The Danner Mountain 600 boots in action. Photo: Bob Smith/grough

Price: £230
Weight: 1,098g/pair
Country of manufacture: Vietnam
Sizes: men’s 6½-12½; women’s 3½-8
Uppers: full-grain leather
Waterproofing: Danner Dry
Sole stiffness: 6/10

There’s a definite retro look to these boots from the Oregon-based brand.

The uppers are a good looking tan-colour full-grain leather, and the midsole is white giving the Mountain 600 boots a casual feel rather than a full-on mountain walking boot.

But looks can be deceptive, and the Danner boots performed well on the hill and moorland, protecting from the elements and giving good grip. Danner also makes a suede version of this boot, but we tested the leather version.

Comfort was the key to these boots. I’ve used them repeatedly for almost three months and both the uppers and sole combination have provided trouble-free walking.

They have a hard toe box to protect against knocks on rocks, and the heel cup is also stiffened. Lacing is through five pairs of metal d-loops initially, the rearmost of which is in a fairly low position, directed at the very front of the heel area. There are then two pairs of metal hooks which, while not locking, did keep the laces in place while tying. There was no discomfort from the flex point at the instep. The boot forefoot is quite wide and fairly low volume. There was no pinching of the toes when on the hoof.

The Mountain 600s come with red laces as standard. Photo: Bob Smith/grough

The Danner boots came with red laces, but an alternative pair of brown laces was also supplied for those who prefer a more muted look.

The tongue is ventilated fabric, with a padded leather top section. The ankle is mid-height with a cutaway at the rear. A slightly padded, ventilated strip runs round the inside of the ankle. There’s a small leather pull tab at the back of the heel to help when putting the boots on. The heel cup held the foot well, with no heel lift on uphill sections. There’s a stiff plastic heel counter at the base of the heel uppers.

Because the tongue is fabric rather than leather in its lower section, it does get wetter than the main body of the boot, leading to a cool feeling in heavy rain or sodden terrain. It doesn’t leak, thanks to the waterproofing, but I was aware of the exterior dampness on the wettest days. The gusset comes up to the level of the ankle bottom, so did stop water entering the boot.

The boots' sole unit performed well and provided good comfort. Photo: Bob Smith/grough

The whole sole unit, midsole and outsole, is a Vibram combination and is partly the key to the boot’s comfort. The midsole is the Italian brand’s SPE, which uses rubberised EVA, with the advantage of good shock absorption but with better durability. The Fuga outsole uses Megagrip compound and has a set of triangular and diamond-shaped lugs, deeper in the forefoot and with a number of curved grooves that allow flexing to the terrain shape. A y-shaped channel in the heel allows lateral flexing. The whole sole has a gentle curvature, with no heel step.

Traction on wet and dry rock was very good; braking was good. The Danner boots coped well with mud, wet grass and gravel.

An Ortholite insole has good foam padding, especially at the heel area, and added to the general good underfoot protection and comfort.

Overall, the Mountain 600 is a very comfortable boot, which you can pull on, lace up and forget about. The uppers are good quality and protect the foot well without being over-stiff. The sole unit and insole meant long journeys were achieved with no problem, thanks to the good underfoot cushioning.

The Danner boots are a good choice for long-distance hillwalking and multi-day trekking. The retro styling stands them out from the usual brown boot design, yet they’re technical enough to cope with typical UK hills. They’re midweight for a hill boot, so fatigue was minimal over longer walks.

Sizing was standard. My foot is size 9½ with a low-volume but wide forefoot. As with all footwear, I recommend you try them before purchase to ensure they fit your feet.

We rated the Danner Mountain 600s a good buy. Photo: Bob Smith/grough

The materials used and construction quality should give good durability, which is good for sustainability, but Danner and parent company LaCrosse Footwear provide little information on their sustainability policies of that aspect of the Mountain 600. The boots come with a 365-day warranty.

Best uses: hillwalking, trekking, country walking, urban winter walking.

Performance 35/40
Comfort 26/30
Quality 8/10
Value for money 7/10
Sustainability 5/10
Total score: 81/100

• The Mountain 600 boots were supplied to grough by Danner