SalewaMS Mountain Trainer Lite Mid Gore-TEX Men's High Rise Hiking Boots

I was looking for a boot to use for winter walking that gripped better than my Salewa Firetails (a great approach boot, good in the dry but next to useless in mud). Having found Salewa as a good fit because I have a wide forefoot but narrow heels, I went for the Mountain Trainer Lite. I don't need a serious mountain boot - my walks are normally along river paths and into hilly woodland - but I do need something that will grip in mud but not skid around on hard surfaces. This seems to do the job - the sole is slightly 'sticky' and well lugged.Fit is good, although I think it would be improved if Salewa had included their variable insole which allows for more or less room in the toe box rather than just having an insole that is more like a sports trainer. A bit more padding or width on the tongue would be another plus.If you go for these do spend a bit of time getting the lacing right - the climbing boot style allows adjustment along the length of the foot to fit your width - the Salewa 3F system holds the heel firmly into place once this is done. A longer lace would have been another bonus.

To be honest I missed the fact these boots have a tiny amount of leather so gutted I didn’t realise until I’d worn them outside.Initially they look very narrow but it’s an optical illusion as the lacing system and layout of the boot forms to my feet nicely, even with a slight Frankenfoot after major surgery years ago.The fitting system needs either some instructions from Salewa (please) or a little experimentation but after working out you need to adjust row by row from the toes back it’s eventually pretty quick to get a great fit. And their claim to no blisters straight out of the box is realistic in my experience as the boots become a part of your body.I’d say they are physically heavier than I thought but it doesn’t translate to feel when on my feet.Throughly recommend these boots...shame they’re not vegan.

Really can't rate Salewa boots highly enough amazing all day comfort, great fit for wide feet and amazingly supportive, I've never needed to break them in and blisters have never been an issue despite many trails and mountain climbs undertaken with the several pairs I've had over the years.Only issues to bear in mind, despite the goretex and water resistance claims I've found all the Salewa boots I've owned do let water in like a sieve and the soles are not hard wearing at all, I burn through Salewas quicker than any other boot and unfortunately not been able to have them resoled, I've contacted customer services about this as it seems massively wasteful sending boots to landfill when it's only the soles that need replacing but they unfortunately don't have a repair option for UK customers to extend the life of their kit.

This is my second pair, they are exceptional comfortable.Sole is reasonable stiff but still seems fine on hard surfaces or road.They are a bit heavy, and the main downsides are the soles wear quickly and the uppers can also cut up, guess the issue is a fabric boot.But comfort is exceptional with no blister or hotspots.

Bought the boots and have since used them on a week's climbing trip in Scotland.Pluses:Excellent fit - good hold of the heel and lacing allowed plenty adjustment to make the shoe fit comfortablyVery good grippy sole - I did some scrambling and easy climbing and was confident in the gripWaterproofDecent weightSolid - they got a good thrashing on moorland, gravel, bolders and stone shootsGood laces - I know, seems pedantic but they are right length/ not too long and don't come undoneMinuses:Mine needed walking in - the arch support relies on the upper shaping round the foot. My right hand shoe's upper folded inwards. I fixed this using stiff insoles that pushed the fold outside. It worked but seemed to be a quality control issue, to be honest