The best menswear collaborations are a natural meeting of the minds, if you will, merging the best of the best in unexpected ways. Color us very impressed, in that case, by the new Danner x Roark capsule, featuring two standout made-in-America releases that are sure to upgrade your fall style in supremely rugged fashion.
Consider it a match made in heaven if you appreciate gear that’s painstakingly crafted to exacting standards right here in the States. It gets better, because the partnership updates a tried-and-true, much-loved silhouette from each brand: the Danner Ridge Boot and Roark’s tough-as-nails Axeman Jacket.
The Roark x Danner Ridge Boots represent a seriously adventure-ready update in black suede with grey full-grain leather paneling, for starters. Back in fall 2019, the boots were initially designed to take the Roark team on the road to the Aleutian Islands and Dutch Harbor in the wilds of Alaska, a trip later documented in a short film. The boots feature co-branded logos and Roark’s signature orange stitch accents on the tongue, all the better to make them even more distinctive season after season.
Gore-Tex liners and Vibram technology help drive home that sense of comfort and dependability even more. The partnership between the two brands runs deep, seeing as Roark has turned to Danner as its boots outfitter on expeditions to locales like Nepal dating back to 2014.
“All of those miles gave way to a collaboration that brings us a durable yet stylish pair of boots and the most bulletproof incarnation of our “Axeman” Jacket to date,” said Roark Founder & CEO Ryan Hitzel.
The Roark Axeman x Danner Jacket starts with a classic Roark design featuring a beefed-up waxed canvas exterior, and it’s finished with a warm sherpa lining. Both pieces are solidly constructed and sturdy as can be, meant to last through a lifetime of adventures in the city and on the trail.
It’s fitting that both Roark and Danner have given a co-sign to a trusted silhouette from each brand, because these pieces can work seamlessly together all fall and winter (just add a trusty henley and slim black denim or work pants for functionality and style).
The cherry on top might be the fact that each piece pays homage to Roark and Danner via construction in Portland and Los Angeles. Of course, you can wear the boots in both L.A. and on expeditions outside of Portland (and as Roark proved, all the way up to Alaska).
Wherever you go this season, make sure you’ve got one (or heck, both) items in the Danner x Roark partnership on your gear packing list.
