Product Review: Danner Mountain 600 hiking boots

[theLBC]

being a poor, i don't often "splurge" on shoes unless i can make myself feel better about it by getting them on sale.
i don't hunt but these are very close to wearing high tops with a more outdoor sole. extremely comfortable.
i bought them on a whim, not having prior experience with the brand but i can personally recommend them after wearing them for a few months.
if you're looking for "reasonably" priced, waterproof boots, for hunting, hiking or just walking around, they come in a few different colors, mens and womens sizes.

https://www.activegearreview.com/footwear/mens-shoes-and-boots/danner-mountain-600-hiking-boot-review/

 

[Texasflyer]

being a poor, i don't often "splurge" on shoes unless i can make myself feel better about it by getting them on sale.
i don't hunt but these are very close to wearing high tops with a more outdoor sole. extremely comfortable.
i bought them on a whim, not having prior experience with the brand but i can personally recommend them after wearing them for a few months.
if you're looking for "reasonably" priced, waterproof boots, for hunting, hiking or just walking around, they come in a few different colors, mens and womens sizes.

https://www.activegearreview.com/footwear/mens-shoes-and-boots/danner-mountain-600-hiking-boot-review/

Can ya do like a 3 month update on how they hold up? Seems like stuff i buy these days doesnt last very long even if its nice when i get it.

 

[Maggot]

Can ya do like a 3 month update on how they hold up? Seems like stuff i buy these days doesnt last very long even if its nice when i get it.

Not to steal the thread but Redwing boots, like Timex watches, take a lickin and keep on tickin.

Havent tried the Danner.

 

[Texasflyer]

Not to steal the thread but Redwing boots, like Timex watches, take a lickin and keep on tickin.

Havent tried the Danner.

Redwing boots gave me a half dollar sized scar on the inside of each ankle. Very first boots i ever bought myself, my dad always to this day still wears redwings. I just wait a week out of the month.

 

[Choid]

Can ya do like a 3 month update on how they hold up? Seems like stuff i buy these days doesnt last very long even if its nice when i get it.

I have Danners that have been through logging, burning, cutting while standing in fire, sliding down scree, you name it. They last pretty damn well. Some of the Made in Portland ones look nice too.

 

[Jgunner]

So i had a set of danners, best damn boots for quiet stalking and comfort. I wore off the tread, but put a lot of miles on them.

I have a set of work low cut “boots” as i have plantar fasciitis and needed comfort more than anything. Been a good shoe, but apparently i drag my toes when loaded down, as both my hunting boots and now work shoes have worn through the outer skin.

i thought about buying a leather skinned set next go around. I am not sure why i drag my toes now, other than the fasciitis and my knees are kinda f’ed up. But as far as shoes i have owned, danner has been best. Not saying there isn’t better.

They do have a made in the usa line up, but they are $400~ and kinda fugly. Might go that way for shits and giggles.

 

[Texasflyer]

I got my woobies tactical shoes in the other day. Only 1 month late. They seem pretty well built and if your used to flat soled skater style shoes they are perfect. But i gotta see how they hold up before i talk too good about em.

 

[Choid]

So i had a set of danners, best damn boots for quiet stalking and comfort. I wore off the tread, but put a lot of miles on them.

I have a set of work low cut “boots” as i have plantar fasciitis and needed comfort more than anything. Been a good shoe, but apparently i drag my toes when loaded down, as both my hunting boots and now work shoes have worn through the outer skin.

i thought about buying a leather skinned set next go around. I am not sure why i drag my toes now, other than the fasciitis and my knees are kinda f’ed up. But as far as shoes i have owned, danner has been best. Not saying there isn’t better.

They do have a made in the usa line up, but they are $400~ and kinda fugly. Might go that way for shits and giggles.

My current hunting boots look like I stole some poor guys prosthetic leg. They are so fucking ugly I can't bear to look down, but having gone through plenty of foot problems, I can recommend Altra without hesitation. They don't last forever, but they aren't super expensive. They are really comfortable.

 

[Texasflyer]

My current hunting boots look like I stole some poor guys prosthetic leg. They are so fucking ugly I can't bear to look down, but having gone through plenty of foot problems, I can recommend Altra without hesitation. They don't last forever, but they aren't super expensive. They are really comfortable.

For a steel toed boot the justin boots are the most comfortable boots ive ever worn. But they start falling apart almost instantly.

 

[Texasflyer]

I run up and down 65 flights of stairs a day, plus other stuff. Im pretty hard on foot wear

 

[Maggot]

For a steel toed boot the justin boots are the most comfortable boots ive ever worn. But they start falling apart almost instantly.

Thats a hell of a recommendation, LOL.

