February 14, 2009: For troops that are on their feet a lot, especially when marching or moving through wet terrain, good socks are really, really important. So it was interesting to note that both the U.S. Army Ranger Regiment, Special Forces, Navy Seals and the U.S. Marine Corps have bought boot socks from a Vermont firm called, Darn Tough Socks. These socks are built to take a beating, while keeping feet warm, dry and comfortable. At $20 a pair, that's a pretty good deal. In the last decade, the Internet has insured that just about everyone in the military, who spends a lot of time out in the field, got to know about Darn Tough Socks. The smart ones got out their plastic and stocked up, especially before heading off to Iraq or Afghanistan.

The company has been around since the late 1970s, and troops have been buying Darn Tough Socks with their own money since the 1980s. The brass decided the military grade socks were no match for the Darn Tough Socks, and it would be good for morale if the government began buying socks the troops were actually wearing.