Danner make hiking boots with a difference. With not a go faster stripe or gaudy 'alpinist' colour in sight you could be forgiven for dismissing them as lifestyle or perhaps even hipster but look again and you'll find boots that you might well grow to love.
We tested the Mountain 600 in a Sand colour, but the range encompasses no less than nine other colours, from a beautiful grey leather that only looks better with age, to a suede brown with contrasting red laces, we think they all look fantastic. So much so that we stepped out in the Mountain 600 with some trepidation, wondering whether they were just too damn nice to cover in mud. But step out we did, and despite our initial impressions leaving us feeling a little let down we've persevered for months and grown to absolutely love them.
These are not boots to wear into a steep Alpine scree field, but leave them in your car or by the front door and you'll probably find yourself wearing them way more often than your stiff mountaineering boots. And this is where the Mountain 600 excels, and where Danner have absolutely smashed the nail atop the head, more so than any other walking boots we've recently tested. Such are the great looks that they work just as well with a pair of jeans as they do with walking trousers, so walks with the kids, dog, wife, granny, soggy campsites, festivals or just popping down to the shops are all fair game.
Roomy inside and with plenty of flexibility in the upper and sole we'd say they ere towards the comfort end of the walking boot spectrum but lace them up tight and they become surprisingly competent on moderately tricky terrain. Vibram's SPE midsole and Fuga outsole provides comfort, cushioning and energy return as well as good grip on a range of surfaces from slick and shiny to deep and muddy. A Danner Dry liner ensures that your feet stay free from moisture ingress from the outside, but we've also found it impressively breathable in comparison to the competition, and in all but blazing sunshine we never feel unduly sweaty. Build quality hasn't suffered in the face of what appears to be a race to the bottom, having an old-world quality, and with the right care they should last for many years.
Overall a great pair of boots for daily walking and general outdoor use.