 

[Texasflyer]

Thats a hell of a recommendation, LOL.

Thats why i was interested in this thread. But seriously for the first month i wear the justins everywhere, they are that comfy. Work all day and goin out to get laid? Keep em on. If they could just make them last i would only wear them.

 

[nexusfire]

For a steel toed boot the justin boots are the most comfortable boots ive ever worn. But they start falling apart almost instantly.

Try some WESCOs or Nick's, these things are well made.

 

[theLBC]

perhaps of note, on the website i bought from, they suggested the sizes are a little large.
i bought size 10 (US) instead of 10.5 that i usually find fits, so be aware of that.

 

[MCSO1357]

I've had a pair of black ones since last fall, wear at work. My only complaint is that they make my feet sweat since there isn't any ventilation. Otherwise have held up nicely.

 

[Major Wader]

Danner makes great shoes/boots. Most have a 1 year no questions guarantee.

I have several pair of their boots, hard toe, insulated, waterproof, and almost any boot you can imagine. Just bought a pair of their new Trailcomber lightweight trail runners. I will NOT be running, ever, but these are really comfortable shoes.

 

[quietmike]

Can ya do like a 3 month update on how they hold up? Seems like stuff i buy these days doesnt last very long even if its nice when i get it.

I've got the Danner mountain light hikers and they last for years. They have stitched construction, so if you wear out the soles, they can be sent back to Danner to be recrafted.
They've never hurt my feet or given me a blister.

 

[Tokay444]

Fuck anything that comes out or Portland Oregon.

 

[702lineman]

I bought some Danner mountain 600 last year when taking a trip to Sedona AZ hiking. They are very good boots. Pretty light, and have held up well for me since. I am a lineman and wear them when I know I'm not going to be climbing. For the money they have been great so far. I have also had 2 pair of Danner quarry work boots which were also good. I think the Danner hikers would be damn good though. But pricy

I'm a major fan of Hoffman boots though. They take a beating every single day, and last usually 1.5-2 years. And the most comfy work boots ever. They are heavy though.

 

[nexusfire]

Fuck anything that comes out or Portland Oregon.

I would normally agree but they were there long before it became a shit hole.

 

[knuckleballz]

I bought a few pair of insulated Danner Boots that I thought were great until I wore them in the mountains hunting. They are useless in the snow on an incline. I was slipping/sliding/falling. I bought Kenetrek mountain extremes and was amazed at how much better a boot they are. The Kenetrek soles give amazing traction on snow/ice/rocks/loose ground. The leather upper is soft and you can do 15 miles a day walking with good foot support and no blisters and they keep your feet dry. Kenetrek has 20% off sales on holidays which makes them more reasonable. I havent had good luck with RedWing due to inconsistent leather stiffness causing blisters, stitching falling out, and souls wearing out to fast.

 

[hlee]

Kenetrek boots all appear to have “speed laces.” That’s a hard pass from me...

 

[Choid]

I bought a few pair of insulated Danner Boots that I thought were great until I wore them in the mountains hunting. They are useless in the snow on an incline. I was slipping/sliding/falling. I bought Kenetrek mountain extremes and was amazed at how much better a boot they are. The Kenetrek soles give amazing traction on snow/ice/rocks/loose ground. The leather upper is soft and you can do 15 miles a day walking with good foot support and no blisters and they keep your feet dry. Kenetrek has 20% off sales on holidays which makes them more reasonable. I havent had good luck with RedWing due to inconsistent leather stiffness causing blisters, stitching falling out, and souls wearing out to fast.

For that style boot, I think Schnees is still a bit better.

 

[db2000]

I have mountain light’s that I’ve had since ‘95. I’ve resoled once and rebuilt with new Gore-Tex and soles once more recently. The failure of Gote-Tex was possibly my fault heating them in an oven to hold the SnowSeal coating better. Probably dumb but an amateur mistake possibly.
I’ve basically payed for them twice but they are fit to me. Also some sentimental value of the trails and hunts they’ve been on. I did complain about this and they gave me a 40% off code as they were unable to comp the rebuild apparently. I have an insulated hunting boot with no issues. No further issues with this pair. Made in America unlike some of their models these days. I’ve own Vasque and others. These are my go to.

 

[Anointed1]

I bought a few pair of insulated Danner Boots that I thought were great until I wore them in the mountains hunting. They are useless in the snow on an incline. I was slipping/sliding/falling. I bought Kenetrek mountain extremes and was amazed at how much better a boot they are. The Kenetrek soles give amazing traction on snow/ice/rocks/loose ground. The leather upper is soft and you can do 15 miles a day walking with good foot support and no blisters and they keep your feet dry. Kenetrek has 20% off sales on holidays which makes them more reasonable. I havent had good luck with RedWing due to inconsistent leather stiffness causing blisters, stitching falling out, and souls wearing out to fast.

