This review digs into the Danner Trail 2650 hiking shoe. It's Danner's best hiking shoe and potentially a good choice for thru-hikers, fast-and-light hikers, and people who want a hiking shoe to wear everyday. But it's not cheap—and not for everybody. My Danner Trail 2650 review should help you figure out if it's the right hiking shoe for you.
Over the past several months, I've worn the Danner Trail 2650 as both a hiking shoe and a casual shoe to evaluate its support, weight, comfort, fit, traction, and overall value. This review gives you my take on the shoe's performance to answer key questions you may have before buying it: How does the Danner Trail 2650 compare with other hiking shoes? How does it fit? Is it more of a hiking shoe or a trail-to-town shoe? What are the shoe's pros and cons? My Danner Trail 2650 review has the scoop to help you figure out if this shoe will fit your feet, your budget, and your hikes.
Danner Trail 2650
Men's Danner Trail 2650 (standard)
Women's Danner Trail 2650 Campo GTX
Based in Portland, Oregon, Danner has been making outdoor footwear since 1932. They're best known for their work boots and casual outdoor shoes. However, the Trail 2650 is their signature hiking shoe. It's named after the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail because Danner designed it as a lightweight hiking shoe that PCT thru-hikers might pick over trail running shoes because hiking shoes last longer than trail runners. Danner also lists it as a casual outdoor shoe.
The Danner Trail 2650 is available in several styles:
My Danner Trail 2650 review is based on the standard suede/nubuck leather style (non-waterproof). It draws upon my specialized brand training from Danner and some test hikes that I completed between August and November of 2022 in Pennsylvania. I've worn a ton of brands, but this is my first pair of Danners.
testing my pair of the Danner Trail 2650 at Black Moshannon State Forest (PA)
As I explain below, the Danner Trail 2650 may be a good hiking shoe for fast-and-light hikers or a good (but expensive) everyday shoe for men and women. It's not the best choice for hikers looking for a sturdy, supportive hiking shoe for moderate to difficult hikes. Now that I've completed my review of the Danner Trail 2650, I've decided to wear my pair as an everyday shoe (not as a hiking shoe). That's how many outdoor industry professionals seem to wear the Trail 2650—which Danner cross-lists as both a "hiking shoe" and a casual "lifestyle shoe."
Danner Trail 2650 Review
As with all hiking shoes, the best shoe for you will be the one that best fits your feet and best matches your hikes. The following review should help you figure out if the Trail 2650 might fit you and if it might match your hiking style. My Danner Trail 2650 review evaluates its support, weight, fit, comfort, weather protection, traction, and overall value to help you decide if it might be a good hiking shoe for you—or not.
Women's Trail 2650
SUPPORT
BELOW AVERAGE
The Trail 2650 has a little less support than the average hiking shoe. It's moderately stiff through the midfoot, thanks to a 3/4-length TPU shank that adds some stability and rock protection. That's a plus for support. However, Danner built this to be a lightweight hiking shoe and casual outdoor shoe. That's left it a little thin underfoot—where I can feel more of what's on the trail that I do in other hiking shoes. There's also little arch support and less protective uppers than most hiking shoes (to cut weight). My feet got a little bruised in the rock gardens of the Mid-State Trail (PA), for example, and the protective toe cap already showed plenty of wear after only a couple hikes.
It's a capable hiking shoe. Overall, though, the Trail 2650 a better match for fast hikers on well maintained trails or men and women who want an outdoor performance shoe to wear from the trail to the tavern or from the woods to the wine bar.
Women's Trail 2650
WEIGHT
LIGHTWEIGHT
That's fine because Danner made the Trail 2650 as a lightweight trail shoe. In men's sizes, these start around a pound and a half per pair. That's approximately a half-pound less than the average pair of hiking shoes. My pair of men's size 12 wide weighs 4 ounces less than my Salomon X Ultra 4 Lows and 12.5 ounces less than my Obox Sawtooth X Low hiking shoes. That weight savings could save a little energy for people who hike fast enough and far enough for a few ounces to matter. If you're looking for a lightweight hiking shoe, the Danner Trail 2650 may be a good choice for you. It's the lightest hiking shoe that I currently own.
Men's Trail 2650 Campo
FIT
BEST FOR AVERAGE TO WIDE FEET
As a US-based brand, Danners tend to have a roomier fit than European brands. They also offer best-sellers—including the Trail 2650—in regular and wide sizes. The regular Danner 2650 apparently fits true to size with a slightly roomy fit (according the person who designed it). The Danner wide (which I bought) is a true wide (EE on the Brannock device). I have more room in Danner's wide than I do in Oboz wides or Salomon wides. Overall then, the Danner Trail 2650 seems to be a better fit for standard to wide feet.
