Balega vs Darn Tough:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, Darn Tough had more branded searches than Balega among running socks worldwide. Darn Tough had about 49,500 branded searches, while Balega had 22,200. Darn Tough made up 16.6% of all running sock searches we track, and Balega accounted for 7.4%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Is Balega or Darn Tough more popular in search?
Compare the running socks people search for. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of searches by month for Darn Tough, Balega. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Smartwool | Stance | Darn Tough | Feetures | Balega | Injinji | Swiftwick | Hilly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 37.9% | 20.8% | 13.9% | 13.9% | 6.2% | 4.2% | 2.8% | 0.36% |
| Nov 2025 | 37.5% | 20.6% | 16.7% | 13.8% | 6.2% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 0.29% |
| Dec 2025 | 41.8% | 22.9% | 15.3% | 10.3% | 5.6% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 0.26% |
| Jan 2026 | 45% | 16.6% | 16.6% | 11.1% | 5% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 0.36% |
| Feb 2026 | 41% | 18.4% | 15% | 12.3% | 6.7% | 3.7% | 2.5% | 0.49% |
| Mar 2026 | 28.6% | 23.4% | 15.6% | 15.6% | 8.6% | 4.7% | 3.1% | 0.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 23.4% | 23.4% | 15.6% | 19.1% | 8.6% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 0.5% |
| May 2026 | 23.4% | 23.4% | 15.6% | 19.1% | 8.6% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 0.5% |
| Jun 2026 | 22.4% | 27.3% | 15% | 18.3% | 8.2% | 5.5% | 3% | 0.39% |
| Jul 2026 | 24.7% | 20.2% | 16.5% | 20.2% | 9% | 4.9% | 4% | 0.43% |
| Aug 2026 | 28.3% | 18.9% | 15.5% | 18.9% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 0.41% |
| Sep 2026 | 30.3% | 20.3% | 16.6% | 16.6% | 7.4% | 5% | 3.3% | 0.44% |
How has the Balega and Darn Tough comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Darn Tough was ahead of Balega in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Balega’s share of searches among running socks worldwide moved from 6.2% to 7.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 22.2K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Darn Tough’s share of searches among running socks worldwide moved from 13.9% to 16.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 49.5K.
How did search popularity change for running socks worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Darn Tough overtook Feetures to rank 3rd among running socks worldwide, with 16.6% of the searches.
In September 2026, Balega lost share of searches among running socks worldwide, from 8.5% to 7.4%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Balega’s and Darn Tough’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Balega
1 branded search term
- balega socks
Darn Tough
1 branded search term
- darn tough
Other head-to-heads among running socks
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