Though I prioritize comfort over fashion, I am still haunted by photos from a trip to Japan where I misjudged the fit of the “cute shoes” I packed and ended up having to wear blue-and-purple running shoes with every single outfit. Because of this, I was determined to find shoes I could wear on a four-country trip to Europe in late fall that included a lot of walking on cobblestones and pavement, as well as six long transit days.
I needed versatile shoes that matched everything from a skirt to sweatpants, wouldn’t look out of place in a city, and felt as comfortable as running shoes. It seemed like a tall order, but over the summer I had tried the Danner 917 Logger Moc boots and was instantly impressed. The combination of comfort, classic styling, and high-tech features made this shoe a true unicorn of footwear, especially for traveling with my limited packing capacity.
Danner is best known for hiking boots, particularly its iconic Mountain Light Cascade featured in the movie Wild. Good hiking boots emphasize comfort, breathability, and traction, so I wasn’t surprised that Danner’s town-oriented shoes felt similar. The 917 Logger Moc has much of the benefits of a hiking boot without looking like you’re wearing technical trail shoes wandering around St. Peter’s Basilica.
We averaged about ten miles per day during our city days in Rome, Malta, and Barcelona. The shoes never gave me foot trouble, and my feet felt less tired than during previous trips. They also looked classy, whether paired with joggers on travel days or with a button-down and leggings touring museums. I wore lightweight, wicking hiking socks and never felt hot spots, blisters, or discomfort.
Like my favorite running shoes and hiking boots, the 917 Logger Moc has a slight flare through the toe box to accommodate foot swelling from standing all day, and a snug heel counter that holds my foot securely without pinching. This helps eliminate the heel rub I’ve experienced from ill-fitting shoes.
These are also sneakily technical, using hiking-boot features built into a sleek town shoe. One of these is the OrthoLite footbed, a midsole found in technical hiking shoes that helps reduce fatigue from long days on foot. This footbed provides support without being cushioned to the point of losing efficiency, something I’ve run into with overly plush shoes. I was also surprised to see a Vibram outsole on these shoes, a material typically reserved for trail-running shoes and hiking boots. This high-traction outsole came in handy when I was caught off guard on sightseeing outings in Malta, climbing surprisingly steep hills with loose dirt and rocks on the paths.
The boots are six inches tall, but I rarely laced them all the way up. They still felt secure with just the lower half laced, and it helped my feet breathe on the warmer days in the cities. For colder days (and at home in Montana), I lace them all the way and can even wear them in rain and snow thanks to the Gore-Tex membrane. This also makes them versatile for a variety of weather — they aren’t insulated, so you won’t overheat, but the Gore-Tex keeps out the elements. We had one rainy day in Europe, and my feet stayed perfectly dry.
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