Salewa  Mountain Trainer Mid GTX Hiking Boots - Men's

Comfortable, but NOT durable.

I was impressed by these boots initially, then disappointed. They were comfortable from day one and broke in nicely. However, I didn't even get a full season out of them before they were wore out. The outsoles wore VERY quickly. I got the boots at the end of June and by August/September there was hardly anything left of the outsole. I would consider these a mid-stiff boot out of the box but they softened up a ton. I can fold them in half without much effort now. I brought both of these issues up with Salewa directly and their customer service rep offered no help and recommend I buy a new pair since mine were "well loved". If Salewa were to use a better outsole and put a shank in these boots I think they would be great. But without either of those things, I wouldn't consider buying another pair.

Great boots for rocky terrain

I have been using these boots for over a year now, have put around 300km of hiking/trekking and I am overall satisfied with them. They are very stable, I like how the feet feels very planted when wearing these boots. The rand also offer a lot of protection, it definitely has saved my toes from some nasty impacts, perfect when going through more rocky terrain. I have not used crampons with them but they seem to be stiff enough to support them. I have used them in all seasons and they have done a good job. In summer I recommend using a very ligthweight sock because it can get hot. In winter I only had an issue when going through snow for some time, my feet got cold, but these are not marketed as winter boots so it's not a minus for them. Just wear a proper winter sock and it should be fine. The included insole is quite thin, I actually bought an aftermarket one that improved the comfort a lot. I must say that if you don't hike/trek in rocky terrain, these boots are a tad overkill. They are very stiff. I hike in Hungary where there are not really high mountains so despite the protection they offer I opted to buy another model (Alp Trainer) for the conditions we have here. I will save this ones for when I travel to hike in higher elevations. These boots performed very well when I took them to the Tatras and Durmitor. They are perfect for rocky conditions, even through scree they offered good protection and a very firm base for the feet. However, I do recommend trying them on before buying them. I had an issue with my pair, one boot was creating a pressure point in the upper side of my left foot that caused a sharp pain after hiking for about 1 hour. Salewa was very responsive to my inquiries, however, as I had bought the boots through an online retailer, my warranty claim had to go through them and it was a messy afair. Not Salewa's fault though. In the end I had to fix them myself, I basically "pushed out" the upper of the boot from the inside. That's actually how I store them when not in use too. Nowadays that pressure point is completely gone. For this reason I recommend to check if there is a retailer near your place and try the boots on first. Or if you buy online, buy directly from Salewa. Overall I am happy with the product and can recommend it if you are gonna use it in the conditions it is intended for.

Originally posted on Salewa

Love’em

I’ve had these for a year and put them through just about every scenario in each season. Hiking, hunting, wading across rivers, mud, rain, snow...these boots are legit. As an example, I just got back from a five mile hike in the rain, and my feet are dry. They offer awesome ankle support, and with the long laces down to the toes, you can adjust these boots to fit your preferences. The rubber on the outside of the heal and toe areas offer added protection...very appreciative of this feature when I’m in rocky places. My only minor complaint: My laces came loose quite a bit which annoyed me. I finally realized the simple fix...double knot and no issues. Overall, these are the best boots I’ve had to date (and that’s saying a lot...bought my first sundowners in 1998!).

great boot. Light and comfortable fit.

I bought last year's model of this boot from REI. I was so pleased with the fit, that I purchased a second pair. A minor defect: The boot lace hooks stick out a bit too far and catch on things, bending outward (see photo taken after a few hikes). After taking the photo, I bent them back.

Blister boots

Look what Salewa boots did to me and no help what so ever from Salewa.

No issues except tight fit at higher altitude.

This review concerns the last generation Mid GTX. I just completed a 200km trek in Nepal mainly in a range between 14,000 - 18,000 feet. These boots performed well with very little sole wear and no issues whatsoever. Very comfortable fit with good traction over lots of uneven surfaces. The only critical thought about the boots have to do with sizing. Bottom line, I should have picked 1/2 size larger. I purchased true size 10 and at lower altitudes, sizing is perfect. However at higher altitudes with swollen feet and a narrow toe box, I found the size too small to use both a liner and wool socks, therefore i could not use wicking quick-dry liners which I normally use to minimize sweat. For my next pair I will size up.

The best I've Owned

I have tried countless boots and shoes for hiking and backpacking but these are my favorite. Before getting these I used to always backpack and hike with trail runners. I never had an issue with them until getting wet and cold a few times and sore from impact on rocky trails. I decided to try these after they were recommended by a friend in the military and I swear by these now. I have worn these on plenty of trips, including trips carrying a 60lb backpack to elevations reaching nearly 14k feet in below zero conditions. IF TIED CORRECTLY, the comfort is fantastic, and I have never had any blisters from my heal rubbing. I hiked Half Dome in these and could not have been happier. The grip on Half Dome as well as other trails of all conditions has been fantastic. I highly recommend these shoes to other hikers/backpackers. My only issue with these is that when worn in wet conditions, the suede upper will absorb water and if the temp drops the material can freeze. Although my feet have always remained dry, this can lead to cold feet, so I will be looking for a way to waterproof these areas.

Hate, to love ... then back to hate.

These boots were extremely stiff out of the box. I rarely have problems with my feet and/or get blisters. Long story short these boots tore my feet apart the first few times I wore them. After I got them good and broken in I felt like I was finally going to enjoy owning them. Which I did ... for awhile. After moderate use the toe box shrank so much my toes get absolutely destroyed. Plus the rubber molding on the toes is tearing after owning them for under a year. The heel rub on these boots is the worst Ive ever seen. Spend your money elsewhere.

Perfect fitment but no longer waterproof.

I bought these boots for hiking/backpacking and as a back country hunting boot from REI June of 2017, after following REI and Salewa's break-in procedure these boots fit awesome which is hard for me to find because of my horribly wide feet. After a few short hikes I took these on a 11 day back country archery hunt in Idaho, the weather was warm and dry the first two days then wet and cold the remainder. At first the boots kept my feet warm and dry but after just three days would no longer keep my feet dry which leads to cold feet, within minutes of hiking. Good thing I had a second pair of boots as a backup or I would have been miserable. I still own and like these boots but will only wear them on sunny dry days!

I'm on my third pair of these boots, which says a lot. I love the Salewa fit and feel. The boots always feel great out of the box and take little-to-no time to break in. My only fit problem has come from over tightening the forefoot, which can cramp the toes given I wear orthotics and a lift in one boot. I have climbed many a Colorado 14er in these boots, worked on trail projects and done other single day and multi-day hikes/backpacks. The current model has a much improved and longer wearing sole, which is a further plus. I'd wholeheartedly recommend for hiking, backpacking and light climbing uses.

Originally posted on Salewa