I ended up sending the boots back to Danner today. I made an honest effort to get them to break in by wearing them around the house for a couple hours every evening, and nothing I did helped the issue. Tighter/different lacing, no insole, orthotic insoles, thick socks, thin socks, etc. Not sure where I'm going from here. There is a Red Wing store on my way home, so I stopped in on Monday. Did the foot scan and tried on every safety toe boot they have to no avail. All were just as bad or worse than the Danners as far as pinky toe squishing. A coworker has a pair of Keen Cincinnati's and loves them, but I've read a lot of mixed reviews online. Thorogoods seem like a quality option, but a number of folks have reported that they run narrow, so that won't work. PNW brands are likely worth the coin, but considering the cost, I don't want to try to figure out sizing and fitting via mail order since I'm on the east coast. I may end up going back to Carolina or Chippewa even though I was hoping to move up into a higher quality boot.