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After miles of navigating mushy meadows and craggy ridges, these kicks may have been a little gritty looking, but my toes were still bone-dry and ready for more.
- Danner and Filson got together to make waterproof, breathable, full-grain leather and tin cloth hunting boots with Vibram outsoles.
- Over the course of a year, we wore the Filson X Danner Grouse Boots ($395) everywhere from the streets of Gotham to the Grand Tetons and can't find a thing wrong with them (though they only come in camo this year). Here are our thoughts.
Filson and Danner are two of the longest-living titans within the outdoors industry in the United States, and between the two brands is a legacy of about 200 years of research, innovation, and design. It's all well and good if you haven't heard of them, but whether you recreate or travail by earth, asphalt, or some combination thereof, investing in a pair of boots like these would serve you - indefinitely - well.
After almost a year of running around the Northeast of the US in Filson x Danner's Grouse boots, I took them hiking, hunting, and fishing through every condition Wyoming had to offer during a particularly tempestuous late summer week, and here's how they held up.
Specs, waterproofing, and timeless technology
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Later that very same day, we hiked up a stream, still without a trace of water seeping through the leather and tin cloth uppers.
Full-grain leather and cotton oil finish tin cloth uppers, Vibram Olympia outsoles, and a Gore-Tex inner lining make these boots fit for all. And a stitchdown welt means these things aren't just heavy-duty; they can be resoled. For further reading on what that means, here's a great explainer on different outsole stitching methods.
Inside that welted sole is a fiberglass shank, which is lighter than steel but not quite as light as Kevlar, that stiffens the outsoles in the same way steel would. Kevlar would be nicer for weight, but you'd be paying a premium to get it.
An 8-inch height with lace-to-toe design means you and your ankles will remain secure in your boots, and you'll also be able to get plenty deep in streams (or bogs or swamps) before taking water in over the top.
As a sidenote, these fit a bit narrow. If you have a broader foot you might consider going with Danner's regular edition Grouse Boots, which come in brown as opposed to this year's camo, and are available with a wide sole option.
Field notes
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That is until we forded the river.
On the subject of streams: Yes, we did water-test them in chilly mountain streams. And while the outsoles and welting stood up to the test, we flooded them to see how the Gore-Tex inner linings held up.
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A beautiful Wyoming cutthroat trout, off to swim another day.
We spent about two hours hiking up a river whose name shan't be spoken. But for the sake of this review, we went waist-deep to cross it so we could access what appeared (and proved) to be a largely untouched hole filled with remarkably healthy cutthroat trout. After a few hours of taking turns tangling with them, we made our way back across the river, up the canyon, and back into the car.
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Proof we actually went in. When in grizzly country, always bring your bear spray.
And then off to another stream, just to make sure these puppies were properly soaked. Or maybe we wanted to change it up with a few brown trout. Whatever you choose to believe, we drenched these boots.
They were a little slippery on smooth, wet cobblestones, but no worse than any other boot shy of felt (which you wouldn't want on a hiking or hunting boot anyhow), and the outsoles, no matter what I put them through, seemed to remain clog-free in everything from mud to gravel.
After finally leaving the river, while my feet were wet, I never felt too uncomfortable (admittedly, wool socks help), nor did I incur a single blister. Chalk that up to Danner's patented air-cushioned microfiber-lined polyurethane soles.
And lastly, it came time to see how those boots dried. It took about 12 hours on the boot warmers, but by then the insoles were dry and showed no sign of having ever been wet at all (I seem to have forgotten to photograph them, but will try to update with an "after" picture soon). Now, were you to wet wade in these things and soak them day in, day out, you'd probably start to wear away at the Gore-Tex lining, but then that's what wading boots and waders are for, and wouldn't you know it, Danner makes those, too.
Final thoughts
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The Filson x Danner Grouse Boots after many a mile, though by looking at them you wouldn't quite know it.
These boots aren't only resilient, they're also comfy. As I mentioned before, no blisters, no tenderness, and no sore feet by any measure. I'd like to see a slightly less rigid tongue, but that'll wear in over time. If you need a winter, spring, summer, or fall boot that'll outstand the test of time, road grit, salt, and yes, a rogue Uber driver's fender, look no further. Oil and wax as needed, but these things are good to go out of the box.
Pros: Sturdy with a classic look that can be worn on the hunt or casually, highly water-resistant, lightweight
Cons: Tongues are a little tough (though there's a leather insert to help with that); not the best on smooth, wet rock; only come in camo this year; narrow soles (but Danner's regular version offers a wide-soled option)
Buy Filson x Danner Grouse Boots at Filson for $395
Buy Danner's regular edition Grouse Boots (which are nearly the same product) at Amazon for $329.95
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