Before outdoor gear found a North American audience intent on embracing its lifestyle rather than using it to scale mountains, before #vanlife, #camplife and #exploremore et al., Japan had outdoor style down pat. It had minimal backpacks, down-filled t-shirts, performance cardigans and oversized anoraks. Even today, familiar companies like The North Face and Burton create entire collections that never see North American shelves or clothing racks that North Americans can only get their hands on by purchasing a plane ticket or connecting with a Japanese proxy buyer (more on that here). The newest such item is a stylish pair of hiking boots that are a result of a recent collaboration between Danner and Snow Peak.
The new boot is the Danner Trail Field Pro, a retooled and renamed version of Danner’s Mountain Light. The Mountain Light is perhaps Danner’s most iconic boot; its a modern remake of the company’s very first hiking boot, the 6490, which it made first in 1973. It has a full-grain leather upper and a Vibram rubber outsole; it’s waterproof and durable enough to last for years.
The Snow Peak collaboration doesn’t change those things but it does slightly alter the look and in turn the overall feel of the boot. The Trail Field Pro comes in black or Gregio (a sort of Pantone brown), and it has new red lacing hardware that calls to mind Snow Peak’s colorful anodized titanium tableware and mugs. It’s subtle, and thoughtfully stylish, just as you might expect a collaboration between these two heritage outdoor brands to be.
Gear Patrol also recommends:
Adidas Free Hiker ($200)
Hoka One One Kaha ($220)
Danner Mountain Light ($380)
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