There are a lot of socks on the market. Many of them are good...some of them are great. Darn Tough socks are simply awesome and for that reason (among others as you'll read below) Checkpoint Zero is thrilled to announce Darn Tough Vermont as our newest sponsor.

I set out writing this intending to introduce you to Darn Tough myself...the company and the socks. In the course of clicking around their website it occurred to me that I was never going to do as good a job explaining what makes them and their product so exceptional (and so very different from their competition) as they already have.

So here's Ric Cabet on Darn Tough:

Over a quarter century ago our family opened a mill and began making socks in Northfield, Vermont.

Frigid winters and humid summers taught us that all socks are not created equally. Living in the most unforgiving climate in the lower 48 our socks had to be tough and of course they certainly had to keep our feet dry. Whether skiing, hiking, biking, or running, our feet were oblivious to the elements.

Time moves on. Technology advances. Innovations follow. Over the years, we have tweaked and modified our performance socks to perfection.

Just over a year ago we launched Darn Tough Vermont, The Premium All Weather Performance Sock, and dare we say, the toughest sock on the market, knit here, in our mill in Northfield. As a 3rd generation sock guy, I can tell you that what has kept my family in the sock business, in America, is the pursuit of quality. To date, DARN TOUGH VERMONT, is the culmination of those efforts.

It's a brand uniquely created around a single, fine gauge needle, which means all our socks, from our Mesh running sock, to our over-the-calf Full Cushion ski sock, fit your foot exactly the same. It's custom counts of Merino wool and an exclusive blend of Coolmax which makes our socks incredibly strong and comfortable. And It's all about the knitting. Three generations of knitting know-how means, well, we know how.

As the maker and marketer of Darn Tough Vermont we are unique. In an era of outsourcing and corporate takeovers, we are still true to our roots. Family owned and run, in Vermont, since 1978. In a word, local. Our experience is our reputation and we back it up with our lifetime guarantee. If our All Weather Performance Socks aren't the most comfortable and durable socks you've ever owned, return them for your money back."

As we like to say, "We know socks, we wear 'em year 'round."

Darn Tough will make it's debut as a Checkpoint Zero sponsor at the Upstate Adventure Race on October 25th in Cleveland, SC.