A few years ago I saw a pair of Danner "hunting" boots made from 1000 denier Cordura fabric. At the time, I was a big fan of the high denier Cordura fabrics and thought that they were the closest thing to lightweight armor I could find. Well after a month and a half of thorny brush hunting, the Cordura was completely shredded and gone from the entire toe, exposing the composite/rubber layer underneath. Additionally, the some of the lace eyelets had pulled out of the shoe and the shoe laces were basically just tying through gradually enlarging holes in the shoe. I called Danner about these issues and I was told that I should look for a local shoe repair person and see if they could fix them as they were not interested in repairing them. I was kind of shocked because I had always heard of the Danner name in relation to quality.
That kind of equipment failure and failure to provide adequate customer service leaves a sour taste in my mouth. This is why I want to try these mountaineering boots. They are definitely a quality product that I do not see failing on me, but will they be comfortable to walk in all day? Probably not...but I won't know for sure unless I try. I'm not eliminating all of my lightweight hikers and hunting boots, but I'm seeking some longer lasting options for those days when I want a rugged heavy duty boot that can take a beating in the brush and keep on ticking. Great responses from everyone - I think we all like to hear what works and doesnt work for other people out there.
