Drymax Rocks!

Continuing on the product review theme mentioned in yesterday’s post, I wanted to take a slight detour to promote one of my favorite companies again. Actually, it's not so much a review as it is an update.

It’s not exactly breaking news that I’m a huge fan of Drymax socks – that information is fairly well-established. What you might not know, however, is how easy it is for anybody else to fall in love with Drymax as well. A friend of mine found this out recently, and the story is a good illustration of a company that is doing all the right things.

After hearing me rave like a lunatic about Drymax for about eight months, one of my training partners finally decided to give their trail running socks a try. I figured he would be amazed; to my shock and dismay, he was only disappointed.

He asked if I wanted to buy the socks from him - which I would have done in a flash, if I didn’t suspect there might be a larger story to unfold. So I told him about Drymax’s money back guarantee, and put him in contact with a Drymax rep to offer his feedback.

Giving my friend's money back would have been good enough, but Bob at Drymax went two steps further: he let my friend keep the socks he already had to pass along to someone else, then offered to send samples of other styles that my friend might like better. The two of them are working back and forth on that one as we speak; I’m totally confident that those kids will work something out.

In a time when every kind of business is struggling to stay afloat, when companies are using any means necessary to wring every possible dime out of its employees and customers alike, when corporate greed and deception trump service and honesty by a mile, it’s refreshing to see a company that not only plays by the rules, but routinely goes the extra mile to make its customers happy.

Anecdotally, I know their methods must be paying off, as Drymax socks are becoming more and more prevalent at ultras and triathlons all over the country. Their grassroots outreach and promotional efforts are becoming a groundswell in the community of endurance athletes.

Here's the coolest part of the story: while the Drymax business model is one worth boasting about, the company doesn’t do a lot of trumpeting (although I’m probably a couple of blog posts away from applying for a per-diem marketing stipend) in comparison to their larger competitors. That’s because the product speaks for itself.

If you haven’t tried a pair yet, check out these trail socks from Amazon.com or these options from ZombieRunner and select a style you like. If they’re not your thing, just return them and get your money back. You've quite literally got nothing to lose - except maybe a blister or two.

One more note: my review last fall was for the version 3 Drymax socks; the current models on sale online are version 4. I'm hoping to get my hands on - or, more accurately, my feet in - some updated models in the near future, and of course I'll post an update on the new style.

I can pretty much predict how that one will turn out, but I'll let you know for sure when it happens.