I am a SAR K9 handler. I have used 2-3 pairs of Merrell Sawtooth boots over the last decade or so. They were an outstanding tool for what I needed and I'm disgusted they don't make them anymore. So my search for something that will last, that will do what I need, that I can count on no matter what the conditions, brought me to look at the Danner Mountain Light (and the II's).
This thread has been the most comprehensive evaluation of new Danner Mountain Light II's, and the break-in process, I could find on the web. Thank you for putting in the time to share this information! I finally pulled the trigger and got mine as an early Christmas present this year, mostly because I found a REALLY good price on Amazon. I normally wear a 10.5D, but after reading about the narrow last of the MLII, I ordered the 10.5EE. When I order online, I also try to use the EU sizing. I wear a EU44.5, this seems to be more accurate than the 10.5 for some brands/models. As far as I can tell the 10.5EE it fits really well. I've been wearing them constantly for the last three weeks, and they continue to get more and more comfortable.
When I first strapped the boots on I was a little surprised because the toe box was perfect. This was a pleasant realization as I had read so many times the heel was huge and the toe box small. Wearing them tight also reminded me of when I used to wear brand new Adidas - Copa Mundials, my go-to soccer cleat. The first few times I wore new Copas my feet would ached (moderately) right around the arch until they broke in. I had the exact same sensation with these.
The next thing I noticed was the shoe felt slick, like frictionless on the bottom. I felt like my foot was sliding around a lot and it made me nervous because I had read a lot about the cavernous heel of this boot.
I think the airthotics contribute a lot to that feeling because they are so slick! After wearing them for a week or so that feeling faded. I then bought a cheap Dr. Scholls insole (for work boots? $15?). I thought it would be good to protect the floor of the boot and make my feet feel a little less "slidey". That was a huge mistake. The insole tightened everything up and this resulted in what feels like a bruise on the top of my left foot. It is very painful, but came on slow so I didn't realize how much it hurt until it was too late. I went back to the airthotics for now, but plan to get something different in the future. I'm looking at a 3/4 orthotic to retain the room in the toe box and still get some arch support, but I'll try to update on how that works out later.
The tongue is also feature I've been curious about. I really focused on trying to make it lay straight during the break in phase, but I swear the thing does not fold neatly. If I play with it a little it feels fine so I've just adjusted it to lay straight, while its not creating any overt pressure points on the top of my foot. That seems to be working. I'm hoping whatever wonky fold it ends up with will work in the long-term.
Another thing I wanted to mention is the leather conditioner. I have never owned a nice, full-grain leather boot like this. I've tried to read up on this because I plan to own these boots for as long as possible, and hopefully through a couple recrafting events. So I read if the leather is chrome-cured you should not use a wax-based conditioner on it. I could not, for the life of me, find how the leather is tanned. Do they use chrome or a more natural method? So I got some Obenauf's and used that a couple times. Then I read that using Obenauf's would void the warrantee... Not sure how true that is, but I then ordered some Danner boot dressing, which should arrive today or tomorrow. I don't think either product will be negative on the materials. I've been considering designated one boot to each conditioner, but I'm not sure if I have the patience for that.
The Obenauf HD LP seems to work well. I put it on by hand and let them sit a while. After they sit for an hour or two, I wipe off all the excess with a terry clothe. It does seem to collect dog hair, which is a constant battle at my place. But if I do a good job wiping it down, its not too bad.
I'll try and post some pictures in the next couple days. Hopefully this info will contribute to the previous review - which helped me a great deal in making my decision. Thanks!
