$250 ish boots. Ugh…..

[Panhandler80]

i know this is old hat, but I react to therapy vent.

Did first half of Sept in Alaska this year. I had Danner Vitals. Partner had Prong horn. Both pair new I was SOAKED by Day 2. He was Same want Day 3. So glad we had waders.

Waterproof. Hahaha!

Nothing new here in terms of principle. But don’t buy relatively cheap danners and expect waterproof

 

[realunlucky]

Schnees has a boot sale going on and they are a great boot

Hunting Boots

schnees.com

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[Clarktar]

I got a nice pair of boots for sale around that price listed in the classifieds.

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[wapitibob]

Danners are garbage, always have been.

 

[Desk Jockey]

RIP Danner

I fell in love with danners in the 1990s back in the day when acadias and matterhorns were the king of the heap for army boots. Their welted sole stuff was a major jump in comfort over the issue boots and goretex boots were still a fairly new thing Back then. I still have 4 pair of them and at least one pair in my stable from the late 90s that is sitting in my basement as I type. It has been through 3 resolings and is still in decent shape.

in the last 15 years I tried several of their hunting boots for relatviely light use and none held up or stayed waterproof. I the meantime, I blew apart a set of tachyons, my rivots are showing signs of dying and the midsole on a set of grouse boots are crumbling. The only late model boots I have from them that are holding up are a pair of bull runs and a pair of their surplus ICH combat hikers that I bought on eBay for $70. In fairness, I have always preferred other boots for bigger back country endeavors - asolo, merrell and now Crispi - but I just don’t think there is a single pair of boots danner makes today - with the possible exception of acadias - that I would trust for a serious back country trip.

 

[camping1601]

RIP Danner

I fell in love with danners in the 1990s back in the day when acadias and matterhorns were the king of the heap for army boots. Their welted sole stuff was a major jump in comfort over the issue boots and goretex boots were still a fairly new thing Back then. I still have 4 pair of them and at least one pair in my stable from the late 90s that is sitting in my basement as I type. It has been through 3 resolings and is still in decent shape.

in the last 15 years I tried several of their hunting boots for relatviely light use and none held up or stayed waterproof. I the meantime, I blew apart a set of tachyons, my rivots are showing signs of dying and the midsole on a set of grouse boots are crumbling. The only late model boots I have from them that are holding up are a pair of bull runs and a pair of their surplus ICH combat hikers that I bought on eBay for $70. In fairness, I have always preferred other boots for bigger back country endeavors - asolo, merrell and now Crispi - but I just don’t think there is a single pair of boots danner makes today - with the possible exception of acadias - that I would trust for a serious back country trip.

I bought a pair a US made Danners in the mid 90's and sold them (great condition) around 15 years later for what I paid for them. They were a great boot at one time.

 

[Bearwhisky]

RIP Danner

I fell in love with danners in the 1990s back in the day when acadias and matterhorns were the king of the heap for army boots. Their welted sole stuff was a major jump in comfort over the issue boots and goretex boots were still a fairly new thing Back then. I still have 4 pair of them and at least one pair in my stable from the late 90s that is sitting in my basement as I type. It has been through 3 resolings and is still in decent shape.

in the last 15 years I tried several of their hunting boots for relatviely light use and none held up or stayed waterproof. I the meantime, I blew apart a set of tachyons, my rivots are showing signs of dying and the midsole on a set of grouse boots are crumbling. The only late model boots I have from them that are holding up are a pair of bull runs and a pair of their surplus ICH combat hikers that I bought on eBay for $70. In fairness, I have always preferred other boots for bigger back country endeavors - asolo, merrell and now Crispi - but I just don’t think there is a single pair of boots danner makes today - with the possible exception of acadias - that I would trust for a serious back country trip.

You have Merrels that out last Danners? Im not a fan of Danner for backcountry use, but do use them for work boots. The various models Ive had have out lasted Merrell Moabs by about 4x.


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[Panhandler80]

All I know is that the waders and wading boots saved our bacon. My feet were 100% SOAKED after a total of two days of light rain and dew. Crazy crappy performance. They barely make the cut to be considered a day boot or working in yard at house boot. I was shocked.

