![]() All in all, the Danner Trail 2650 is most at home on established trails and light scrambles, and it does make an intriguing thru-hiking option. For comparison, we took the Arc’teryx Aerios FL GTX on a challenging trek into the Grand Canyon and found that it provided a notable bump in stability, and the Adidas Terrex Swift 2.0 was also standout in this regard (albeit with less stiffness). In general, leather shoes can be a bit tougher to tighten down, not mention they have a tendency to stretch (a positive for comfort but downside for stability). When fully laced up, stability was good but not great. But for those who prefer a supportive hiker, we would recommend stepping up to a model like the Keen Targhee III, Merrell Moab 2, or a higher-cut boot like the Salomon X Ultra 3 Mid. To be fair, we did wear an overnight pack and trek over especially tough, rocky terrain and experienced only slight ankle turns. Low-top shoes (especially lightweight models) are inherently less stable than hiking boots, and the Danner is no exception. Put simply, if you’re looking for a lot of support, you won’t find it in the Danner Trail 2650. For reference, we also brought along the Salomon X Raise (which uses Salomon’s in-house Contagrip rubber), and that shoe fell well short from a traction perspective, turning skittish quickly on wet rock. Despite a range of challenging conditions, I didn’t find myself looking for areas with more reliable footing, and the shoe’s Megagrip outsole and aggressive lug pattern inspired confidence while rock-hopping, even in rain and sleet. I took the shoe on a particularly rocky, slippery, and sometimes off-trail route as part of the larger Cerro Castillo Trek, and it handled all of the terrain with ease. All in all, the Danner strikes an excellent middle ground between weight and on-trail performance.įor such a lightweight trail shoe, the Danner Trail 2650 provides impressive grip across a wide variety of surfaces. 6.2 oz.) aren’t that much lighter, and both of those shoes sacrifice protection and stability. Even trail runners like the Brooks Cascadia 15 (1 lb. 5.5 oz.) undercuts the Danner slightly, but all are extremely competitive given their on-trail chops. 8.4 oz.), although the Aerios has a waterproof membrane that adds a bit of weight. 9 oz.), and Arc’teryx’s Aerios FL GTX (1 lb. For comparison, it weighs less than the uber-popular Salomon X Ultra 3 Low Aero (1 lb. On the trail, the shoe felt very agile but was still surprisingly capable of handling rough terrain with a loaded pack. Although the Danner is unproven compared to many of its more established competitors, it’s nevertheless an intriguing thru-hiking option given its standout comfort while traveling fast and light.Īt 1 pound 8 ounces for the pair, the Danner Trail 2650 is decidedly on the lightweight end of the hiking shoe spectrum. Interestingly, the “2650” in the Trail's name references the total mileage of the Pacific Crest Trail, which alludes to the shoe's clear intentions. The shoes were well-cushioned, grippy, and totally capable even in those challenging conditions. On the Cerro Castillo Trek, after dropping our loaded packs at camp, we hiked up a dramatic and rough valley trail to Laguna Duff, much of which involved boulder-hopping in the rain and over otherwise unruly terrain. The shoes remained comfortable even when shuttling an overnight load, which was a pleasant surprise. Leather has its downsides-it has a tendency to stretch, soaks up water more readily, and can be slightly less durable depending on the thickness-but the boost in comfort is worth these tradeoffs, in our opinion. Part of this is due to the fact that the Trail 2650 utilizes leather around the upper, while many competitors use nylon and mesh. On the trail, it was incredibly comfortable and almost tennis shoe-like in feel, but with added traction and protection-an ideal combination for those who want to go fast and light. Out of the box, we took the Danner Trail 2650 on a range of day hikes and an overnight backpacking trip on the Cerro Castillo Trek in Chilean Patagonia and came away impressed. To see how it stacks up to the competition, see our article on the best hiking shoes. Below we detail our experiences with the Trail 2650. It’s not the most stable or supportive option, but we came away pleased by its good looks and all-around performance. The verdict: the Trail 2650 is surprisingly capable, combining the light weight and nimble feel of a trail runner with the traction and protection of a beefier design. We took the low-top version of the shoe to Patagonia, where it faced long days, high mileage, and a lot of scrambling. Better known for their lineup of tough leather boots, Danner offers an impressively well-rounded hiker in the Trail 2650.
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