Danner is gearing up for summer, with the release of a new hiking shoe that's designed to help you beat the heat on long, hot treks – and hold up to years of wear thanks to recraftable soles.
The Danner N45 hiking shoes have that classic Danner style and are built for the warmer days on the horizon, thanks to Perspair fabric used in the uppers, which is made from woven polyester threads and designed to be light, tough and breathable. At just 11 ounces per shoe, the N45s are lighter than most of the hiking shoes we've tested, while recycled polyester linings also help your feet breathe on hot days.
Though these shoes have regular lace-up fastenings, Ariaprene foam gussets wrap the feet for a comfortable, snug fit that Danner tends to favor in its more recent low-cut shoes such as the Trail 2650 Campo. This isn't always ideal for cold weather hikes where thick socks are a must, but for the warmer months, it can mean a more secure fit for more confident walking and fewer blisters. They're also said to prevent hot spots on long walks.
For those longer days, your feet will thank you for the midsoles which utilize nitrogen-infused foam that's ultra-light and designed to increase energy return. Underfoot the brand has gone with Vibram Megagrip outsoles and Traction Lug technology to improve grip on slippery trails and smooth, dry slick rock if you've got some desert adventures in your plans. But it's the fact that these soles are recraftable that makes these shoes most interesting.
We've previously seen recraftable soles in the Danner Mountain 600 Leaf series, but those are pricey full-grain leather boots and something you'd want to last a lifetime. Summer shoes tend to need replacing with more regularity, and this is the first time we've seen the brand make a resoleable trainer-style shoe, perhaps because the upper is designed to be so tough.
If those abrasion-resistant uppers are as robust as advertised, it would mean you'd have to switch out your summer shoes far less often, save yourself some money and keep more shoes out of the landfill over a lifetime of hiking.
Once you've worn these shoes for a couple of seasons, if the soles are starting to look like they've seen better days, you can head to Danner's recrafting page and fill out a form, then send your boots in to be refreshed.
"Recrafting is like buying a brand-new pair of boots that are already broken in," says customer Brent Brown who had his boots resoled after a decade of use.
We took a look and the cost to resole the N45s is $100, which isn't cheap but it's about half of what you'll pay for a new pair of shoes, plus you won't have to break them in when they send them back. The brand says this process currently takes three to four weeks, so we'd recommend waiting until the off-season or winter when you're wearing warmer boots anyway.
Danner's N45 hiking shoes are available now in men's sizing in Cargo Green/Antique Bronze, Timberwolf and Jet Black and in women's sizing in Jet Black, Ghost and Coyote/Semolina for $199.95.
