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aikibujin's Review of Salewa Mountain Trainer GTX Backpacking Shoe - Mens
Fit:
I have average to wide feet, and I usually wear 8-8.5 size street shoes. I got the Salewa Mountain Trainer in size 8, since I like my “approach shoes” to be tighter for some easy scrambling/climbing. The size 8 fit my feet pretty well; they felt snug but not tight after breaking in. For climbing I actually would’ve liked them to be a little tighter, but I don’t think I could’ve gone down half a size.
Hiking:
They have deep aggressive pattern on the sole, which performs really well for hiking in loose dirt, mud, light snow, etc. The sole is stiff enough that I don’t feel every pebble beneath my feet, which is a plus for a pair of hiking shoes. The Gore-Tex makes my feet a little hot, but that’s to be expected with any Gore-Tex lined shoes. I routinely carry a pretty heavy pack hiking to and from climbing areas, and they work well for that.
Scrambling/Climbing:
I’m glad that these are now marketed as “backpacking shoes” instead of “approach shoes”, because they’re not “approach shoes” in the sense that they climb just as well (or as bad) as any other pair of hiking shoes out there. The supposedly “sticky alpine approach sole” is not noticeably stickier than regular hiking soles, and the sole is stiff enough that they can't smear very well. For edging, the “climbing zone” near the top of the toes is fairly useless. If the foothold is big enough that you can front point on the “climbing zone” with these shoes, then I can pretty much use any type of footwear (include flip flops) on that foothold. For real edging performance, I’d like to see the “climbing zone” extended about two inches back from where it is now so I can actually stand on small edges with the inside my shoe. Right now there’s a lug there, and it tends to deform and roll of small edges (I’ve climbed 5.10d with these, not pretty).
Overall:
I like these shoes and they are my general purpose shoes for hiking around and carrying a pack. They work really well for that purpose. For scrambling and easy climbing I would switch to a pair of approach shoes with better edging, more sensitivity, and sticky rubber sole.
I have average to wide feet, and I usually wear 8-8.5 size street shoes. I got the Salewa Mountain Trainer in size 8, since I like my “approach shoes” to be tighter for some easy scrambling/climbing. The size 8 fit my feet pretty well; they felt snug but not tight after breaking in. For climbing I actually would’ve liked them to be a little tighter, but I don’t think I could’ve gone down half a size.
Hiking:
They have deep aggressive pattern on the sole, which performs really well for hiking in loose dirt, mud, light snow, etc. The sole is stiff enough that I don’t feel every pebble beneath my feet, which is a plus for a pair of hiking shoes. The Gore-Tex makes my feet a little hot, but that’s to be expected with any Gore-Tex lined shoes. I routinely carry a pretty heavy pack hiking to and from climbing areas, and they work well for that.
Scrambling/Climbing:
I’m glad that these are now marketed as “backpacking shoes” instead of “approach shoes”, because they’re not “approach shoes” in the sense that they climb just as well (or as bad) as any other pair of hiking shoes out there. The supposedly “sticky alpine approach sole” is not noticeably stickier than regular hiking soles, and the sole is stiff enough that they can't smear very well. For edging, the “climbing zone” near the top of the toes is fairly useless. If the foothold is big enough that you can front point on the “climbing zone” with these shoes, then I can pretty much use any type of footwear (include flip flops) on that foothold. For real edging performance, I’d like to see the “climbing zone” extended about two inches back from where it is now so I can actually stand on small edges with the inside my shoe. Right now there’s a lug there, and it tends to deform and roll of small edges (I’ve climbed 5.10d with these, not pretty).
Overall:
I like these shoes and they are my general purpose shoes for hiking around and carrying a pack. They work really well for that purpose. For scrambling and easy climbing I would switch to a pair of approach shoes with better edging, more sensitivity, and sticky rubber sole.
This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.
Would Recommend:
Yes
4 of 4
found the following review helpful.