Danner Mountain 600 review: craftsman quality and comfort for the outdoors

Danner Mountain 600 review in a sentence: a more polished version of a heritage hiking boot, that’s practical, yet comfy on the foot. 

Born a working boot brand, Danner has been making hiking boots since the early 70s with high quality, durability and performance at the forefront. With this in mind, it’s safe to say I had high expectations for the Mountain 600’s and I wasn’t disappointed, even slightly surprised.

I took them with me on a three day trip to Loch Lomond in Scotland to test them out on the trails. In short, I can confirm these waterproof boots were not only comfortable to wear for hours on end, but kept my feet 100% dry too. In terms of the best hiking boots, they’re certainly a more premium purchase. But, then again, Danner does say they create boots that are built to last. Read on for my full review of the Mountain 600.

Danner Mountain 600 review: Price and availability

The Danner Mountain 600 is available to buy now directly from Danner UK/ Danner US/ Danner AUS for a recommended retail price of £210/$210/ AUS $346.37. These fall into the more expensive hiking boot category and are also available in three different colourways, as well as a suede and grain-finish.  They also do an identical men's version retailed at the same price that you can also buy directly from Danner UK/ Danner US and Danner AUS.

Danner Mountain 600: specifications

• Type: mid-height hiking boot
• Insulation: non-insulated
• Height: 4.5 inches
• Waterproof: Yes
• Upper: leather
• Insole: OrthoLite
• Outsole: Vibram Fuga
• Weight: 32oz per shoe

Danner Mountain 600 review: Design and features

The Danner Mountain 600 certainly has the essence of a heritage hiking boot, but with a modern twist; it’s less rugged-looking and more polished. The boot is made from leather, which is soft around the ankle and back of the boot but hard on the front, which is how you’d probably want it. It has a waterproof lining that Danner call ‘Danner Dry’, and I can confirm these boots are 100% waterproof. However, they aren’t insulated (Danner have just released an insulated version), but do have a removable OrthoLite insole, to regulate your foot temperature. 

Vibram Megagrip is used for the outsole of these boots, a high-performance rubber compound that offers sound grip on both dry and wet terrain. The diamond-shaped lugs on the sole however are ‘self-adapting’, with half of the diamond being quite stiff, while the other is quite flexible. This is said to move with the natural motion of your feet, whilst providing better traction on the trails. Vibram SPE has been used on the mid-sole, which is soft like traditional EVA, but more lightweight, durable and doesn’t break down as easily.

In terms of sizing, Danner advises going down a half size in these boots, but I personally disagree. I’m a size five and a half and these were very true to size, I actually think if I did go down a size they’d be way too snug. If you have wider feet however, you may be tempted to do this, as I would say the shoe is quite narrow.

Danner Mountain 600 review: performance

At first glance I thought the Mountain 600’s looked pretty heavy and clunky, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Despite having the aesthetics of a heritage hiking boot, they’re surprisingly light and they don’t need breaking in either. The first time I wore them, for a two hour trail walk around Conic Hill, they were incredibly comfortable and supportive. Walking through the woodlands I encountered lots of muddy trails, as well as having to climb up very steep (and wet) stone steps and the boots offered good traction on both terrains.

The real test for the Mountain 600’s was hiking up the mountain Beinn Dubh – an incredibly steep hike on (mostly) grassy terrain. I was extremely thankful to be wearing these boots as they keep my feet snug during the three and a half hour hike and there wasn’t one moment where my feet hurt or I thought ‘get these off’. But what I was most grateful for was the fact they were waterproof. There were many times my shoe sunk into the depths of a muddy puddle, but every time I pulled it out my feet were left bone dry. 

In terms of breathability, I never found my feet overheating in these boots, but I was testing them in late September. As I mentioned earlier, Danner has released an identical insulated version, but I wore a good pair of hiking socks and this worked well for me. In the summer I would expect these to get slightly warmer, but that’s expected with them being leather. I’d probably just wear a thinner pair, or mid-length walking socks. The only thing that annoyed me about the boots were the laces. You get two pairs with the boots, which is great, but they’re so long! However, the issue was easily resolved with a triple knot.

Danner Mountain 600 review: Verdict 

I really, really like the Mountain 600’s; they’re comfortable, look good, offer great traction, are lightweight and are brilliant if you’re after a boot that’s waterproof too. Overall, a solid hiking boot. I’d happily purchase further shoes from Danner, whether it be a pair of walking shoes or trail running shoes. I don’t think these boots should be pigeon-holed just for hiking though. I think if you’re an outdoorsy person in general, you’d benefit a great deal from these boots, because they’re ideal for all weather types, are snug and made at a quality to last. 

That being said, we can’t ignore the fact these are expensive hiking boots. Are they worth the £210 price tag? If you’re a serious outdoors person, then yes. I think the quality and durability of these boots is so good that you’ll be able to put them through their paces and they will treat you well in years to come. If, however, you just fancy a hiking boot for the odd occasion, then there are plenty of more affordable options on the market that may be better for you, like the Adidas Terrex WMN Mid rain.RDY Hiking Shoe or the Quechua Women's Waterproof Walking Boots.