Women's Danner Trail 2650 Campo
COMFORT
DEPENDS ON HIKING STYLE & PERSONAL PREFERENCE
Comfort has a lot to do with fit and with people's personal preferences. In addition to targeting thru-hikers, the Trail 2650 also targeted new hikers, who often prefer the more familiar feel of their everyday sneakers to stiffer, more supportive hiking shoes. For me, the 2650 feels more like a "sniker"—a hybrid sneaker-hiker—than a true hiking shoe. If you prefer a light-duty shoe that wears much like a casual sneaker, you'll probably like the comfort of the Danner Trail 2650. However, if you prefer a sturdy and well cushioned hiking shoe, you'll probably think the Danner Trail 2650 is more of a glorified sneaker than a real hiking shoe.
In my case, I find them really comfortable as everyday shoes—sometimes forgetting to take them off at the end of my work-from-home shifts. However, they're less comfortable for me on the trail since I feel plenty of gravel, sticks, and rocks through their light-duty build. Again, comfort comes down to fit (where they favor wide feet), the kind of terrain you hike, and your personal thoughts on the new generation of high-priced hiking sneakers.
Men's Danner Trail 2650 GTX (GORE-TEX)
WEATHER PROTECTION
PLUS
Danner has sourced its waterproof membranes from GORE-TEX, which is still the industry standard for waterproof and breathable protection. Low-cut shoes don't provide a ton of clearance for puddles, snow, or water crossing, but the GTX lining in the Trail 2650 is a quality choice for a waterproof hiking shoe. GORE is durably waterproof and breathable (in spite of what many bloggers claim.) You would want a "GTX" (GORE TEX) version of the Danner Trail 2650 if you want good waterproofing.
For this review, I chose the non-waterproof Trail 2650 because that's what thru-hikers generally choose for a cooler, more ventilated feel. The soft suede and nubuck leather won't dry quickly if it does get saturated, but it does provide some water resistance and good breathability in my experience.
TRACTION
MODERATE
Danner has also sourced its outsoles from Vibram, the Italian company that makes many of the best outsoles in the outdoor industry. This specific sole has smaller number of widely spaced lugs to help shed some mud and snow. The tread isn't very aggressive, so it's better on moderate terrain than steep terrain. It's fine on rock because the Megagrip rubber is relatively soft, but the lugging pattern is not really made for rocks. Overall, that averages out to moderate traction that's good (not great) on most terrain. It's a versatile tread for trail-to-town use and another premium feature of the Trail 2650.
Men's Danner Trail 2650 Mesh
VALUE
EXPENSIVE
Starting at $160 and going all the way up to $220 (!) for some styles and colors, the Danner Trail 2650 is expensive. For that money, you get quality leather, Vibram outsoles, and (optional) GORE-TEX waterproofing. But that's still a steep price for a hiking shoe—especially one that Danner cross-lists as a "lifestyle" shoe (i.e. casual shoe). If you love the light weight and the sneaker-like comfort, the Trail 2650 might be worth it for you. However, it's strange to see a light-duty hiking-casual shoe selling for more than some premium hiking shoes, mid-cut hiking boots, and even backpacking boots. If I were you, I'd stalk sales at Backcountry or REI to try to buy the Danner Trail 2650 at a discount.
See available sizes, styles, and colors for men:
See available sizes, styles, and colors for women:
DANNER TRAIL 2650: PROS VS CONS
According to my review, the Danner Trail 2650 has distinct pros and cons that should make it easier to figure out if it's the right sort of hiking shoe for you:
Overall Review: Danner Trail 2650
Overall, the Danner Trail 2650 is a well-made hiking shoe that may be a good choice for men and women who prefer a lightweight hiking shoe to a more traditional, supportive hiking shoe. Danner made the Trail 2650 for thru-hikers and the new generation of COVID-era hikers who often prefer a more casual, sneaker-like feel. It's expensive, but it may be worth it for you if the fit is right and if its lightweight build is a good match for where you hike and how you hike.
best fit
With a slightly roomy fit and both regular and wide sizes available, the Danner Trail 2650 is a better fit for standard to wide feet.
best match
With a light-weight build, the Danner Trail 2650 is a better match for fast hikes on well maintained trail or everyday, outdoor lifestyle wear
Is the Trail 2650 a likely fit for your feet, your budget, and your hikes?
If my Danner Trail 2650 review has convinced you to buy Danner's best-selling trail shoe, please consider buying your new pair through the affiliate links above. Hiking Feet may receive a small commission from the vendor (at no cost to you) if you click on a link and then make a qualifying purchase. Those commissions aren't much, but they help this site and send a few bucks my way to make up for the hundreds of unpaid hours I spent creating free content to help you find the best hiking boots, hiking shoes, or trail running shoes for your hikes. If this site hooked you up, please consider hooking me up, too!
If the Danner Trail 2650 is not the right choice for you, please check out my other recommendations for the best hiking shoes for men and women or my other hiking shoe reviews and brand reviews. There’s a good chance that you’ll find the best hiking shoe for you somewhere on Hiking Feet.
Happy hiking!
