The American sock manufacturer Darn Tough returned to Ispo Munich for the second time this year seeking, in the words of its owner, Ric Cabot, to conquer the European market “one sock at a time.” Cabot is a third-generation hosiery manufacturer and founded Darn Tough with his father in 2003, after the family private-label hosiery company almost went bankrupt. Since then, Darn Tough has been successfully producing socks at its factory in Vermont for a variety of sports and outdoor activities, from running to ski touring. With eight million pairs planned for 2020, the independent company has already expanded into Canada and Japan and is now looking for retail partners in Europe. According to Cabot, the most promising markets are currently in Scandinavia, the U.K. and Germany. The company employs more than 330 people at its manufacturing and office facilities in Waterbury and Northfield, Vermont, and is capable of producing up to 25 million pairs of socks, especially after investing $2.5 million last year to renovate a historic mill that now serves as a warehouse and distribution center. In addition to its focus on comfort, durability and fit, one of Darn Tough’s unique features, according to Cabot, is its unconditional lifetime warranty, introduced in 2003, which covers even normal wear and tear. Only 0.5 to 0.8 percent of the total production is actually returned by customers exercising the guarantee. Darn Dough carefully analyzes the data on returns (gender, category, yarn type, etc.) and incorporates it into product development.

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