The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Danner Teases New Lightweight Hiking Shoe Inspired by the Pacific Crest Trail

By Chase McPeak July 31, 2018

danner trail 2650 hiker — Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s not surprising that a brand known for both excellent hiking and casual boots would make the step out into the sneaker market with a new trail trainer debuting in spring 2019. The Trail 2650 is the latest transition piece from big-name, Pacific Northwest-based bootmaker Danner.

Inspired by the Pacific Crest Trail — the 2,650 mile-long route extending from Southern California all the way through Danner’s home state of Oregon then up to the Canadian border — the brand wanted to create an ultra-lightweight trail shoe that could hike the same terrain as any Danner boot, but do it with less weight and more speed.

“The Trail 2650 is our lightest weight hiker yet, weighing in at just under 12 ounces,” said product line Manager for Danner Outdoor, Donald McLellan, in a statement. “It’s packed with technology and features our iconic red laces, a nod to the Mountain Light Cascade boot that trekked the PCT in the movie Wild.”

danner trail 2650 hiker sneaker — Image used with permission by copyright holder

That new technology is nothing to turn a heel at. Featuring a leather and textile upper with a mesh lining, the shoe is meant to breathe, boasting maximized air flow while remaining durable. The lightweight upper, combined with an ultra-lightweight EVA midsole and Danner’s Trailguard platform, make the Trail 2650 both extremely light and comfortable.

It’s also very stable through the use of Danner’s EXO Heel System, which is essentially a snug, supported area surrounding the base of the ankle that, once a foot is slipped in, locks the heel down, preventing rubbing at the place where blisters most often form. You also won’t experience slipping because Danner has built the Trail 2650 with the grippy-as-hell Vibram 460 outsole with Megatrup tech. You could cartwheel over slippery rocks and not loose your footing in these trail trainers.

The Trail 2650 will retail for $150 and will be available in spring 2019 for men and women, with each style featuring a variety of colorways.

Looking for something specifically built for trail running? We’ve got you covered.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Chase McPeak is the former Lifestyle Editor. Chase regularly appeared on Beards, Booze, and Bacon: The Manual Podcast where…

Outdoors

You’ll soon be able to fish year-round at Yellowstone National Park

It's great news for anglers at a time when the National Park Service is restricting recreational access.

Two men fly-fishing in a river.

Thanks to a boom in U.S. National Park visitation numbers, the National Park Service has been clamping down on park access for the last few years. Reservations and restricted entry times are fast becoming the norm at many of our best National Parks. So, it's great news when the NPS announces any type of expanded access, like Yellowstone's relaxed fishing guidelines beginning later this year.
Get the full details on Yellowstone National Park's expanded fishing guidelines

In an official news release published last week, the National Park Service announced that "beginning Nov. 1, 2024, Yellowstone National Park will expand fishing access by allowing for year-round fishing opportunities at two locations in the park." The catch, if you can call it that, is that this will only include two specific locations. The first is along the Madison River, specifically from the state border of Wyoming and Montana, downstream to the park boundary abutting the West Entrance near the town of West Yellowstone, Montana. The second is the Gardner River, beginning at Osprey Falls down to its confluence with the Yellowstone River near the park's North Entrance in Gardiner, Montana.

Outdoors

This rooftop tent kit will turn your van into a pop-top camper for about $12K

Transform your two-person rig into a legit, four-person, family-friendly chariot

Camper van outfitted with Super Pacific's CloudCap pop-up roof tent parked among a stand of trees.

Van life usually means sacrificing comfort and living space for maximum portability. There's no denying that it's tight packing most of the amenities of home into the back of a hollowed-out work van. So, anything you can do to make the space feel a little roomier feels like a luxury. Super Pacific's clever CloudCap does just that by converting the unused space on your camper van's roof into a legit two-person "bedroom" with a view.
The details on Super Pacific's CloudCap pop-up rooftop tent for camper vans

Super Pacific bills the as "a private bunk house for the kids, a guest room for friends, or a panoramic Crow's Nest for you." Bottom line: It expands the living space of many two-person camper vans into four-person road-trip wagons. The simple kit includes the rooftop tent itself, plus all the instructions and mounting hardware you need to install it on the most popular Mercedes-Benz and Ford Transit vans on the road.

Outdoors

The most popular Grand Canyon trail reopens this week

Your favorite Grand Canyon trail is back in action

grand canyon national park bright angel trail view bright angel lodge

The Grand Canyon National Park has announced the much-anticipated reopening of Havasupai Gardens Campground, Bright Angel Trail, and Tonto Trail, set for April 15, 2024. This marks a celebratory moment for hiking enthusiasts and nature lovers, as one of the most renowned trails in the park becomes accessible once again after a temporary closure.

These closures began way back in December 2023 due to the Transcanyon Waterline project at the Grand Canyon National Park. This project involved extensive construction activities aimed at upgrading and replacing the water distribution lines in the park. The work included the replacement of water distribution lines throughout the Havasupai Gardens area and at the 1.5 and 3-mile rest houses, located along the Bright Angel Trail.