How to Choose Hiking Boots

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Merging weatherproof protection with durable design, the men's Danner Mountain 600 Leaf GORE-TEX hiking boots are made to tackle the trails, so you can get out exploring in all seasons.
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View the Danner Mountain Product LineView all Danner Men's Day Hiking BootsBest Use | Hiking |
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Footwear Height | Ankle |
Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
Waterproof | Yes |
Type of Waterproofing | 2-layer GORE-TEX waterproof/breathable membrane (45% postconsumer recycled materials) |
Upper | Full-grain leather |
Midsole | Vibram SPE rubberized EVA |
Outsole | Vibram Fuga with Megagrip |
Can Be Resoled | Yes |
Weight (Pair) | 2 lbs. 6.4 oz. |
Gender | Men's |
Sustainability | Contains recycled materials |
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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This is my second pair of Danner Mountain boots. First pair is still in great condition but after a few years has lost a bit of the spring in your step as to be expected with these kinds of boots. That is why on the new Leaf boots they can be recrafted for 100.00 thats whats really awesome.. Extremely comfortable really no break in time. Great for trails and every day use. The Leaf boots are more like nubuck leather. Called Danner asked how to care for the leather. They recommended clear boot dressing and even shipping me out a complimentary jar. Definitely recomend don't think you will be disappointed with these awesome boots.
So far, they are fantastic! I have hiked about 20 miles in these boots through sandy, rocky, muddy, and/or perfect terrain. Also about 2000 feet of elevation gain. These boots have been perfect. They are taking a beating and hardly show it.
I want to like these boots. They are super comfy, waterproof, great traction, and they look good too. After about 30 miles on my FIRST pair of these boots, the toe on the right boot started peeling off. I was really bummed out! Since I’d only had them a few months, I took them back to REI and got a new pair, thinking I must have gotten a faulty pair. But after only 17 miles in my SECOND pair of these boots, the same issue presented itself. They may be comfy, but I’d be and idiot to spend $220 on boots that can’t last 30 miles. I should be getting years out of these suckers. Will likely return these for some sturdy trail runners. Thank goodness for REI’s 1 year return policy.
This Danner boot was exactly what I needed. I took it for about 900 KM on the Camino de Santiago for a late winter/early spring walk. Rain, snow, mud, rocks, pavement, cobble stones, they handled it all better than I could have hoped. Comfortable right from the box which for me is not normal. They are pretty soft and cushiony which is great for easy to moderate trails, I don't know about talus and bouldering though. Overall couldn't be happier for what I needed.
So I am a few weeks in on these mountain 600’s and I have to say so far so good. I wear a size 15 shoe and weigh around 275 on a 6’4” frame, they feel stable on my feet and are very comfortable even through a full day on my feet. Nothing rigorous yet but I plan on putting them through a 8 mile round trip up Guadalupe peak in the coming weeks so we will see. These boots are proven to be water resistant as well up till now.
So, this the first time in my Danners 12EE. My wife and I are at Turkey Run State Park and we just did Trail 6 which is Moderate/Rugged .5 and for being 59 & "WAY" out of shape it was a blast!.. With moderate low stream and mud crossing, the Danners are becoming my new favs.. With just a pair of 25yr old Thorlo Hiking socks on, I'm ready for the next trail... Hoobilly
I have struggled to find comfortable boots that fit me well. I have mainly worn Merrells, and have tried Oboz, Salomons, Columbia, and REIs brand. But they all seem clunky, hot, stiff, or caused hot spots and blisters. Finally tried the Danner's and I wish I would have spent the money and tried them earlier. From the beginning they fit and felt great. Trust the manufacturer and try a half size smaller. That's the only thing I didn't do. I feel like they are 'just' a little big. So I have added a sock liner and may switch insoles. Even with that, my feet have adapted well to the boot (or vice versa). Recently had a 5 mile hike through mud and water over the top of the boots. So they were completely soaked and muddy. The fit didn't change. They still performed great and cleaned up almost like new afterwards.
I was looking for a hiking boot that had a wide sizing, ability to wear custom orthotics with a diabetic insert and minimal break in need. These boots answered the call. Also, being recraftable was a big plus as my Keen hiking boots fell apart just after two years. I would highly recommend these hiking boots.
1 year and 5 months later doing 13 miles a day 5 days a week on cement floors. Wow absolutely amazing boots. They haven’t separated and still have tread and have always been comfortable. Highly recommend.
If I'm going to wear boots and not trail running shoes on a hike, I want them to be 1) waterproof 2) have good traction. These boots are unfortunately neither. They ARE comfortable, and I love the wide toe box and aesthetic. I tried on both the women's (size 10) and the men's (size 8.5) and went with the men's due to having just a bit more room in the toe box. I did not get any blisters from these boots even on the first hike. Where they failed was on their first and only day hike of about 6 miles in Virginia. It had rained the night before, but did not rain while we were hiking. There were no stream crossings. I slipped on rocks I wouldn't expect to slip on with vibram soles almost immediately. Without any stream crossings, my boots were absolutely soaked through by two hours into a day hike just by walking through wet foliage or from my own sweat. When I say soaked through, I mean my hiking buddy could *hear* the squelching sounds my boots were making. There were puddles in my boot when I took my boots off. I've never had boots get that wet from a cause other than actual stream crossings that go over my boot or pouring down rain. Hiking through wet grass or sweating in Virginia summers has not resulted in completely soaked through boots under any other brand. I am super bummed because they were comfortable! But this experience unfortunately makes them useless as hiking boots.