After decades in the boot business, Danner has found another way to win the outdoors with its first trail trainers, which FN has selected as the Shoe of the Week.
For spring ’19, the brand is going light and fast with the Trail 2650 shoe for men and women, which boasts a number of premium technical features. For one, it has a Vibram 460 outsole with Megagrip technology, which offers intense traction on wet or dry surfaces.
Other bells and whistles include a cushioning OrthoLite insole, a shock-absorbing midsole and breathable mesh lining.
The uppers of the Trail 2650 are made using lightweight leather and loosely woven textile, and the shoes come in multiple earthy colors, including this brick-red shade for women.
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According to Danner, the trail trainers (which appear to be something of a hybrid between a trail runner and hiking boot) were inspired by the demanding terrain found along the Pacific Crest Trail. That rugged 2,650-mile route spans the entire Western U.S. coast, starting from Washington’s Canadian border, down through Oregon and California, to the U.S. border with Mexico.
In recent seasons, Danner has been working to evolve its trail footwear offerings beyond the traditional brown leather boot. For fall ’18, for instance, it updated its popular Mountain 600 hiker with a new textile material called EnduroWeave, a lighter yet durable alternative to leather. That men’s boot is available now in brown and black, for $160.
To see more of FN’s Shoe of the Week picks, check out this gallery.
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