Boot lifespan? Danner Pronghorns not holding up

[Zootownelk]

best pair of boots I had was an old pair of Rocky's- lasted about 15 years of A LOT of upland bird miles and several seasons of western elk/deer hunting. Incredible. I've now had a pair of Schnee's Beartooths for 3 years. Really good until this year when several holes have appeared. Not sure if this is 'normal' or if they're not up to standard. I treat them at least a couple times a year, but maybe I need to baby them more? Looking for new boots now.

 

[David58]

Danner used to be among the best.

Went to their store in Portland a few years back, bought some socks (had a pair of their boots aready).

A man came in, his boots had failed at the toes. They refused any refund because he admitted to wearing them without socks. I was listening carefully due to the disrespect shown to this man from the second he placed the boots on the counter.

Now, I wear socks, and English is my first language, but the guy behind the counter was an ass.

I will never buy another Danner product again.

David
NM

I should add that I don't have "hunting" boots. I figure my Vasque Breeze hikers work great for hiking under a pack in NM, so they likely work well for hunting. And they do. This is my second pair, thankfully as they have gone through year-to-year cosmetic changes they have held to the same last and stiff insole. Most comfortable shoes I own, actually.

David
NM

 

[Redmt]

How much mileage do you get out of a pair of boots?

I bought a pair of Danner Pronghorns that blew apart in under a year which was replaced under warranty with the exact same pair. Pair number 2 has two hunting seasons under it's belt, including a western hunt which was wrapped up in 3 days, and 2 seasons of late season pheasant hunting... not more than 10 days a season. I probably walk 5-10 miles on a full upland day (less in the elk hills). So I probably have 25 days of walking in these boots (msrp $270), and they blew apart in the exact same spots, in under 250 miles. The stitching failed and they have gaping holes on the big toe side next to the eyelets. I'm frustrated, they are out of warranty. Should I be? How long should a pair of boots last? What do you use that is tough, waterproof and comfortable that lasts longer?

View attachment 353777

Danner went down the shitter when Lacrosse bought them out. I have worn Danner Lights 2's for years. They were the most comfortable boots ever and lasted years until Lacrosse took them over. It's another great American company sent to China. I switched to Meindl. They are ok but not great. I'll try the Kenetreks next.

 

[nastynate]

Ok, I'm getting a voucher at Danner in the warranty process for round 2 of Pronghorn failure. I will not buy Danner again, but does anyone have a pair of boots they do like out of their current lineup that might last? Do all Danners suck or just the Pronghorn?

 

[Redmt]

Ok, I'm getting a voucher at Danner in the warranty process for round 2 of Pronghorn failure. I will not buy Danner again, but does anyone have a pair of boots they do like out of their current lineup that might last? Do all Danners suck or just the Pronghorn?

In my not so humble opinion Danner used to build the finest boots in the USA. Not anymore!

 

[ChaosOneZero]

Kenetrek Mtn Extreme uninsulated. I have wide flintstone paddle feet, so I have very few options when it comes to footwear, but I’ve learned - from my wife, of all places - that footwear is one of the places where it’s worth it to spend big money. I wore Danners for years growing up, but these Kenetreks are some of the most comfortable footwear I’ve ever worn. I think mine are going on four years now, with a mix of western hunting (Idaho, Montana) and eastern whitetail hunting (WV, NY, PA). They’ve held up well and are recraftable. And you can often find them on discount at Midway, Kenetrek.com, etc. Well worth the extra money.

I’ve also tried Crispi, but the pair I tried (Nevadas, I think) creased at an odd place and were cutting my big toe when I lunged or crouched so returned them (their customer service is top notch). That’s when I gave Kenetrek a shot and haven’t looked back. I’ve found that a good rule of thumb on footwear is ensuring they’re made in USA or Italy. But I also understand that’s not a realistic scenario for some people due to price points.

Some folks talk about buying the best glass you can afford. For me, it’s buying the best footwear I can afford.

 

[VMHunter]

I’ve been using Meindl Vakuum hunters for 4 years. So far so good.

I did try on a pair of Kenetreks when I bought these but went Meindl for some reason. Wouldn’t be opposed to Kenetreks next time.

