Trail and Scramble Shoes

Danner Trail 2650 Shoe | Review

From high street to hill top, this cool and comfy Danner shoe impressed us with its versatility (and price)

Why We Chose The Danner Trail 2650 Trail Shoe: Comfortable, stylish, lightweight, versatile.

With more and more brands cottoning on to people’s desire for products that merge practicality and style, you could definitely say that the outdoors is having a moment in the spotlight right now. Inspired by the 2,650 miles that make up the Pacific Crest Trail, the Trail 2650 from Danner is one such item that appears to epitomise this all-encompassing idea. It’s functional, durable, comfortable and, by heck, it looks great as well; giving off an extremely ‘cool high street trainer meets big adventure trail shoe’ vibe. We like it. We like it a lot.

The Trail 2650 is very comfortable. This is, in part, due to the shoe’s EXO Heel System, which is that big black bump you can see on the heel in the pictures. This delivers a secure fit without encroaching too much on the back of your foot. What’s more, Danner’s development of a new last with a wider forefoot and 8mm drop to the sole brings good stability to the fold.

“These things are proper all-rounders. As at home in country pubs and remote hilltops, as they are on the high street.”

Underlining the general comfort of the Trail 2650 shoe is the removable ortholite footbed and EVA midsole. With three layers of varying density underfoot, including an EVA foam, this provides optimum support and cushioning without weighing you down too much either.

Any discussion of this shoe needs to include a segment on the Vibram 460 outsole. Thanks to Vibram’s popular Megagrip compound and the shoe’s specially designed lugs, the Trail 2650 give long-wearing resilience and dependable grip whether the ground’s dry or wet.

Like many other shoes in this Outdoor 100, the Danner Trail 2650 come equipped with a Vibram Megagrip sole. Photo: Chris Johnson

The EXO Heel System delivers a secure fit without encroaching on the back of your foot. Photo: Chris Johnson

A tough leather, complete with leather rand surrounds the front of the upper. Photo: Chris Johnson

Danner are no strangers to delivering long-distance durability in their footwear and the combination of thin but durable leather with a lightweight textile on the upper means it’s business as usual on that score. The mesh lining certainly improves breathability on that front.

There are so many reasons to like the Trail 2650 but we think our favourite thing about it is the fact that you can wear them in countless different scenarios. Dress down Fridays in the office, weekend walks in the park, your long-talked-about trek along the full length of the South Downs Way; these things are proper all-rounders. As at home in country pubs and dusty trails, as they are on the high street.

Tester’s Verdict

Neil Irwin, adventure photographer

“These have fitted like a glove from the very first time I tried them on. They really are very comfortable to wear with no niggles whatsoever. Finding shoes that fit me just right is usually pretty hard, but these are perfect. Performance-wise, they’ve offered plenty of breathability, and have provided good cushioning and shock absorption over distances, plus they feel very lightweight and nimble. I’m not quite sure about the heel bumper, I haven’t really found it’s brought much, but that’s the only slight criticism I have of this.”