Salewa Mountain Trainer Mid GTX
+ price; weight; full rubber rand; outsole lugs; precise scrambling feel
lower ankle cuff; less durable upper – This has a lower ankle cuff than other boots, which can be benefit or a drawback depending on your needs and preferences. The upper has a Gore-Tex lining behind a mix of suede leather and synthetic fabric at the heel and tongue areas. There is a full rubber rand for durability, and underfoot you get an aggressive pattern of well-spaced deep lugs with a good heel breast. The big benefit is the relatively low weight. 4/5
Men’s sizes are 7-13 and women’s 4-9. The fit is neat and precise around the toe but can be enhanced as two thicknesses of footbed are supplied with each boot so you can choose which is best. The lacing extends close to the toe, which helps to enhance the fit in this area, which is particularly useful for scramblers.
This boot felt a little firmer at contact points around the foot than designs that have more padding inside. However, the ankle cuff in particular is extremely comfortable as it’s lower and softer than others. The sole has a softer heel to toe flex that is not quite as smooth as other designs, but it has good lateral stiffness. 4/5
The outsole lugs are deep and well-spaced for soft terrain, with good stiffness for rockier ground. The upper, though, isn‘t as supportive than others and the fabric tongue may be less durable if used a lot on scree. It’s a superb boot for intricate scrambling and trekking on rocky paths, and for via ferrata routes. A higher ankle cuff would be useful on boggy ground.
The price tag is lower than many other models, but you have a lower ankle cuff and more fabric. 4/5
The Mountain Trainer is brilliant for rocky scrambles and via ferrata, as well as for trekking, but a higher ankle cuff may be preferred for some 4.2/5 conditions.