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

ive been using the red wing 2240 for several years,,always get a new pair prior to hunting season then they turn into my daily work boots afterwards,,{of coarse work pays for them},,can usually get about 2 years out of them sometimes.otherwise i wouldnt get steel toe,,but they are not bad,,there "king toe" is pretty big and not much of a issue even out hunting unless it gets really cold.

 

[Bowhunt_406]

I used to wear pronghorns and they definitely are not what they used to be. My last pair(2 years ago) fell apart about 2 weeks into archery elk. I decided to cough up the coin and buy a pair of kenetrek mtn extremes with 400gr insulation and have never looked back.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

Ok, I'm getting a voucher at Danner in the warranty process for round 2 of Pronghorn failure. I will not buy Danner again, but does anyone have a pair of boots they do like out of their current lineup that might last? Do all Danners suck or just the Pronghorn?

I think boot design is very important. I had a pair of Danner Talus GTX that lasted several years. I still have them, just my trash boots now. Looking on Danners site I found the USA made version of those, Crater Rim. As another user posted look for a full leather and full, single piece rand. The crater rim checks those boxes and wouldn’t be afraid to try it for $350 or under.

My personal experience with Crispi has been great. I had the Nevada’s for 5 hunting seasons and this season started using the Kenia’s. I was disappointed at the cracking in my Nevadas but that could be a result of the Nubuck and using Nicwax (their recommend cleaner). I’ll be using Obenhaufs or Snow Seal on these Kenais.

I have nothing against Kenetrek but have two friends that have had both positive and negative experiences with them. I had such great experience with my Danners I wanted another boot with a Vibram sole as those seem to be pretty solid. When I was at IWA in 2022 I met the owners of Diotto, which I found out is the company that makes the Kenetrek boots in Italy and they are just Kenetrek branded here in the US.

If I were in your shoes and had to use that Danner voucher I would not get any other boot besides the crater rim. I don’t see any other boot on their site that meets this design.

The following brands all have a model I’ve seen with that similar design of the Crispi Kenai/Nevada and Kenetrek Mountain Extreme/Hardscrabble. There’s probably others I can’t think of or don’t know of. I didn’t take the time to look up each model. I think boots, with this design and in this price range $350-450 are all very similar and more dependent on your foot than reviews on the internet. Some or maybe all also offer a higher boot like the Kenetrek Mountain Extreme and a lower boot like the Kenetrek Hardscrabble. I prefer the lower for weight savings. Still provides adequate ankle support for me.

Scarpa
White’s
HanWag
Zamberlan
Crispi
Kenetrek

As for miles that’s a tough one to track. I think these had at least 1k miles on them. Probably won’t bother with $100 resolve due to the cracking and no longer waterproof.

Another thing that I don’t think gets mentioned is weight of the user. I’m 5’ 10” 140lbs. My size 9.5 boot is almost certainly going to last longer than the same guy that’s 200lbs in that same size boot. Just more mass pushing down and out on the soles.

If you get those crater rims let us know. Curious as I never seen anyone with them.

 

[Mattwan99]

How much mileage do you get out of a pair of boots?

I bought a pair of Danner Pronghorns that blew apart in under a year which was replaced under warranty with the exact same pair. Pair number 2 has two hunting seasons under it's belt, including a western hunt which was wrapped up in 3 days, and 2 seasons of late season pheasant hunting... not more than 10 days a season. I probably walk 5-10 miles on a full upland day (less in the elk hills). So I probably have 25 days of walking in these boots (msrp $270), and they blew apart in the exact same spots, in under 250 miles. The stitching failed and they have gaping holes on the big toe side next to the eyelets. I'm frustrated, they are out of warranty. Should I be? How long should a pair of boots last? What do you use that is tough, waterproof and comfortable that lasts longer?

View attachment 353777

I use danner pronghorns. I love em and am on like year 3 and couldn’t even tell ya how many miles in every terrain imaginable

 

[brymoore]

Ok, I'm getting a voucher at Danner in the warranty process for round 2 of Pronghorn failure. I will not buy Danner again, but does anyone have a pair of boots they do like out of their current lineup that might last? Do all Danners suck or just the Pronghorn?

Sell the voucher?