Danner Boot Failure

[Mikeha33]

Hey guys, Just thought I'd drop a quick review of the boots I wore this year on my trip. I wore the Danner High Ground, Uninsulated, 8" Realtree Extra Green Boots (see link below). I bought the boots in late July, and put a bunch of miles on them before the trip, to help with break in, and very little was needed. I was pleased with them right out of the box. They were comfortable, waterproof, and felt great.
BUT, once we got to the mountains, they did not fair so well. After only three days of hiking, they started to come apart, right at the seam between the arch of my foot and the ball of my foot, and opened up about a 1-1/2" hole. I had worn them a lot in KS, with 45-50 lbs on my back, and they held up well, but once paired with the rugged and rocky terrain of the high ground, the boots simply didn't hold up, and they opened up. With that being said, once the hole opened, it didn't appear to get any larger, and I hiked 20+ miles with them like that, and they also stayed waterproof. I won't be buying another pair of Danner's. Besides the failure at that seam, the boots held up pretty well, and were comfortable, had excellent traction, and we're very breathable, especially compared to my hunting partners Rocky boots (his feet sweated terribly, and led to blisters). I think they would be a fine boot for day hunting on flat to semi-sloping terrain in cool (not cold) weather, but they are not suitable for backpack hunting in the high terrain, as the name suggests.
I hope this will save someone some troubles

http://www.danner.com/high-ground-8-realtreer-xtra-greenr-hunting-boots.html

[Swede]

I have been wearing Danner boots for approximately 15 years now. They have not always been as water proof as I would like, but have never experienced the problem mikeha33 did. I like Danner as they fit me well. I would rate them as a good boot. They are light and comfortable. I would not say they are a great boot. The tops of the boots are worn out by the time the soles and laces are. There is nothing to resole. I get about 7-8 seasons per pair of boots, which would be about the same as 2 years for work boots. That would be about average for me.

[eltaco]

Swede, I know you sit stands quite a bit, how many miles do you put on per season?

I see a number of people say they get a lot of use out of their danners, but I can honestly say that my pair didn't make it to 175mi before being totally useless in even damp conditions. After 100mi they were starting to leak. The soles wore extremely fast in comparison to other mountain boots I've used. For my usage, those boots didn't make it one complete season. I wouldn't personally recommend a pair of danners to anyone who elk hunts based on my experience. They were a comfortable boot, but not significantly moreso that it would be worth sacrificing long-term durability.

[cnelk]

My previous boots were Danners.
I liked them, had them for years.
They were easy to break in and did what I bought them for.
But I put them thru an ungodly amount of abuse each year [70-100 miles each season]

I still bring them along for an extra pair.
I would buy them again and may after I wear out my new Wolverines

[pointysticks]

i had a pair go for 11 years. nasty terrain in AZ, NM, CO..i even climbed half dome in yosemite with them. saddest day was when they finally tore, and i tossed them. i almost had a ceremony...with fire. i tried to get them repaired, but talking to Danner, i found out they were China made and disposable. first time i realized the company went to cheap labor. those held up..but i've seen so many fare worse.

just recently i almost bought a pair of their Crater Rim hiking boot. $300 of american made pride. crazy how expensive. i passed. they were comfy tho.

[Swede]

eltaco: My guess is that I put over 100 miles per year with my Danner's on. Figure 20 days average hunting with two trips per day to a stand, plus 5 days scouting and miscellaneous other outings. I hunted 29 days this season. I do use them to just go to my tree stand and back quite a lot, but I also still hunt on the ground and scout quite a bit. The biggest plus for me is that Danner boots fit.

[eltaco]

eltaco: My guess is that I put over 100 miles per year with my Danner's on. Figure 20 days average hunting with two trips per day to a stand, plus 5 days scouting and miscellaneous other outings. I hunted 29 days this season. I do use them to just go to my tree stand and back quite a lot, but I also still hunt on the ground and scout quite a bit. The biggest plus for me is that Danner boots fit.

That's good info, thanks!

I find boot reviews are difficult because everybody uses them differently. My boots lasted forever when I hunted in ND... many many seasons. In CO, we put on a lot of miles, and my boots will see 250mi between hunting and scouting (25days averaging 10mi). The two scenarios yield completely different and conflicting reviews on the same product.

I guess its the same with any product. My expectations for my target bow at 100yds are different from a whitetail hunter's hunting bow at 30. A guy has to match reviews to the product's intended use.