Salewa Mountain Trainer

I have been forever looking for a hiking boot modeled after the vintage light, split-grain Austrian kletterboot. Sometimes change should be questioned.

I have been hiking this season in Lowa boots and Merrell Moabs depending upon the terrain. I prefer the boot's stiffer sole on steeper hikes and ascents with snow encounters, but have issues with poor ankle flex in the boot on descent. 

I was headed to Aspen for a couple days and was desperate to find suitable footwear for the steep peak trails out of Maroon Lake TH. After a couple hours of internet searching the night before, I decided upon the Salewa MT, which I purchased at a local retailer first thing the next morning. The size 9.5 fit my 9.5 size foot perfectly. I returned home to quickly break the shoes in during a pre-departure hillside lawn-mowing exercise. 

After three days in these shoes I can favorably report that the stiff sole stands strongly on small edges, kicks steps across low angle snow, and holds securely on high angle trails and talus hopping.  No blisters and no signs of abnormal wear.  The low cut allows full ankle flex, making steep descents more like a ballet than a gorilla dance. The Salewa MT is light, tight and overall an awesome piece of mountain footwear. 

This German (made in Vietnam) technical hiking shoe ist Vunderbarr!!