Count me as one who was surprised how much more durable he found Darn Tough to be compared to Smartwool. The latter is fluffier, for sure, though. Yet when it came to decide what socks to send in to Insect Shield for treatment, I went with only Darn Tough.
Not that SmartWool is bad - they're not - it's just that to me, there's no contest between the two.
A soccer sock can be used as a sort of "exterior liner" over another sock, like a SmartWool, and save it some wear and tear.
I've also hiked in Costco's house brand merino wool socks. They're OK. They pill very quickly (probably I should have only ever washed them inside-out), but they haven't worn through.