Salewa Men’s Alp Trainer 2 Mid GTX Review

Appearance

In common with the rest of Salewa’s range, the Alp Trainer 2 has a thoroughly modern and high-tech look the borrows heavily from the design language of technical mountaineering boots. These are certainly not traditional hiking boots! The styling is still fairly restrained, and these boots are not as in your face as the offerings from some other brands. The boots are available in a range of color ways – all fairly neutral.

The dark blue with fluorescent orange detailing combo that we assessed is probably the most striking of these colorways. Whilst looks alone should never be a primary factor when choosing hiking boots, we have to say we liked the look of these!

Durability

Salewa speak proudly of the brand’s Alpine heritage and it’s plain to see that the Alp Trainer 2 is built to withstand hiking in this environment. The boots make use of rugged and durable material in their construction: the thick suede leather that makes up most of the upper is a well-proven material that will easily handle the kind scrapes and abrasions these boots will likely encounter on rocky, technical terrain and a substantial rubber rand around the toe and chunky sole further adds to the boot’s durability.

Long-term durability is something that can really only be assessed over a period of years and as such, it’s difficult for us to comment on it decisively. However, these boots do feel tough and exceptionally well made and coupled with our reviewer’s previous experience with Salewa footwear, we expect that these boots could well provide many long years of service.

Sustainability

In common with most outdoors brands, Salewa are committed to improving the sustainability of their manufacturing and products. Data on the sustainability of individual products is not published, but the brand has a number of initiatives including actively aiming to reduce the use of fibers that release microplastics and eliminating the use of PFA (‘forever chemicals’) treatments from their range.

Water Resistance

The Salewa Alp Trainer 2 offers a very good level of water resistance. These boots feature a Gore Tex membrane that helps keep water out of the boots. The boots also feature gusseting on the tongue that extends up to near the top of the ankle cuff. Combined, this is not just enough to keep rain out, but will also help to keep your feet dry if you need to cross boggy ground or shallow streams. Of course, water can still get into the boots via the ankle cuff, so be careful not to go too deep into streams or puddles.

Weight

Salewa claim a weight of 1.04kg/2lb 05oz for a pair of the Alp Trainer 2 Mid boots – which is very respectable for a pair of modern mid-high hiking boots and certainly much better than a pair of old-style heavy-weight hiking boots. That Salewa have managed to hit this low weight point whilst still maintaining great durability and water-resistance is commendable.

If low weight is your only concern, remember you can get much lighter than these boots with some of the hiking shoes we’ve covered in our best hiking shoes round up, though you will, of course, trade off some stability and foot support. Those looking for a lighter alternative that doesn’t compromise too much on foot and ankle support may want to consider the Salomon X Ultra 4 as an alternative.

Insoles

Usually, there isn’t much to say about the insoles that come with hiking footwear. However, this is an area where Salewa distinguish themselves from their competitors. The Alp Trainer 2 is supplied with Salewa’s Multi Fit Footbed (MFF) insoles. Out of the box, the boots are fitted with a fairly regular shaped and cushioned insole.

Most buyers will probably be more than happy with these. However, the boots are also provided with two sets of accessory insole ‘cups’ that can go into the boot either individually or as a pair with the existing insole velcroing over the top. Those with narrow feet can use both inserts, or you can just use the one that surrounds the heel. This system allows the wearer to customize the fit of their boots and it’s great to see it included in the box.

Our reviewer has narrow feet and whilst he felt the boots fitted well straight form the box, adding in both of the MFF accessory inserts subtly improved the fit. Of course, if you need more arch support or footbed cushioning, then you can always still use third party replacement insoles too.

Break-in Period

This was one area where the Salewa Alp Trainer 2 really impressed. Or reviewer found these boots to be exceptionally comfortable straight out of the box and after a few hours of wearing them at home, was confident to wear them out on a longer hike. If you remember the protracted break-in period often needed with older-style hiking boots, this is nothing short of remarkable! All this said, we still believe that no footwear is completely without a break-in period, and we’d always advise wearing new boots out on a few shorter walks – or even just around your home for a while – to ensure they fit comfortably before taking them out on a long hike.

Lacing System

The Salewa Alp Trainer 2 uses regular laces. Whilst it might not seem like there’s much to write about laces, they are, in fact, a very versatile way to fine-tune the fit of your boots. The Alp Trainer 2 has laces eyelets that run down to very close to the toe of the boot (similar to climbing shoes) and allows even more adjustment than other brand’s boots. The 3F system – essentially a cradle that cups your heel – also relies on lace tension and is another way to fine tune the fit of these shoes.

There’s a lot of possibilities here and remember that you can adjust the fit and comfort of your boots even more by experimenting with different lacing patterns too.