Pacific Northwest bootmaker Danner recently gave its website a little sprucing up (punny, I know), and I have to say things turned out very well. The new site is clean and simple, easy to navigate and features some great imagery. One section in particular really stood out and was the inspiration for this post. The top navigation bar features a main section called Standards, which features four factory tour videos, plus a few great looking photosets. It goes without saying that I love a good factory tour and the Danner Standards page definitely scratches that itch.
As far as I am concerned the new website is perfect. I suppose the only thing that is missing are all of those Danner Japan boots that us Americans are drooling over. Just throwing this out there, but I would be happy to do some translating in exchange for a few pairs…
Click over and see all of the photos and watch the Danner standards videos in high quality. Well done fellas. [Danner]
Uh you speak Japanese? These shorts are great.
Scratch that. Guess I really am Japanese. I didn’t see the mix-up the first time around. But really, Danner Japan, I will for real actually translate and for a nominal fee of a single boot (sorry to outbid you Michael).
Crap. I’d initially written Danner off because I didn’t like the styling of the few pairs I’d seen. But after seeing the videos and their full selection, I’m torn. I guess there’s worse problems to have than too many choices.
So true, ‘A machine cannot read a standard’……wish all went by that motto.
Those are amazing. I wish I could afford them right now. I’ve been debating using a japanese proxy to get them!
I have a pair of Mountain Lights that I bought in 2005 to backpack in the Southwest. A little heavy for the desert, but perfect for rainy, leafy western PA. Beautiful boots – and – one of the last consumer outdoor ‘enthusiast’ boots with stitch-on soles. Everything else is molded and glued. Thanks for spreading the Danner love; great company.
Can someone pls explain a little more about the relationship between Danner USA and Danner JP? Danner USA’s Customer Services are hopeless, and cannot shed light on this whatsoever. Is Danner JP a licensed company? Are the JP only models being designed in Japan by Japanese? I don’t understand how a US company can make product that Americans can’t even purchase. I can’t think of any other product/company which has this bizarre arrangement.
If you look at Canada’s Viberg, the guys there are more than happy to make you whatever you want. It’s the same with Quoddy or Russell Moccasin. I think if Danner truly cared about what their brand means, and the people who buy their boots, they wouldn’t tie up models solely for one secular country without making them even available in the country of manufacture.
I’ve owned a pair of their hiking boots for ten years now and haven’t even had to resole them. Great product. Thought about selling them on eBay but when I consider how much I paid for them (more than $500 in 2000), I figure when they finally give up the ghost I’ll have them bronzed.
Agreed, the Danner Japan is a sick boot.
Granted, these have a little more gloss, but the inspiration is the same. And they’re on sale:
F-troupe Rambler @ Garbstore
http://www.garbstore.com/product/?brandID=44&categoryID=43&brandInfo=false&productID=1530&imgVarID=1793
There is a reason Danner supplies boots to the US Military – I still have mine…
If I see one more city slicker wearing hiking boots while pounding the asphalt I’m going to just start openly laughing at them. I mean I love the vintage aesthetic of old boots, but it’s getting a little ridiculous. It’s always the newjack hipsters that end up killing a look for another decade or two until it become uncool again.
Jimjones: How’d you get internet in the backwoods anyway? When did countryfolk become so concerned with cityslicker trends anyway?
boots are topical, but lets start thinking of spring and sperrys
Andrew! I am a Japanese citizen and live in Japan, owe a clothing operation. Yes, I think Danner JP is a license. Probably, a Japanese company(a big trading company or somethin) bought the license from Danner US and made a shoe factory manufacture boots here in Japan. (I guess they are made in Japan.) The company, which bought the license designs the style but most likely they use American traditional way, such as Postman or Irish Setter like. They do that `cause Americans do not make old school shoes, boots or style any more. And only way we can find old design will be finding vintage one. But they are collectable and expensive. Also Japanese customs have some kind of quota. Another word, we can import brand new leather shoes and boots(leather products except hides) a certain numbers for a year.(It`s very complicated, and I don`t know exact.)
It`s not bizarre at all. We have made in Japan Fender Telecaster, Coke is canned in Japan by Coca Cola Japan, Lucky Strike is made by JT, Japan Tabbaco. Hey, Asahi and Sapporo in US is brewed in Canda and Kirin is made by Anheuser Buch!!
Danner Japan models are all made in the USA, but sold through Japanese outlets. I assume there is a Danner JP office branch that handles design/distribution, with production “outsourced” to the headquarters.
the outlet store in portland has some DJ stuff from time to time.
http://restlesstransplant.blogspot.com/2009/01/trip-to-danner-factory-store.html
foster
Hi All,
To find the real handmade quality, old school feel, and uncompromising materials you should look at Crary Boots. My father Bill Crary is the son of Bill Danner (adopted after his dad was killed in the Korean War; that’s why the last name is different) and my father ran the Danner factory until 1978 when he left to start his own custom made shoe/boot factory in Portland, Oregon. You can now find our boots in Japan and recently featured in select Japanese magazines like Mono, Huge, Best Gear, and 2nd. We actually hand cut all the leather, hand last our boots, use leather insole material we import from England (not some cardboard derivative), upper leathers we import from Norway, full vegetable tanned leather linings, leather middle soles, ect, ect. We seek out the very best of everything and it shows in our boots. I will agree; our website leaves something to be desired but our handmade boots more than make up for it. Currently we only sell our boots in the US as custom made (no sizes) but this year we will begin selling sizes in the US. Please keep an eye out.
Best,
Nathan Crary