Danner Corvallis Boots Review

If you’ve spent any time working in the woods, you know that not all footwear is created equal. If you enjoy working with rocks, then you especially understand how rough the life of trail building footwear can be! I’m currently 4 months of abuse into these boots, and I’m thoroughly impressed. I’ve absolutely destroyed 3 pairs of Salomon Quests, and while I love the fit/ feel of the Salomons they serve much better as hikers than heavy duty workers. It was time to step into full blown work boots, so I looked into Danner after seeing so many builder buddies have good experiences with them.

I don’t like work boots. They always feel clunky and stiff to me, and never fit my narrow feet well. They give me blisters, make me feel unstable, and really seem to amplify some aches and pains that I battle with. But Danner has done a good job of finding some gray area between hikers and workers with the Corvallis.

Initial Impression: They look rad. The heel and toe (the kicking surfaces that I destroy on all my boots) look like carbon fiber, and you know that’s mountain biker kryptonite. I also liked the mix of color with the brown/ black/ orange. But mainly it was the balance- is it a beefed up hiker or a streamlined worker? The description on the site also mentioned triple-stitched seams, a composite safety toe, and weight savings (ounces equal pounds, and pounds equal pain!) Of course it is waterproof with a combo of Gore-Tex and Leather, and the sole is luggy. There’s a bunch of other rad features too.

Fit & Feel: If you have narrow feet like I do, then you know that nothing ever fits as well as you want it to. But the Corvallis is super close, and way better than any other boot that I’ve tried on. I added my Superfeet Trailblazer insoles that I love, and I use an assortment of high quality socks from Darn Tough and Smartwool with plenty of cushion to help dial the feel. I also have to crank the laces down for my skinny feet, so I destroyed the original laces in a couple weeks. This happens to me a lot, so I replaced them with a set from Ironlace (these are amazing if you’ve never seen them).

Trail Building Pros: First thing’s first, I can hike and stomp my way through the woods to get to my worksite without hurting my feet. They offer great traction and ankle support, and keep my feet dry. More specific to trail work, I can kick and scoot everything with what seems like minimal wear and tear (so far). I also had the pleasure of sliding a several hundred pound slab rock onto my toe in the first week, and was very impressed with the composite toe in the midst of the panic. As an added bonus, I can do a quick flow check on the bike with these and it doesn’t feel like my feet are going to slide off.

Durability: I’m only four months in with these, so I can’t fully say yet. But all the seams are still intact, and they are getting more comfortable. I’ve treated them with a good conditioner and sealer to keep them performing tip top. The previous record for my boots is about a year, and I still have faith in this design to squeeze out a long life before they give out. I’ll come back for an update when I hit any milestones or beat them into submission!