Salewa Mountain Trainer Mid GTX Backpacking Boot - Men's for Sale, Reviews, Deals and Guides

This boot fits very well. True to size with a comfortable insole and toe box. The full to-the-toe laces give an amazing fit. The mid-cut is just high enough to provide support without being uncomfortably tall. The soft backing of the upper keeps my ankle in shape without rubbing any spots. All around great.

I’ve had these boots for a while now. Done several day hikes and a couple of multi day backpacking trips in them. The waterproofing and traction are great, but they aren’t too terribly comfortable. There’s not very much padding. They claim to have some memory foam, but if they did, it was minimal. I thought It was just a long break-in period, but they never really improved. I have used Superfeet insoles since day 1, but on all of the multi-day trips I’ve ended up with GNARLY blisters on my heels and some smaller one elsewhere (especially on the pinky toes as the toe box is fairly narrow). I tried to give them multiple chances, but I’m going to have to look for something else.

Fit: I wear a size 48 (US 13, with a C width) in Sportiva and Salomon shoes/boots and the Salewa size 13 was a good fit. If I was going to spend a lot of time in truly cold weather, I would size up for heavier socks. Roomy toe box, no slop in the instep / ankle. Comfort: No issues at all. Very little break-in required. I changed out the insoles to a Superfeet set after about 5 miles of walking. The sole has decent rocker and flexibility without feeling like a trail runner. I put about 5 - 10 miles a day for 2 weeks on them exclusively and have no complaints at all. They have very good support but don't feel like your feet are in concrete. Traction: Excellent on everything so far (loam, mud, snow, gravel). The only thing I haven't tried them on is wet rock. Durability: Dunno. Only have a 100 + miles on them, but they don't show any wear and seem to be well made. Bottom line: My new favorite boot for everything I do. It excels at everything it is intended to do and it's a good all-around boot.

I was in a rush to hike or I would have returned these Salewa Mountain Trainer Mid GTX Backpacking Boots. There were production flaws on the toe rubber.

I have owned the Solomon quest boot. It was a really good boot, but this one blows it out of the water. I love the stiffness that allows me to carry 20-60 lbs comfortably. Plus, wear them around town as a casual boot. I get compliments all the time on what they are, and I get excited to share with people. This year will be my first elk hunt in them and I am excited. The taller collar allows me to not worry about ankle support. However it is lightweight for the 15-25 miles plus I will be hiking. The break-in period took 2-3 weeks and a few good long hikes, but out of the box they were so comfortable to wear around the office. I am a 10.5 true all around and I ordered an 11. I have a quarter inch of room in the toe which allows for me to wear thicker socks when need be.

I've been wearing these more or less full time for a bit over a year. I bought them originally as just something for hikes and snow/ice, but after breaking them in, I've pretty much fallen in love. For what they're made for, mountains and rocks and stuff, they're wonderful. The vibram soles grip like glue and I can confidently climb class 3 and 4 trails knowing my feet will stay planted.For longer treks, they're comfortable and supportive. I've logged hundreds of miles in them and will log hundreds more. My one complaint? For a period of about 2 weeks, some part of the sole make a creaking noise when I walked on solid surfaces (concrete/asphalt/etc). It was very weird and Salewa's customer service rep was kind of weird about it. That said, I'll keep buying Salewa boots and shoes .

This is my second pair. It is close to being the perfect boot. I use it on overnights, day hikes and off trail archery hunting in central Idaho. Lacing provides for a near perfect fit. I am not aware of any other boot that is as light weight, but has such a rigid sole that allows for confident off trail traverse in steep terrain. My only criticism is that it is hot and does not breath. For this reason it gets 4 stars. If they made it without the Gortex and with the balistic mesh from the alp trainer it would be unstoppable.

I have been a fan of these boots for 6 years, until the most recent incarnation. This version, with a "redesigned midfoot" causes a lot of pressure on my forefoot, resulting in pressure blisters/hot spots below my 4th toe and on my great toe, before this version I never got one blister. Not a smooth heel to toe transition like before. The first time I put them on they felt as though the heel was higher, not the feeling of being in touch with the ground as before. Positives I found are a comfortable tongue that stays in place and fatter laces that don't slip. I hope that they redesign the midfoot to the way it was. Might work for some but I wish they'd have left it alone.

