In Austria, Daniel Craig’s Bond wears an all-black pair of Danner hiking boots: plain, hard-wearing and built to be repaired. Nothing about them suggests a costume. The Danner Mountain Light II black boots are, in our view, the easiest piece of the Spectre wardrobe to live with, and one of the few made to be recrafted rather than replaced.
In the film
Bond wears them in the Austrian section of Spectre (2015): at the Höffler Klinik and through the action sequences that follow, including the scenes with the airplane. Danner itself has described its black Mountain Light II as the pair worn by Bond in the film.
The details of the Danner Mountain Light II black boots
Stitchdown construction. Danner builds the boot on a stitchdown platform, which gives a wider, steadier base underfoot. It also means the boot can be repaired: Danner provides paid recrafting, including part replacement, leather care and restitching, so a good pair need not be thrown away.
Full-grain leather, one piece. The upper is full-grain leather with a one-piece front, so there are no openings around the tongue for water or debris to find. The look is simple and clean, with few seams to interrupt it.
GORE-TEX lining. The boot is waterproof and breathable, which is what makes it sensible for a wet November walk as well as a mountain.
Vibram Kletterlift outsole. The sole is the Vibram 148 Kletterlift, with a fibreglass shank and Danner’s Airthotic footbed above it. It is a hefty, deliberate sole, and it suits the boot’s character better than anything slimmer would.
Made in Portland. Danner builds this model at its factory in Portland, Oregon, and backs it with a 365-day warranty.
Wearing it now
Black is the right colour here. It reads as quieter and more urban than the brown version, and it takes a dark wardrobe without argument: navy or charcoal knitwear, dark jeans or technical trousers, a plain field jacket or a short wool coat. We would keep everything else matte and uncomplicated, so the boots do the work.
Where they belong. Winter walks, travel days, cold-weather weekends, any journey where you want to arrive with dry feet and look as though you did not try. We would not wear them with a suit. For that, look at the rest of our shoes.
Fit. Danner describes the 650 last as slender, with a narrower fit, and suggests the EE (wide) width if your foot is broad. It sells the boot in D (medium) and EE. Lace-up stitchdown boots generally want some wearing in, so do not leave the first outing for a long day.
Care. Clean them after wet days, condition the leather, and let them dry away from direct heat. Treated this way, they can last well beyond a single winter, and recrafting is there when the sole finally wears.
Specifications
| Model | Danner Mountain Light II 5in, men’s, black |
|---|---|
| Width | D (medium) or EE (wide) |
| Upper | Full-grain leather, one-piece front |
| Lining | GORE-TEX, waterproof |
| Outsole | Vibram 148 Kletterlift |
| Construction | Stitchdown, fibreglass shank, Airthotic footbed |
| Last | 650, narrower fit |
| Height | 5in |
| Closure | Lace-up |
| Made in | Portland, Oregon, USA; recraftable; 365-day warranty |
Full details are on Danner’s own page for the black Mountain Light II.
Questions
Are these the boots Bond wears in Spectre?
Yes. The black Danner Mountain Light II is the pair Daniel Craig’s Bond wears in Austria in Spectre, and Danner has credited them as such.
Are the Danner Mountain Light II boots waterproof?
Yes. They are lined with GORE-TEX, which Danner describes as waterproof and breathable.
Do Danner Mountain Light II boots run true to size?
Danner lists the fit as true to size, but the 650 last is on the narrow side. If your feet are wide, Danner recommends the EE width.
Can Danner Mountain Light II boots be recrafted?
Yes. The stitchdown build is recraftable, and Danner provides paid services including part replacement, leather care and restitching.
More in this vein is in our shoes section, or see what else Bond wears in the Craig films.
