Danner Melee 8-Inch In Multicam

Operator7

28 Apr 2013

Being such a Multicam addict I couldn’t resist the opportunity to review the new Danner Melee in, that’s right, Multicam! Since I am the proud owner of a pair of the TFX Rough-Out GTX in A-TACS, I have some very high expectations for these boots in terms of comfort and durability.

So let’s see exactly how the Danner Melee boots stack up!

DESIGN

The new Melee has a fresh new look and different design from anything thing else out there, military boots-wise of course. At first they might look like a pair of sneakers but don’t be fooled by their looks because this is a pair of rugged and well-built military boots.

In fact the Melee look so good that I wore them even off the field. Plus, they are also quite comfortable for everyday use! But I am writing this review to let you know about the tactical aspects of these boots, so let’s focus on these from now on.

If you look closely you’ll see that the toe box is wider than normal boots and quite wider than my TFX’s which I had to go the 7EE width because the 7D simply wouldn’t fit me. Now these are a 7 and they do fit me nicely.

This wider toe box provides greater stability as you’ve got a larger area to sustain your body’s weight. It also increases traction when running and this is something I noticed immediately when I first started to use them.

UPPER, TOE AND HEEL CAPS

Now the materials are of course Cordura 1000 Denier nylon on the upper which makes it a very flexible but very resistant upper and allows freedom of ankle movements.

A nice thing about Danner is that they always use double stitch and you can see this clearly reinforcing the upper and lower of the Melee providing flexibility and at the same time a very sturdy and lasting construction.

A couple of nice additions I really liked have to do with the toe, its cap has been very useful to me since it effectively protects my toes from unwanted encounters with rocks.

There’s also a heel cap that offers extra stability and protection to the ankle area without losing any flexibility.

On the top there’s also a thin webbing and a loop that reinforces the boot and helps me to put on the Melee really fast.

SOLE, INSOLE, MIDSOLE, AND OUTSOLE

The sole is thinner than on my TFX so I found these to be a bit stiffer, simply because my feet are closer to the ground they can feel the ground contour. It’s not a bad thing because you’ll have a better reading of what you’re stepping on, but don’t worry they are still very comfortable thanks to the insole and midsole as you’ll see.

Since you have less rubber between your feet and the ground, this along with the materials that Danner used to build the Melee’s help to keep their weight down, so much that these are Danner's lightest tactical boots!

The midsoles are made of EVA (Ethylene-vinyl acetate) which helps to absorb shocks, and it’s also abrasion resistant just like the toe, heel caps and the outsole.

But with a difference: since there is an arch on the interior of the outsole that features Vibram® V-4 ultra-abrasion rubber compound and it’s been especially designed for fast roping.

Also, the Vibram outsole is visibly durable and rugged, even wearing them in the field and in the city on my day-to-day activities, the lugs have a 360 pattern for added grip and molded siping that disperses water and helps avoid slipping.

The lugs, and the sole in general, are very durable and they don’t appear worn at all even with the mileage they already have. This is of course due to the harder and long-lasting compound used on the Melee.

Since Danner have designed the lugs in directional 360 pattern that increases traction, this gives an extra grip say when changing direction or come a stop. I found that these provide me a lot of confidence while running around with all my gear, helping me to take advantage of all the ground's features to have more grip and control, making better use of the energy spent by my legs!

LINING

What is great about the lining is that first, it’s very comfortable; and second, it’s very breathable and wicks away any moisture from your foot. On the exterior there’s also a water-resistant exterior protective coating which works pretty well. I mean, I’ve spent several winter months using these sometimes in rainy conditions and they’ve kept my feet dry. The only one occasion where this didn’t happen was this one day where the field I was at was completely damp and had lots and lots of large pools of water. All I can say is that if you stick a pair of Melee up to the laces in the water, they will let water in. This was the only time I wished I had Gore-Tex, just like in my TFXs. Just remember, these are water-resistant, not water-proof.

The best weather conditions to use these would be in hot and moderate weather since they are very breathable and will keep your feet fresh if it’s hot, but their able to preserve the feet warm too if it’s cold.

LACES AND LACE GARAGE

As for the laces, these are Paracord laces and I’ve found these to be the easiest laces to tie or untie I’ve ever used. So easy in fact, that I found myself having to tie them up during games. Then it occurred to me: just use the small lace storage, which Danner named as “lace garage”, on the tongue and afterwards I can tell that they never got untied again!

Also, these do come down almost to the toes providing a more personalized and comfortable fit, since I was able to tighten the laces from the end of my toes up to the ankles exactly like I wanted to.

CONCEALMENT

Of course, you have Crye Precision Multicam almost all over these boots:

On the upper, the Cordura nylon is totally covered by the Multicam pattern.

Another big plus that Danner have been doing so well since their TFX in A-TACS are the soles in Multicam pattern, where they’ve managed to take the camo, providing great cover even if you are on prone or kneeling positions.

This results in an incredible blending of my Multicam loadout and the Melee boots.

CONCLUSION

So did the Melee convince me?

Absolutely! These are a great pair of boots. They are very comfortable and lightweight, being at the same time rugged and durable.

Easy to put on, stylish and very flexible, they have been my standard issued boots for my Multicam loadout over the past months.

Even though they didn’t quite beat my TFXs, especially when it comes to rainy winter days, they are at the same level of comfort and quality, and have become my favorite boots for moderate and hot weather.

Danner also have the Melee 8-inch available in desert tan rough-out leather in a Hot weather version and GTX with GORE-TEX. There’s also a black polish able leather. These cost between $160 up to $190 but they’re surely worth the money.

Your Multicam loadout is not complete if you don’t own a pair of these!