I just recently got these boots after having the older version. I loved the older version and I am very happy with the update. The new aggressive tred and arch are really nice upgrades from the older model. I also really like the new softer more pliable material at the back of the heel. As far as a hiking boot these are one of my favorites and i really like the way these boots fit and feel compared to others in its class. I have a narrow foot so finding a boot that fits can be a struggle. If you are looking for a strong boot that will keep up with you rather than weighing you down I definitely recommend these. I wear a size 45 and found them true to size and work well with a narrow foot.

I purchased a pair of these boots after reading reviews on how supportive and tough they are. I was impressed at first, but then I was sorely disappointed after having these boots for only a few months. After 3-4 months of use the soles are near gone. The outsoles are wore to the nub and almost all the support is gone. I will say they are comfortable and broke in easily, which was great. However I didn't even get a full season of use out of them before they turned to crap. In just a couple months the outsoles are nearly worn flat and I can roll this boot up in one hand. I brought up my concerns with Salewa and all they did was recommend I purchase a new pair since mine were "well loved". I know boots wear out, but these wore out FAR too quickly. If Salewa used better soles that were more durable they could be great, but I wont consider buying another pair until then.

I am a tree climbing arborist which means I'm extremely hard on boots. These boots have held up in some of the hardest conditions possible. I've also found them to be very comfortable despite the soles being a little stiff. Great boots and very reasonable price for the quality.

I picked up these boots for a winter trip to Zion National Park, expecting I would need them for keeping my feet relatively warm and, more importantly, dry. Fortunately I didn't have to kick through as much snow as I had expected, but my feet were always dry and warm anytime I encountered any H2O in my path. The waterproofing on these is fantastic; every beads up and rolls right off. They're also very stiff and supportive, and would be great for hiking with a heavy pack on semi-technical terrain. The tread is deep and aggressive, and performs well in loose rock, snow, mud, and just about everything else you could put them through. Unfortunately, as fast and light hiker, these boots will not do the trick. The sole is very stiff and doesn't offer much rocker or flex, making it difficult to maintain a smooth, speedy gait. The ankle is fairly stiff as well, and I found that after a weekend of hiking the rubbery 3F flex thing was digging into my ankle bones, and became quite uncomfortable to wear. I have since returned them as they don't really work for me; but if you need a solid, supportive boot for heavy duty hiking, give this one a shot.

Purchased this boot for my dad. He complimented them on the tough structure, balance, waterproof, and pretty much the style!

To be honest I was initially attracted to this boot by the black and indigo design. It's a great looking boot. Understated. I also wanted a boot that would perform particularly well over rocky mountainous areas. The boot is a great fit. Other boots I have tend to run a little small. 9.5 is a hard size for me to find. This is just right with thin or thick socks. Out of the box it was easy to put on, instantly comfortable and required little effort to lace up quickly. It felt very taught and purposelful with a nice rock from heel to toe. It made me want to go and jump around over rock ledges. I have used this boot for a number of purposes: 1 - high country hiking. Snow in winter, hot dry in summer, lots of granite cliffs and tors, dense scratchy Australian shrubs, snakes. This boot excels on rocky ascents, is warm and has good waterproofing. It's excellent on hard dry granite. Footing is very accurate and encourages rock climbing. On longer trail walks the boot is fine but generally I prefer to use a lighter smaller boot with a cushier heel. 2 - 4WD and camping. Rough terrain, constantly adapting to different conditions including mountains, rainforests, coastal areas, mud, spiders. They are a great all purpose boot that is comfortable to wear. The boots materials have held up very well. The Australian bush is dry and full of sharp unforgiving textures. It shreds poor quality equipment. These shoes are really well made... as you'd expect for the price. 3 - lowland hiking. Flatter trail walks, woodland, wetter areas and tussock grass. The boots are fun to walk in but the rocking motion that makes them so good on mountain ascents means the heel is a little hard over longer distances. They are best when springing about on the front foot and toes. These shoes are however admirable over tussocks of grass, unstable ground and areas of bush with dense under-storeys. It doesn't want to hike, it wants to hop, climb and lope between canyons. On slippery rocks or logs I don't trust them as much. 4 - Going out. The boots are cool. Black and indigo. Sparks of silver and ochre. Dont buy the brown ones.

