Here is my .02
If its just for everyday life, any kind of wool sock will probably do ya just fine. I love wearing mine with tennis shoes. No need to spend the extra money on expensive socks just for that when the cheap ones do just fine.
For hiking, I am a fan of anything over 50% merino wool (I usually go 70+) and I dont think you can go wrong with that. My sock supply is a mix of different brands. I have some Danner 70% merino wools without the extra cushion that I really like. Some Underarmor mostly wool socks that I like but they dont quite fit my foot as well and tend to sag down a bit. The extra cushion really depends on your boots. I dont get the extra cushion because then it makes the boots rub on the top of my toes, but that will vary. Smart wool socks are great if you want to spend the money, imo. I like them. What Seth posted, I like as well. I am also a fan of the over the calf, but thats just mostly personal preference.
I know alot of people that use these, or a similar sock,
http://www.smartwool.com/shop/men-socks-shop-all-socks/phd-mountaineering-socks-sw0sw048?variationId=001 .
Smart wool is more expensive, but from what everyone says, and my own personal experience, its worth it if you are putting alot of miles on. But, my 3 brands that I have used, Danner, Underarmor and Smart wool, you cant go wrong with any of their wool socks depending on how they fit your foot. I have kind of a in between foot size that the Danners fit perfectly so I tend to sway towards them, despite Danner boots being shit.
For a long time I refused to spend money on socks because I was being stubbornly cheap and my feet paid the price. Since I have been using those 3 brands, I have had only one time over the past 3 years where I got blisters badly on my feet and that was just because I ran out of socks on one trip and wore the same ones for too long and they got a bit hard and tore the bottoms of my toes up, but that was my own fault.
