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Posted 2 years ago

“So to get the easy part out of the way, this is a grip6 product. It’s superior quality and American manufacturing makes it a slam dunk. That was never a question for me, nor should it be for you. The real question for me was always this: if I’m going to spend $20 on a single pair of socks, they had better be as good as DarnTough, the reigning champion of top-tier socks. Can the Grip6 sock compete? The fact that Grip6’s product reputation led to any serious consideration of this question tells you everything you need to know about their standards. Maybe, just maybe, Grip6 and DarnTough can go toe to toe (heh, sock pins) and Grip6 could come out on top. I’ve evaluated them for around a year, and these are the conclusions I’ve reached. Performance: 5/5 I subjected these socks to the toughest conditions I could think of, namely spelunking, and the Goruck Heavy challenge. In both cases I was abusing these socks above and beyond any reasonable expectations. For any readers unfamiliar, both are conditions renowned for absolutely destroying gear. Mud, dirt, and grime seeping in the tops of my boots, hiking for fifty miles at a time with wet socks and heavy weights, belly crawling over gravel, and wading through waist-deep cave muck. It’s these situations where you need your gear to be so reliable it’s not even a question. They hold up to whatever I put them through, and I’ve never once had them fail me. They wick away sweat and dry quickly, and stay on all day (sometimes literally) without complaints. If it’s time to do high level stuff, I reach for these or a pair of Darn Toughs and not care which one I got. Did I get blisters wearing these? Of course I did, but not more and not worse than I’d have with DT. Certainly better than with a lower-tier sock. At a certain level of performance, that becomes unavoidable, and it takes a great sock to still function when your feet are hurting. Even after the roughest toughest challenges which left my feet a bloodied and blistered mess, the socks are holding up great, which leads me to the second criteria I used to evaluate them. Durability 4.5/5 They hold up to punishment exceptionally well. Just like DarnTough, Grip6 has a lifetime guarantee on all their products, so for some this really isn’t even an issue (side note: I do really love it when companies stand behind their products). That said, believe me I’ve been trying to turn these socks into a warranty claim as hard as I can, but no matter what I throw at these things, nothing seems to be able to break them. Outside of DarnTough, I’ve never known a pair of socks to be as durable as these. With that said though, DT gets a narrow edge, simply because all socks start to show signs of wear over tome, even if it’s just cosmetic. With this in mind, I’ve noticed that the Grip6 socks have shown that wear a little more quickly than any of my DT socks. As a rough ballpark estimate I would say that the Grip6 socks developed as much wear as a pair of DarnToughs sustained in two years. I’m really splitting hairs here though, and can’t stress enough that this hasn’t impacted their function at all. I hesitate to even call this an issue with “durability” since they still function just as well as day 1. That said, they look a little more worn down and gently frayed than I’d expect from a DT price-range sock at this stage in their service life. If they continue sustaining wear at this rate, they’ll still last for years and years, and if/when they finally do wear down enough to impact function, they’ll have been well worth the price tag, even if there wasn’t a lifetime guarantee (which there, of course, is). In addition, any edge that DT has on G6 here is smoothed out in another area, which brings me to my final sphere of considerations. Comfort: 5/5. Boy howdy these are comfortable. Perhaps even better than Darn Tough. They’re a little warmer than DT so I’d hesitate to wear them in very high temperatures for hours on end, but at that point, it’s more an issue of shoe choice than anything. (Note: when it comes to shoe choice in any context, if you haven’t chosen the MACV-1, you’re wrong). These are comfortable on the trail, and stay comfortable all day. Any sock can be comfortable in your home on a relaxed afternoon. It takes a truly excellent sock to be comfortable when you’re 30 miles in and they’re soaking wet. Time and time again, I’ve been impressed. Using them as a daily drive for non high-performance activities is like a cheat code. And that’s where these socks manage to actually outshine DarnTough. They’re more comfortable. Not by a huge margin, but by a notable one. Especially when relaxing. Darn Toughs are great when you want to work hard, and pretty good the rest of the time, but Grip6 managed to make a sock that’s a little more comfortable, and pound for pound, almost just as heavy-hitting. Well done Grip6. Final thoughts. Time to finish where we started. If you have $20 to spend on a pair of socks, should you buy these, or a pair of DarnToughs. I have to say, there’s no clear answer. Yes DT has a slight advantage over G6 in durability, and yes G6 bites back with a similar edge in comfort, but are these differences really enough to make a difference? I leave that for the reader to decide. Moreover, these are just my experiences with my lifestyle and my feet. Your (literal) mileage, may vary. The only recommendation I can make is that you need at least one pair. Grip6 socks are well worth the money, and even though my years of near-perfect experience with DarnTough left them with large proverbial shoes to fill (heh, sock puns) I can absolutely say they’re up to the challenge. Whether Grip6 beats DarnTough or vice versa is most likely a matter of individual preference, as opposed to anything measurable or objective. Without a question, they’re in the uppermost elite pantheon of the best socks I’ve ever encountered, and I’m confident anyone else trying them will feel the same way.”

4 Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“QUALITY APPEARED GOOD. BUT THEY WERE WAY TO SMALL FOR MY SIZE NINE MALE FOOT. FIT MY WIFE'S SIZE 6.5 FOOT FINE AND SHE LIKES THEM. BUT WERE NOT SUITABLE FOR MY FOOT. ORDERED SIZE BASED ON THE INFORMATION ON YOUR WEB SITE”

3 Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

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Posted 2 years ago

“Very happy with these sock. I wear them for work. After 9 hours my feet are not sweaty. So glad I bought these socks for work.”

1 Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“I have other wool socks but these are the most comfortable. I like the soft cushioning and they stay up without having tight elastic around the ankles.”

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Posted 2 years ago

“Overland Wool Socks are the best socks I've ever owned. They are very durable, excellent moisture / temperature management thanks to the properties of wool. Great sock ready for any adventure - just put them on and forget about 'em.”

1 Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Purchased 2 belt and buckle sets, as well as Grib6 wool socks and feel I bought quality products. I use one belt set for hiking and they are ultra-light weight and stay gripped. I hike about 10 miles per day and the sock are perfect. Not a sign of blisters and feet keep pretty cool considering I live in AZ desert. I would highly recommend to any day or thru hiker.”

1 Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Wool Crew Sock - Overland Blue MD / Single Reviews