I'm going to give a dbl-thumbs-up to the Darn Tough socks. They really are darn tough! The best (not most, "best") cushion I've gotten from socks is from the Balega line. Wow! For my feet, they are awesome! I've got little peddies to walk around with the kids and more substantial trail models: all of them are nice and thick and cushy.

PhD & Adrenaline have about the same cushion if you compare light to light, med to med. PhD's use more wool in the toe & heel and less synthetics (nylon) - more durable and more sustainable!!! The Trail Running model has the most cushion of the running series.

The smartwool adrenaline line offers a bit more cushion than the PhD's. I also like the Darn Tough brand that they also have here on BC (coincidentally Darn tough's are made in Vermont). They last forever good for cold or hot conditions and have cushion comparable to the adrenalines.