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In this guide
Style 1972 is the lightweight version of Darn Tough's most familiar hiking sock. The height, the cushion map and the Vermont knitting are shared with the midweight 1466. What changes is the yarn: 43% merino, 54% nylon and 3% Lycra, against the 1466's 61% merino and 36% nylon. Darn Tough describes the current version as a redesign with mesh panels on top of the foot, a smooth ribbed upper and cushion extended over the Achilles.
The price is $25, one dollar less than the 1466. The interesting part is not the dollar but the fiber swap, because it explains where each sock belongs. Wool insulates and manages moisture; nylon resists wear and dries fast. Moving eighteen percentage points from one to the other makes a sock for hot days, low shoes and sweaty feet, and it moves the sock away from cold mornings and wet boots.
Our verdict
The right Darn Tough hiking sock for warm weather and trail runners: thinner, more breathable and cheaper than the 1466, with the same cushion map and the same guarantee. It gives up wool content, and with it some warmth when wet.
- A good fit for
- Three-season hikers in low shoes or trail runners who found the midweight 1466 too warm and want a sock that still has terry underfoot.
- We would skip it if
- You hike in cold or wet conditions where wool's insulation matters, prefer a thicker sock inside a boot, or want the highest merino percentage the money can buy.
Reasons to consider it
- Published blend of 43% merino, 54% nylon, 3% Lycra puts abrasion-resistant fiber in the majority
- Mesh panels over the instep and a smooth ribbed cuff are called out as the changes in the current redesign
- The lifetime guarantee requires no receipt and now covers accidental damage, following the May 2024 change
The compromises
- Less wool than the 1466 means less insulation and less of merino's odor and moisture behavior
- Only Black is offered in S and XXL; Seafoam, Denim, Taupe and Space Gray run M to XL
- A guarantee claim still costs you postage and a wait of up to two weeks for a store credit
What we have not verified: We have not worn, washed or measured these socks. Darn Tough publishes no weight per pair for style 1972 and no figure for how much thinner the lightweight knit is than the midweight. Fiber percentages are stated to vary slightly.
The things in this guide
A closer look at the products, who they may suit, and what to check before buying.
Light Hiker Micro Crew Lightweight Hiking Sock · 1972
Same guarantee, same height and cushion placement as the 1466, at a lower price and with a knit meant for trail runners and summer heat.
Before you buy: Check the color and size grid, since only Black is knit in S and XXL, and expect less warmth than the midweight when the trail gets cold or wet.
Price checked September 11, 2026. Retailer prices can change.What moving eighteen points from wool to nylon does
Darn Tough lists style 1972 at 43% Merino Wool, 54% Nylon and 3% Lycra Spandex, with the usual note that percentages can vary slightly. The midweight 1466 is 61% merino and 36% nylon. Both socks are knit at the same mills, so the feel is decided by yarn and loop density. Nylon is the fiber that survives heel friction; merino is the fiber that stays warm when damp and resists smelling after two days.
A majority-nylon hiking sock is not a compromise so much as a specification. In July, in trail runners, wool's insulation is a liability and its odor control is the only thing you miss. In October, in leather boots on a wet trail, the 1466's extra wool is worth its dollar. Darn Tough labels 1972 lightweight and pairs it with hiking shoes and trail runners; that pairing is the honest summary of the blend.
Mesh over the foot and a cuff that is meant to stay up
The product copy calls the current 1972 a redesign of one of the most popular socks in the line and names three changes: mesh panels on top of the foot for airflow, a new smooth ribbed upper that is meant to stay in place, and cushion extended further up the Achilles. Underfoot, the cushion grade is the same description used across the hiking line, terry loops on the sole with targeted protection over the ankle and the Achilles tendon.
The mesh is the change that matters for a summer sock, because heat leaves through the top of the foot, where a shoe's upper is thinnest. The ribbed cuff is a fix for a lightweight sock's usual weakness, sliding down inside a low shoe. Neither claim can be checked from a listing, and the copy leaves out how open the mesh is or how the cuff behaves once the Lycra relaxes.
Micro crew height, and a size grid with gaps
Men's micro crew socks average 8.5 inches from heel to cuff, which Darn Tough describes as showing about 6 inches above a low hiking shoe or sitting just above a standard boot collar. The men's and unisex chart maps S to US men's 5.5 to 7.5, M to 8 to 9.5, L to 10 to 12, XL to 12.5 to 14.5 and XXL to 15 to 17, with women's, EU and UK columns alongside.
Availability is uneven across colors. Black is the only color knit in all five sizes; Seafoam, Denim, Taupe and Space Gray are offered in M, L and XL only. A man with a size 7 or a size 15 foot is choosing between black and a different style. Every variant is priced at $25.00, and the toe is closed with the brand's True Seamless construction, which is the same claim the 1466 makes.
Washing rules and what a lifetime claim costs you
Laundering is straightforward: machine wash cold on a gentle cycle with the socks turned inside out, no bleach, tumble dry on low or hang, and no dry cleaning. The guarantee is the same one that covers every Darn Tough sock. If the pair is not the longest lasting you have owned, you send it back and get another. No receipt is needed. Since May 21, 2024, accidental damage counts too, as long as the remains are recognizably Darn Tough.
The mechanics are worth restating for a $25 sock. You fill in an online form, wash the socks, mail them at your own expense by the cheapest method (Darn Tough names USPS Ground Advantage for most people), and wait. The brand aims for seven to ten business days after receipt and currently quotes up to two weeks. The payout is a credit code for darntough.com, and it must be redeemed with the same email used on the form. Seconds and irregulars are excluded, and a pair bought on darntough.com in the last 90 days should go through a return or exchange instead.
When the extra wool, or a cheaper sock, is the better call
If most of your hiking happens in boots, in shoulder season, or anywhere feet get cold and wet, the 1466 is the better Darn Tough for one more dollar. Its 61% merino share is the reason it feels warmer when damp, and the price gap is too small to matter. Owning both and choosing by forecast is how a lot of hikers end up using the two styles.
A synthetic sock at half the price also deserves a look for pure summer use, because a majority-nylon knit is already most of the way there and the guarantee only pays off for people who file claims. Style 1972 makes sense when you want Darn Tough's cushion map and Vermont knit in a thinner sock, and when the color and size you need actually appears in the grid.
How we put this together
Built from the product pages and listings below, without test scores or results we have not measured. Specifications and prices change, so check the original page for the exact model, current price, delivery, and returns.
- Darn Tough: Men's Light Hiker Micro Crew Lightweight Hiking Socks (style 1972) (opens in a new tab)
- Darn Tough: Unconditionally Guaranteed for Life (opens in a new tab)
- Darn Tough: Men's Hiker Micro Crew Midweight Hiking Socks (style 1466) (opens in a new tab)
