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Three years into the Great Depression, Charles Danner opened the doors of his first shoe shop in 1932: the Danner Shoe Manufacturing Company, producing low-cost leather work boots selling at less than $4 a pair.
Originally located in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, Danner relocated his family and his business to the Pacific Northwest in 1936. Today, the company’s main production facility sits tucked into a quiet corner of northeast Portland, now manufacturing everything from outdoor, tactical and casual lifestyle models.
When visiting the home base In Oregon, three themes are clearly present: efficient design, intelligent use of materials and impeccable construction. While uncommon even back in 1932, their approach is more singular today than ever before.
Inspectors stand ready to assess the quality of material arriving, ensuring each piece will stand up to its end purpose, whether stretched, pulled or threatened by abrasion. Stress-test machines churn away, replicating no less than six months of wear and regularly exceeding the abuse any normal person would put on the pair.
Each boot receives individual attention for every element and system: eyelets, tongue, sole, inside and out are scrutinized beyond a “good enough” level. In fact, accomplishing the Danner boot fabrication process takes nearly 100 people holding the line.
Incorporating quality materials including full-grain leather with 1,000 denier nylon, Gore-Tex lining and Vibram outsoles joined together with stitchdown construction, it’s no wonder why Danner has been a leader in leather boot making for 85 years, all while branching into footwear categories from military to mountain lover.
Danner knows its audience goes hard and needs a pair of boots that are up to the task, and once you break in your favorite pair of shoes, it’s hard to say goodbye. Within the Portland factory, skilled hands bring well-loved boots back to life – replacing the outsole, reworking the leather or restitching the seams – so hard-core Danner fans are ready to lace back up once their footwear has been overhauled.
Of course, Danner backs up their product, ensuring your boots are free from defects in both material and workmanship. From upper to lower, liner to logo, this company takes your performance and safety as seriously as you do and continues to uphold production standards set from the conception of the first Danner boot
