New Brand: Danner

Words: Sebastian Nicu

For most of you, the planned summer vacation by the beach unfortunately got cancelled this year. So why not explore your own country? Book a rental car and get out of town! A day trip to the mountains is cheap and perfect to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city. Maybe your uncle likes to share videos of hikers trying to climb the mountain top with flip-flops and strollers, just like mine. To avoid becoming the secret star of a viral video for boomers, it’s better to equip yourself with the right shoes.

Charles Danner had a vision: to produce shoes for all those who want to go new, undiscovered paths. The perfect shoes for adventurers. That’s why he founded his own company, Danner, in 1932 in the little logging town of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, USA. Because solid footwear doesn’t need a fancy name. The idea of starting a business during the Great Depression is adventurous enough, but the passionate hiker had discovered a market niche that needed to be filled. Because in the Pacific Northwest, where Danner Boots was founded, the demand for heavy boots was enormous. With their high waterproofness, the boots were popular among harbor and railroad workers early on. But also the hikers of the area, which is known for its picturesque alpine lakes, forests, rivers and coasts, quickly fell in love with Danner Boots. In the 1940s, the company moved to Portland, Oregon, where every single shoe is handmade from the best possible materials until this day.

The boots are still true to their rugged style, but as you probably know, you don’t stay relevant for 90 years without evolving. In 1979, Charles Danner’s son Bill started working with a new, up-and-coming company: W.L. Gore & Associates – known for their Gore-Tex membrane, which is equally popular among Tech Ninjas, George Costanza and geography teachers. Together, Danner and W.L. Gore & Associates eventually developed the Danner Light, the first hiking boot that was both waterproof and breathable. Within the fashion world, Danner has also attracted a lot of attention in recent years thanks to collaborations with names like Sophnet, JJJound, Snow Peak, Engineered Garments or White Mountaineering. One could certainly also claim that brands like Danner have contributed significantly to the current hiking boot hype and inspired many high fashion labels.

Speaking of Gore-Tex: The Danner Trail 2650 GTX in the muted color scheme Mojave Desert has just arrived in our webshop. Originally released exclusively in Japan, this waterproof sneaker is now also available at HHV. It was named after the 2650 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, a legendary hiking route that includes almost every imaginable surface. The Trail 2650 GTX was designed to take on any terrain comfortably. Despite its light weight, the shoe offers maximum stability thanks to its Trailguard TPU shanks and Exo Heel System.