It’s a surprising fact that, in its 45-plus year history, Patagonia has never collaborated with another brand to build a product. It sources materials and expertise from other companies that you might know — synthetic insulation from Primaloft, brewing capabilities from Hopworks Urban Brewery, for example — but it has never truly teamed up with a collaborator to make a thing, until now. That collaborator is Danner, and that thing is a fly fishing boot.
Actually, it’s two fly fishing boots, one called the Foot Tractor ($499+), and another called the River Salt ($449). The former is the more rugged of the two and offers the angler’s choice of outsole: Vibram rubber, felt or prominent aluminum bars for grip on rocky river beds in fast-moving currents. On the other hand, the River Salt is lighter for terrain like saltwater flats and longer approaches from car to stream.
Both of the wading boots are built in the USA at Danner’s facility in Portland, Oregon using full-grain leather and a stitch-down construction that makes it easy to replace worn-down soles. The uppers also lack unnecessary foams or backers that would hold water and prevent fast draining, which happens naturally through a series of perforations at various points in the construction. It’s a system that Danner has already proven to work in the combat boots that it supplies to the US military (that real-world field experience also influenced the speed lacing system present here).
And that particular example underlines and answers the question: why Danner? Because, like Patagonia, Danner is not only committed to creating products that last, but also has a decades-long history of doing just that. The two also align on values such as providing customers with an item supported by an ecosystem of longevity and repair. It’s a sensible match and one that permits both to confidently assert that what they’ve made is the best available.
Gear Patrol also recommends:
Yeti Panga Backpack ($300)
Danner Rivot TFX GTX Boot ($370)
Patagonia Rio Gallegos Zip-Front Waders ($599)