These boots can take you to the mountain, and then drive on for the summit bid. Backcountry never had my size in these, 48.5/14. I had to actually go to Germany to buy these. Ok, maybe I was in Germany already, and bought them, but anyway it's good to see Backcountry have the a full range of sizes in these, though maybe not mine. I wear 13s in normal shoes, but I had these fitted at an outfitter in Germany, and add in a good hiking sock and I need that extra room. . So far I haven't put these through the wringer or anything, but the few hikes I've been on they inspire confidence in tackling terrain, while being a comfortable boot.

Ok so I wrote a review before, but I ended up picking up a smaller size to thought I would chime in again. Before I mentioned being between sizes. I definitely prefer the smaller size which is 1/2 size smaller than my normal street shoe size. So I would say that these run slightly big and I'd advise sizing down if you're on the fence. Also, as I said before, these are slippery! It actually sucks quite a bit. I am toted to get them resoled with some 5.10 rubber but I'm not sure it will be worth the hassle. Don't eat it on slabs or footlogs.

Good technology with perfect design

This boot has a good balance of support and supple. Doesn't feel like a clunky backpacking boot, but feels more burly than a Solomon Quest or similar boot. I think this is mostly because of the sole. The uppers are thin and supple, but the sole is fairly thick with hard Vibram rubber. I wouldn't consider this a squishy-comfy boot, because it doesn't have a lot of padding or EVA foam, but it is plenty flexible and with a good insole they're comfortable. Overall a very low profile boot. I got a 10.5, which is my "normal" size in most brands. It fits very well, but if I was planning to use this for scrambles where I wanted it to perform more like an approach shoe, I would have sized down to size 10. The 10.5 is nice for downhill hiking where a 10 would probably put a bit of pressure on my toes downhill. A couple less positive things: 1) The suede leather sucks up water. I wish they were a smoother leather that would bead-off water. Oh well. 2) The rubber is fairly slick - at least until broken in. The hard rubber will be long-lasting and eventually gets grippier with wear, but be careful with these babies on foot logs when they're new!

First outing. Out of the box the boots looked awesome. Stylish and functional looking. The weight was a little noticeable but understandable given the rand, vibram sole, support system etc. The weight was acceptable, actually light for what you're getting in toughness. Owning a pair of Alp trainers mid previously I expected blister city, especially in the classic heel area. At first appearance the boots"looked stiff". Buying them without trying then on also made me a little apprehensive. I put them on. The fit at least was perfect. A lot of room, comfy and solid feeling. Hummm. A Salewa boot that was comfy. Wow. Now for the real trial. A 3 hour ~ 7 mile roundtrip, 2000' gain conditioning hike to my favorite local peak. I decided to go at a slow to medium pace so as NOT to develop blisters. A trip was coming up in a few days so no blisters. A first couple of miles and all seemed well. Hey, they are still "new boots". I noticed the heel area was redesigned since I could immediately tell there was no chaffing at all, the clearance was good. They listened to the heel problem and worked the area real good. I also noticed that the lining construction was a memory type. This did kick in near the top of my jaunt. The boots came alive. I started saying to myself I could easily use these on my next real trip in few days. NO FURTHER BREAKING WAS REALLY REQUIRED. IMPRESSIVE. These boots are going to be a big hit and will make Editor's Choice for sure. Stylish, comfortable and very functional. The only ad lib is the mutiple layer insole. Didn't realize the long box contained an extra set of insoles made for layering. I did install them after my hike. They did take up the extra volume to make the fit even better. Don't throw out this box thinking it is for packaging only. THIS BOX CONTAINS INSOLE INSERTS, DON'T THROW OUT ACCIDENTALLY. My overall first outing impression is that these boots are going to be a great workhorse climbing Sierra Peaks this summer.