Which Danner boots with what sole ?

 

[Anointed1]

Well Danner used to make some of the best boots you could buy...I've wore the Fort Lewis Go Devils boot since they first came out back in the mid to late 80's. FORSCOM approved...with one of the most aggressive soles you could get on a boot for a long time...the Vibram Kletterlift. Back in my youth I've put right at 20 miles on a pair in one day carrying a full pack up and down more mountains in WA State then I care to remember...crossing upper Green River 3 or 4 times in the process. Expensive boots...solid and dependable though. Maybe there's better now as I haven't been looking for a few years...but their boots earned and carried my respect for many years.

 

[Davo308]

Still love 5 tennis. They do have soft sticky soles but it comes in handy.

 

[BJames]

Everyday boots are the danners I bought to hike/hunt the mountains. They failed pretty much the first time out, wet feet for 3 days. They work fine for kicking around town, but can’t take a light drizzle before soaked sock city. Breaking in a set of Crispi’s now, oh.my.fuck. so much better. Not for the poor’s, but fuck them anyway

 

[supercorndogs]

I have had a pair of Danner pronghorn 200s for about 10 years now. I have put quite a few miles on them, but I am the kind of guy who opts to wear my regular shoes a lot also, and just took out for cactus. The soles started to come off a few years ago, but I just put some glue in the spots that were opened up and clamped them back down to dry. I wear a 12 4E, and their boot is why. The boots are very comfortable, but I am not big on boots going high up my ankle. They great on ice. When I hurt my back, I wore them a lot when it was slick and I would go walk, to reduce my chance of falling.

It looks to me like the upper part of the boot will outlast the lower part of the boot. So thats good anyway. I am hard on shoes and boots and most don't do that for me.

 

[KML7201]

Danner makes great boots. I have their Acadia and Striker boots.

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

I bought a pair of Danner boots for work. Crawling around in atticks and crawl space areas or spending time with your weight on your toes caused the shanks in the soles to break loose. Then they pop when you walk. I returned under the warranty about four times then changed brands. They were very comfortable but didn't hold up to the HVAC business.

 

[Anointed1]

I bought a pair of Danner boots for work. Crawling around in atticks and crawl space areas or spending time with your weight on your toes caused the shanks in the soles to break loose. Then they pop when you walk. I returned under the warranty about four times then changed brands. They were very comfortable but didn't hold up to the HVAC business.

That's interesting...somewhere along the line I'm pretty sure Danner switched from steel shanks to fiberglass ones...not sure when they did that or which type shank was in your boots...but like a lot of things over time in pursuit of cheaper or more efficient manufacturing processes...which both equate to more profits...a lot of things just aren't as good as they used to be /shrug.

That and Danner makes so many different types of boots...it could very well be under a certain price point you just don't get the good stuff. I've usually always paid to get the best stuff a company has to offer...but they certainly lose customers and hurt their brand by making inferior products...especially when they cheapen things and just ride on their reputation that was earned in years prior.

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

I spend a lot of time on my feet and hurting feet is something I will not have. Spending money for foot comfort is not a problem. IIRC those boots were in the $180 to $200 range.

That's interesting...somewhere along the line I'm pretty sure Danner switched from steel shanks to fiberglass ones...not sure when they did that or which type shank was in your boots...but like a lot of things over time in pursuit of cheaper or more efficient manufacturing processes...which both equate to more profits...a lot of things just aren't as good as they used to be /shrug.

That and Danner makes so many different types of boots...it could very well be under a certain price point you just don't get the good stuff. I've usually always paid to get the best stuff a company has to offer...but they certainly lose customers and hurt their brand by making inferior products...especially when they cheapen things and just ride on their reputation that was earned in years prior.

That was probably ten plus years ago.

 

[Anointed1]

I should also state...a pair of their Go Devil boots years ago that had the steel shank and toe...saved a few of my toes from kickback from a Stihl 044 chainsaw lol.

 

[Anointed1]

I spend a lot of time on my feet and hurting feet is something I will not have. Spending money for foot comfort is not a problem. IIRC those boots were in the $180 to $200 range.

That was probably ten plus years ago.

Yeah no doubt...for that money I totally agree. I think the Go Devil boots are like 400 or so but they've always been damn spendy.

 

[theLBC]

That's interesting...somewhere along the line I'm pretty sure Danner switched from steel shanks to fiberglass ones...not sure when they did that or which type shank was in your boots...but like a lot of things over time in pursuit of cheaper or more efficient manufacturing processes...which both equate to more profits...a lot of things just aren't as good as they used to be /shrug.

