How to Choose Hiking Boots

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Designed to take you farther, the men's Danner Panorama waterproof mid hiking boots are comfortable, stable and ready to keep your feet dry and happy when the trails get muddy.
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View all Danner Men's Day Hiking BootsBest Use | Hiking |
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Footwear Height | Over-the-ankle |
Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
Waterproof | Yes |
Type of Waterproofing | 2-layer Danner Dry waterproof, breathable laminate |
Upper | Suede/polyurethane-coated leather |
Midsole | Danner Plyolite EVA |
Outsole | Danner Panorama rubber |
Weight (Pair) | 2 lbs. 5 oz. |
Gender | Men's |
Sustainability | Contains leather from a tannery rated by the Leather Working Group (LWG) |
6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | |
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U.S. Men's | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
UK | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | ||||
EU | 38 - 39 | 39 | 39.5 | 40 | 41 | 41 - 42 | 42 | 43 | 43 - 44 | 44 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 |
This size chart is meant to be a guide only, as Danner styles are built from various lasts that fit each foot differently. Generally, most people size down a half to a full size when buying Danner boots as compared to their shoe size from other major footwear brands.
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I wear an 11.5W in New Balance and LL Bean boots, so when I put these on in an 11.5W I was pleasantly surprised how comfortable and true to size they were. The wide toe box has plenty of room to stretch out in while wearing hiking socks, and the lacing system provides a secure fit around the ankles. The evening I brought them home from the store (ordered online) I wore them for a walk around the neighborhood, and the next morning wore them on a hike over varied terrain with the dog. They were so comfortable, I left them on for an eight hour day at work. I'm seriously considering ordering the lighter (brown) version of either the boot or the low-cut shoe. Yes, they're that comfortable!
Was getting ready to head up to Pikes Peak and realized the boots I had bought for the trip were not going to cut it. Found these last minute at a local store, literally as we were on our way to the mountain and to say I got lucky is an understatement. They were super comfortable right out of the box. I was able to explore Pike's Peak, Garden of the Gods and several other hiking spots in comfort. I've put roughly 50 miles on the so far and they are still going strong. They've been through snow, rain, dust, and mud with no issues. My only concern is that I am based in Central Texas and as the weather heats up, so do the boots. I can't fault Danner for that, as these are built to operate in cooler temps, I think.
Good construction and very aggressive traction. However, there are issues with the laces. This boot uses 3 different types of lacing hardware: riveted eyelets, D-rings, and hooks. The D-rings do not hold any tension after pulling the laces through the eyelets and the hooks are so tight that the laces clip into them more than hook onto them. The D-rings mean you have to pull the boots tight very aggressively and then hold it while clipping into the hooks. The hooks are so tight I worry about fraying the laces. If they just used all eyelets this wouldn't be an issue.
I've been on a total of three southern Appalachia-region hikes varying from moderate to difficult in these Danners and am satisfied with their performance. Initially, the toes and midsoles are a bit stiff but they broke in around the second hike. They do run a tad heavier than some other Gore-Tex mids, but the weight is less noticeable once you get used to them and are broken in. The grip is sufficient and I only experienced slippage on wet rock surfaces, but I have not found a boot that didn't slip in these conditions. These boots seem more optimal for groomed trails than technical ones as I they are not well protected against banging vulnerable areas of your feet on trails peppered with a bunch of jagged rocks and debris. They do offer water protection right before the top two lace eyelets as that's where the tongue lining ends (like trail runners), so keep that in mind if you need boots with higher protection.
Comfortable boot and worth the price
Out-of-box comfort and true-to-size. I consider this a near-perfect all-season hiker. Thin socks in summer and thick ones in the cold!
Bad lacing system. Uncomfortable heel box for hiking up hill. Tongue system doesn't work well leading to pressure spots. Wouldn't recommend this boot.
I had high hopes for these Danner boots. Unfortunately I found them to be a bit uncomfortable and the lacing system, three different types of fasteners, it just doesn’t work. Returned them, trying a different Danner boot, hoping for better results.
I'm a long-time Danner fan. But have found in recent years that their soles have been very soft, almost sneaker-like. These are the exception. Very, very sturdy boot. I've only had them on snowy trails at this point but they are very promising that they'll hold up well on the worst of the worst. My only complaint is that the spacing of the eyelets makes for tight spots where the foot meets the ankle. I think I could rectify that with some alternate lacing patterns.
Great boots, for wanting a light waterproof hiking boot. The laces do take some getting used to. I have found pulling up the tongue just before you tie knot helps a ton with the pinch points others have mentioned. Hope that helps.