Danner® Marine Temperate Mens/Womens Military Boots

Comments about Danner Marine Temperate Mens/Womens Military Boots:

Use:

I've used these to hike through steep and muddy terrain near the borders of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. I stepped in a muddy creek bottom to about 2" below the top of the boot, and my feet stayed dry. Be careful - the gussets in the tongue go down to the 2nd eyelet, so I was cutting it pretty close.

Footing in mud was secure, and even in clay-like soil, I didn't have a suction problem (the slightly curved sole seemed to help a lot with that - if you stand these up on a hard floor and rock them side-to-side you'll see what I mean). Mud came out of the tread almost instantly, but stuck to the upper like glue.

Maintenance:

A week before using them, I applied some beeswax-based sealant (no mink oil, softeners, petroleum products, or solvents) to them to try to keep the nap down and make the mud easier to wash off later. No luck: It took 20+ minutes of scrubbing to get the mud out of the leather (I've been told it's bad to let the mud sit in the leather) - it never really came out of the Cordura, and I doubt it ever will. On the bright side, water beaded up and rolled off the non-muddy parts of the boots.

Fit:

My feet measure exactly 9 EE, so I ordered that size. I was surprised to find my toes a bit crowded - not painful, just snug. Because of steep terrain, I was advised to get a slightly snug fit, which these are, and they will stretch over time, so it's not such a big deal. I think they will form to my feet over time and eventually could be the most comfortable footwear I own.

Workmanship:

Excellent everywhere except where the leather joins the sole between the heel and instep on the outer arch side of the boots. On both L and R boots, the leather in those areas was separated from the top of the sole since the day I got them (still stitched securely in place though, and still seem to be 100% waterproof). The upper seems glued down everywhere else, so it looks like someone got lazy with their gluing or its a design flaw (i.e., the glue can't stand up to beeswax). Either way, I can't easily ship the boots 8000 miles back for repair/replacement (family brought them over on a visit), so I'll just live with it: They work for now, but time will tell if they last....

Comments about Danner Marine Temperate Mens/Womens Military Boots:

Very good boots. I like them better than my 511 boots. These boots have better support in the soles.

Comments about Danner Marine Temperate Mens/Womens Military Boots:

Great for doing my job as an artillarymen comfortable for long humps and everything else I do

Comments about Danner Marine Temperate Mens/Womens Military Boots:

I have wide feet and have a difficult time finding shoes and boots to fit. It took a few tries, but we finally got the right boots. I never had a problem returning the boots that did not fit. The customer service is Great! They did require some break-in time, but nothing out of the ordinary. I would buy from Danner again!

Comments about Danner Marine Temperate Mens/Womens Military Boots:

I purchased my current pair of boots 2 years ago and will never buy anything but Danner ever again. Saying that I spend a lot of time on my feet would be a gross understatement. Prior to my experience with Danner, I really didn't like boots at all (I was more of a tennis shoe kinda guy), but now I wear my boots all the time. Be it a 10 mile pack run or a 40 mile Colorado Rockies week, my boots have never let me down.

That said, all boots have a break in. These were no exception. However, any boot I've ever used with no break in had no staying power either and I went through a pair of boots every couple of months. I most definitely recommend anyone looking for a solid boot at least try out Danners, you won't regret it.