That and Danner makes so many different types of boots...it could very well be under a certain price point you just don't get the good stuff. I've usually always paid to get the best stuff a company has to offer...but they certainly lose customers and hurt their brand by making inferior products...especially when they cheapen things and just ride on their reputation that was earned in years prior.

good point, considering they have $399 boots and these can be had on sale for <$140.

 

[Ratchette]

I have the Danner Explorer 650s, which is a similar product line. They run a bit big but seem well-made. But I'm disappointed in the Danner dry. It's better than most brand-specific water proof membranes, but it's far from being as good as Gore-tex. My feet sweat in Danner dry but not Gore-tex.

 

[Redmanss]

I've worn many Danner boots over the decades, and will outright say the only ones worth a shit are the ones USA made. The China and other Asian produced versions are shit and fall apart with only moderate use. I'm a daily wearer of boots, when I buy a pair I go everywhere with them, and use them hard for all sorts of work and walking. I don't hesitate to spend a few hundred on a pair of boots, but when I do I expect two years out of them, minimum, and the Chinese Danners would only give me 9-12 months before stitching fell apart, soles split or separated, etc. I have a pair of Portland made Ft Lewis I bought back in '93, still wear them from time to time today, and they've seen a ton of miles while wearing out four sets of Vibram soles with not a single stitch popped. That's quality there, without a doubt.

Red Wing, same thing but to a lesser degree. I got two years off my first pair of Chinese made steel toe loggers with finally swapping out due to sole wear, they held up pretty well, but were a royal bitch to break in and took a lot of mink oil to get there. I got a second pair, same exact thing, hard to break in and nearly a whole can of mink oil into them to get them comfortable. Third pair, got the US made loggers and boy is there a difference. At least another half pound for the pair vs the Chinese versions, and you can tell that's in heavier duty leather and a denser sole. I got them home and put on the first thin coating of mink oil for water proofing of the leather, and let them dry for a few hours. I put them on to do the expected first run of breaking them in around the house, and they gave me zero pain whatsoever. They are so nice though, they're my off work wearing boots and I'll rotate them into work wear next year. You know something is comfortable when you want to wear steel toes for every day boots.

I can get Justin's for work with zero out of pocket, and I still pay for Red Wings. They're worth every penny, especially the Wisconsin made ones. A simple side by side comparison of them to the boots on my feet showed me the construction difference, it's no contest.

Made in USA. It matters in many ways, equally as important for the producer as it is the consumer.

 

[sam4886]

I'll second the old fort lewis boots being bad ass. I wore my dads hand me downs when growing up for hunting, he wore them daily for work. Since then I've gone through 3 or 4 pairs of the $180ish hunting boot danners that were crap. Pronghorns, I think. Plenty comfortable, but they only lasted a few months on a hunting season. I've tried a few different ones for work as well, and they suck. Those were in the $150 range, so probably Chinese. I do have a couple pairs for firefighting that are pretty good. Not a ton of miles on those yet though.

I figure danner is a lot like Leopold. Made great stuff in the 80s/90s and lived on the reputation for a long time. They still make good stuff, but its only the highest end things they make that are worth a shit.

I've migrated to crispis for hunting, and they're waaaay better. They fit my feet better than kenetreks or lowas, but I think the high end of all of those are about equal, its just a matter of fitting you.

 

[theLBC]

so these are made offshore in vietnam, which is not surprising for any product that requires solvent based glues. regulations here are possible but expensive to comply with, so it is difficult to produce at certain price points here in the usa (on top of labor costs in general).

in any case, as i said these may get mileage, but nothing we can consider hard use.
i am wearing them like i would normally wear shoes from woke shoe companies.
for about the same price i would be happy with a year or two of walking around.
i am curious to see about puddles but it isn't like it rains a lot here. these are more grippy than indoor basketball sneakers.

 

[7WSMShooter]

I’ve got a lot of Danners. Gave my Elk Hunters to my son because they’re so heavy, but are great. Prob have 4 of the American made ones, and two of the imports.
The mountain 600s are a great little everyday boot that I wear around town, in light bad weather, and even wore them to the gym once cause I didn’t feel like going to pick up something else. They are pretty light, and have decent shock absorption for a
light use boot And are great for that purpose, but I wouldn’t recommend them for medium to heavy duty hiking or work though. They are 100% not tough enough
to stand up to that type of abuse, but I’ve got others for that. And Ive Been lucky to find that most my Danners run pretty true to size. (12)

 

[remmynikon.308]

I got some Merrell Moab 2 waterproof boots before deer season this last fall. They are really comfortable, and really surprised me when I crossed the creek. They held water out until I got deep enough to go over the tops of the boots. That impressed me