Costco Members: 6-Pair Timberland Men's Cushioned Crew Socks (Sizes 6-12) Expired

How do these compare to Darn Tough?

$9.99 in store.

Look for socks with higher quality materials. High content wool (Merino especially) and cotton are FAAR superior to nearly all other modern materials socks are made from, especially all the plastics (anything with "poly" in the name, that claim they are "wicking"), that's marketing hype so you don't realize you are actually buying just pure crap.

Cotton is one of the most comfortable but doesn't wear very well, there are several types of content used as well but they are almost never differentiated on the label (because it isn't required), so often cheap high content cotton socks wear faster than better quality cotton socks. Cotton also loses it's mild insulation properties when it gets wet and then holds that moisture unlike wool which is the best material at insulating while moist/damp/wet.

Merino wool is generally known to be the most comfortable wool, and can wear relatively well, medium to high heat damages wools composition and so air drying anything with wool will help it wear better (last longer).

Nylon content is what make socks "tough" or wear-well but it's a lousy comfort material so the balance between comfort, warmth and durability can be a tricky one, ESPECIALLY for what many consider a "reasonable" price.

Well made socks with premiums materials can be an absolute luxury, but yeah, buying various "multiple-pacs" like these, based on how many pair per dollar spent will likely not get anyone to the promised land, just FYI.

Did a deep dive into the science of socks during the pandemic and it was absolutely fascinating.

Hope any of this helps.