Danner Overlook shoe

https://global.danner.com
Jet Black
£131.50

Danner is a shoe and boot brand with its roots in the American outdoors, with its promotion images and the branding on its boxes all calling out to the idea of pine forests, mountain hikes, working in the sun. Established In Oregon 1932, Danner It sells that romantic idea of honest North American outdoor living, and it has the shoes to back it up. With a huge range of work boots suitable for everything from quarries to the steel yard to the great outdoors, and ranges of hiking, hunting and military boots to match, Danner conjures an ideal and then provides the practical gear you need to live that reality. They look attractive and on-aesthetic, they protect your feet, they’re rugged and hardy, and some of them are also just plain fashionable.

We received a pair of Overlooks in Jet Black from Danner’s Lifestyle range. Less heavy-duty than their Work, Hike or Military ranges, these Lifestyle shoes are still carefully crafted for active living. The Overlooks are designed to have “Sneaker comfort that's ready for the trail”- they’re some of Danner’s most every-day shoes, but they benefit from the company’s careful shoe engineering to still be a cut-above your average casual sneaker. They’re designed to be wearable both on the hiking trail and in the city, aiming to be a versatile, all-round shoe for the city dweller who wants to be ready for the call of the wild.

This versatility is a huge point in these shoes’ favour. You essentially get two shoes in one, and whilst some of Danner’s other offerings might be better for more intense outdoor activity, these shoes seem like an incredible purchase for knowing that you’re covered no matter where you’re headed. They’re an attractive shoe, too, and they feel as comfortable as they look. As soon as you pick them up, before you even put them on, you can feel that they’re well made.

They’re extremely breathable as well as being water-resistant, but without losing on hardiness. This is thanks to the company’s EnduroKnit upper, which is made with a durable nubuck leather integrated into the material and coated in water repellant, all to make it weather-resistant despite its soft feel. Their grip around your heel and ankle feels extremely secure, whilst the padding in the sole feels extremely cushioning and comfortable. That’s thanks to a dual-density midsole – it's firm at the edges but soft in the middle, giving the shoe support whilst also cushioning your feet and protecting them from discomfort on long walks. In fact, the entire footbed is made up of layers of varying density, which maximises this cushioning feeling, and is made of an open-cell polyurethane for better heat dissipation and air circulation.

We weren’t exaggerating when we said these shoes are engineered! Attention really does go down to the details, such as stitchdown construction in the heels for added stability and adaptive Megagrip lugs on the outsole for the best grip. One design choice that instantly struck us as odd when trying out these shoes was the design’s lack of a separate tongue – instead, the whole shoe is one solid, made in the sock-shoe style, but with a solid, traditional sole. This is supposedly for maximum fit and comfort, but some of our testers found that the shape and lack of flexibility that a tongue usually offers made the shoes a little harder to initially get into.

As well as Jet Black, the Overlooks are also available in Glazed Ginger & Orion (and orange-tan leather and a grey and black texture) and Monk’s Robe (a very attractive brown leather with grey panels).

I’ll say this for Danner’s marketing team – I’m sat here in a little UK office, and a few moments looking into their company had me wistfully pining to go homesteading in the US. As for the shoes themselves, they’re extremely comfortable and feel solid – we were impressed by the level of construction that had gone into them, though we were split down the middle over whether or not we liked the tongueless approach. More comfortable and more water-resistant, perhaps, but also hard for some of our testers with high arches to get into.

Overall, this is a quality shoe from a great brand. Like all shoes, it would be best to try them on to make sure they’re right for you, but for the money you spend on these shoes, you get some real value: great for city life, great for the outdoors – these are everything you need from a shoe.

4.5/5

Pros:

EnduroKnit and Nubuck Upper

Removable OrthoLite Footbed

Vibram® Overlook Outsole

Stitchdown Heel

365-Day Warranty

Cons:

No separate tongue – was hard for some reviewers to put them on.