Danner Mountain 600 EnduroWeave

Sometimes, being a ’tweener is a good thing. The EnduroWeave combines the protection and stability of a mid-cut boot with the low weight and nimbleness of a low-top hiker, and it kept one tester comfortable during his 22-mile day in Yosemite. “I pounded up to the top of Half Dome and back in late-spring temps, even jogging in parts, and while the woven-synthetic upper shrugged off strikes against rocks and roots, it ventilates so well—there’s no waterproof membrane—that my feet never overheated,” he says. The EnduroWeave’s rubber/EVA midsole offers ample flex and rebound for a fast pace. Our tester also praised the boot’s Vibram Megagrip outsole—our favorite compound on the market right now—and triangular lugs, which kept him stable on mud, sand, and wet Yosemite granite.

Specs: $160; 2 lbs. 2 oz. (m’s 9); m’s 8-14, w’s 5-11