I guess I'm the first not to try darn tough! My preference is Thorlos, Smartwool, and Bridgedale that I've used and abused for years mostly in Alaska, Colo, and Wyo. They come in different thickness and also have extra padding in the soles and other sensitive areas of the foot. The thin socks I wear in the summer have extra padding in the bottoms of the feet with thinner material elsewhere. Some of the thorlos are super thin with padding in the bottom and lace areas of the foot. My preference is socks that breath and dry quickly. I'm not a fan of cotton. I never wear liners.