2. "Like" Sierra Trading Post's Facebook page.
3. Check your e-mail's spam filter for the glut of Sierra Trading Post coupons which are now hurtling at you like cheery little outdoorsy-themed missiles.
4. At least once or twice a month, you will get an STP coupon for 30% - 40% off of your ENTIRE order. It is then that you must strike!
5. At this point, visit the Sierra Trading Post site and search for "mens merino sock black". You're gonna want one of the following brands: Goodhew, Icebreaker, Point6, SmartWool, Thorlo, or Lorpen.
6. Buy a dozen effing pairs of the same sock, using the coupon code(s) you have obtained by playing in to STP's craven marketing ploys.
7. Spent the next several years getting daily enjoyment out of owning durable, comfortable, bulletproof Socks of Glory.
I myself do this every three or four years, and it has legitimately improved my life.
posted by julthumbscrew at 1:10 PM on March 28, 2014 [11 favorites]
(If you do decide to go with Darn Tough, I can vouch for them as well: I bought the Mr. a pair for Christmas and he's rapturously in love with them. STP does not appear to have them, but I know that EMS and REI do - maybe see if you can get coupons for their sites, then use them to buy some clearance/discontinued Darn Toughs?)
posted by julthumbscrew at 1:13 PM on March 28, 2014
posted by julthumbscrew at 1:13 PM on March 28, 2014
Seconding the Sierra Trading Post rec above -- but if you don't want to bow to craven marketing ploys, RetailMeNot has coupon codes.
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:48 PM on March 28, 2014
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:48 PM on March 28, 2014
Nordstrom Over the Calf Wool Socks (3 for $35).
I have these, which are quite good. I roll the top down a bit so as not to be too high.
posted by conrad53 at 2:30 PM on March 28, 2014
I have these, which are quite good. I roll the top down a bit so as not to be too high.
posted by conrad53 at 2:30 PM on March 28, 2014
Response by poster: Thanks for all the ideas, folks. And yeah, I didn't mean dressy, thin socks. I was just using the phrase "dress socks" to mean "not athletic socks."
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 3:29 PM on March 28, 2014
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 3:29 PM on March 28, 2014
Thorlo DLTX socks
I have been wearing these for years and they provide a deceptive amount of padding, but still look totally fine with slacks.
posted by jjs6791 at 5:56 PM on March 28, 2014
I have been wearing these for years and they provide a deceptive amount of padding, but still look totally fine with slacks.
posted by jjs6791 at 5:56 PM on March 28, 2014
Add my vote to the Darn Tough tally. Their lifestyle socks make a fantastic dress sock.
posted by Silvertree at 7:33 PM on March 28, 2014
posted by Silvertree at 7:33 PM on March 28, 2014
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posted by COD at 12:53 PM on March 28, 2014