 

[SoloWilderness]

Danners certainly aren't what they used to be, but I would look at all leather boots with less stitching for true waterproofness and rely less on the membrane. Pronghorns are a cheap, low-end boot, with lots of fabric and tons of stitching. I have multiple sets of Danners (Santiams, Gilas, and work boots) that have lasted for years, and are as waterproof as it gets. Personally, I prefer an all leather, one piece boot, like a LaSportiva mountaineering boot, or a Kenetrek, Schnees, or similar leather boot. Wax them up, and keep them tight and dry with gaiters. If you get water over the top of the tongue, any boot will get wet. Also keep in mind how the membranes work, if you are sweating, and there isn't the temperature differential needed to draw moisture out of the boot, the membrane basically stops wicking, and your feet get soaked from the inside.

 

[Desk Jockey]

You have Merrels that out last Danners? Im not a fan of Danner for backcountry use, but do use them for work boots. The various models Ive had have out lasted Merrell Moabs by about 4x.


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Merrel still has a place for me, but Not sure what their heavier hiking offerings are today As Asolo and Crispi have been my go to for a few years. I Haven’t bought one of MerrElls beefier boots in a while, but I got good mileage out of my last old pair of sawtooths, but A few years back - maybe 2012 or 2013. They are discontinued now but I think lasted 3 years or so and a few hundred trail miles. They were pretty ragged when I replaced them with Crispis in 2015 or 2016. I still use low and high top Moabs for light hiking. they offer a wide size that likes my feet. Probably on my sixth pair. I try to buy them on sale and would say I think they do about as well as I can expect for a $100 shoe these days. Depending on wear, I get a 2-3 years per pair before they are ragged. The winter version of their moccasin is my favorite around the house/yard/town shoe once it gets too cold for flip flops.

 

[rclouse79]

Unfortunately, Solomon Quest boots suffer from the same problem. It annoys me enough that every few years I search for a new boot only to find my heels will not tolerate them. I guess making do with soggy feet is my lot in life.

 

[doc holiday13]

. But don’t buy danners

Fixed it for ya

I won't even recommend Acadia's.. They're poorly made IMO

 

[ognennyy]

I bought a pair of Danner Vitals four or five years ago also. First time I took them in the woods I tromped through a stream without much thought, until my foot immediately got wet.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Schnees has a boot sale going on and they are a great boot

Hunting Boots

schnees.com

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This...my feet got wet the second year I used my beartooths...I called them to see if I did something wrong with waterproofing/conditioning...they had me send them in....they called a week later said the liners were defective sent me a brand new pair. Had this pair for 3 years and my timberlines for 4 years no more wet feet.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Fixed it for ya

I won't even recommend Acadia's.. They're poorly made IMO

In fairness, my “newest” pair of acadias is +5 years old by now. Not sure what their quality might be these days.

 

[doc holiday13]

In fairness, my “newest” pair of acadias is +5 years old by now. Not sure what their quality might be these days.

I have a 2nd pair of Acadias that are about 8/9 years old. While they are comfortable, they're construction quality just isn't there. They're my second pair. Only reason i bought a 2nd pair is because I figured I neglected the first pair which is why they fell apart. The first pair pair got their mileage put in and Danner wouldn't fix them because "neglect". I've taken great care of the 2nd pair and they just haven't held up, so 7 years ago they were downgraded to early season woods boots because they're still waterproof. The leather has shrunk despite deep conditioning and resulted in chipping and the welting has pulled away from the midsole. This was universal across both pairs

I had the same experience as another guy who was a friend of a friend. I mentioned I bought acadias and the first thing he said was "yeah you gotta baby those things or Danner won't fix them" .. At this point, babying them means "dip them into a vat of leather conditioner for 24 hours every 6 months, never get them dirty and never take them off pavement, and don't do hard work in them"

 

[Tails-Up]

What is a decent $250-ish boot for ealry season archery in Colorado? Im an East Texas flat lander going on my first elk trip next september. I was going to buy some Danners till I read this thread