Salewa Mountain Trainer Lite Mid GTX review

The Mountain Trainer Lite Mid GTX is worth your attention if:

• you want a lightweight but sturdy hiking and trekking boot for technical terrain
• you need a boot with top-notch grip that can scramble as well
• you prefer the adjustability of a lace-to-toe closure
• you like the idea of a flexible collar on steep descents

If you are concerned about the overly steep heel-to-toe drop of the Trainer Lite, you might as well consider Salewa's Mountain Alp Trainer 2 Mid GTX. It has a moderate offset of 16 mm among other benefits like:

• an all-suede upper with a longer rubber rand
• an adjustable footbed that can make the fit snugger

All while having the exact same weight and similar price to the Trainer Lite.

And if you want to explore more options, have a look at our top picks for multi-day backpacking.

The first few steps in the Salewa Mountain Trainer Lite Mid GTX instantly revealed its generous stack height. The boot placed our heels rather high off the ground which resulted in complete isolation from the rocks, roots, and other debris.

No surprise our caliper showed an above-average heel stack of 42.5 mm! Significantly taller than the average, the platform of this boot also proved to be one of the tallest on our lab.

The forefoot stack, on the other hand, showed a surprisingly average reading of 21.5 mm. It doesn't feel as disconnected as the boot's heel keeping the ball of the foot a bit closer to the ground for control.

Believe it or not, but our caliper measurements showed a whopping heel-to-toe drop of 21.0 mm in this Salewa boot! Significantly higher than the stated 13 mm, huh?

We found it hard to ignore this drastic offset as it put our feet in a bit of a forward-leaning position. It took some getting used to but luckily, it didn't cause us any major discomfort or concerns.

Unless you have any foot condition or pain associated high high-drop footwear, you will benefit from the elevated heel on a backpacking trip. It takes the pressure off the feet and Achilles tendon up the leg to the knees and hips making it easier to carry a heavier backpack.

The Mountain Trainer Lite Mid GTX uses a standard EVA foam for the midsole cushioning. Even though it is not a soft compound, it compressed just enough to make us feel comfortable and supported for multi-day backpacking adventures.

Pressing our Shore A durometer against the foam returned an expected reading of 33.3 HA. It proved to be a bit firmer than the average and falls into the "firm" category by our standards.

But because it is an alpine boot, it is not supposed to have a plush midsole. Otherwise, it would not provide the needed stability and precise foot placement that the technical terrain calls for.

It should also be noted that the boot's midsole gets even firmer in low temperatures. Be it first thing in the morning or at higher elevation, the EVA foam of the Mountain Trainer Lite Mid GTX is very prone to freezing solid.

To recreate chilly weather, we kept the boot in the freezer for 20 minutes. We then repeated the durometer measurement and got a much higher reading of 44.0 HA. That's 32% firmer compared to the room tempareture measurement.

Gladly, the boot packs a generously padded insole to buffer the wearer's foot from the firm platform. Measuring its thickness in the heel, our caliper showed 5.9 mm.

Having tested other boots from Salewa, we anticipated an equally close-fitting experience in the Mountain Trainer Lite Mid GTX. And yet, we were surprised to discover a more accommodating space in this version of the Mountain Trainer!

Using a custom gel, we created a replica of the boot's toebox shape and it confirmed our initial impression. In its widest part (somewhere between the big toe and the pinkie toe), the mold returned an above average reading of 94.8 mm!

We believe that this boot will fit a medium-width foot to a T but it also has potential for hikers with narrower and wider feet. This is all thanks to its lace-to-toe closure (or Climbing Lacing) which extends all the way to the metatarsals and can be fine-tuned for a looser or tighter fit.

P.S. Please note that the Mountain Trainer Lite doesn't have a fit-regulating insole unlike the Alp Trainer or the Mountain Trainer.

Our caliper measurement showed no aggressive tapering in the tip of the boot's toebox either. With a width of 70.9 mm in the big toe area, it is within the medium range but closer to the rounded (more spacious) toebox shapes.

We found the toebox height of the Mountain Trainer Lite to be rather accommodating, despite the rubber toe rand on top of it. Its vertical space returned 28.4 mm on our durometer.

Even though the Mountain Trainer Lite Mid GTX is a lighter, more trimmed-down version of Salewa's flagship Mountain Trainer 2 Mid GTX, we are happy to report that it did not make any compromises in stablity.

The boot packs an equally rigid midsole and the same 3F ankle support as its bigger brother. And in lieu of the all-suede upper, the Lite version uses targeted inserts of suede in the toe area and in the rearfoot as well as a platstic stabilizer in the heel.

Overall, we are impressed with the level of stability that this Salewa boot provides on technical terrain considering its lighter construction.

Trying to twist the Mountain Trainer Lite Mid GTX in our manual test, there was nothing "lite" about it! The boot refused to give in just like many other high-grade backpacking boots we've tested.

Thus, we confidently rated the torsional rigidity of this Salewa boot with the highest score - 5/5! Ankle rolls are not part of its vocabulary.

We felt no difference in the rearfoot stiffness between the Mountain Trainer 2 and the Mountain Lite either! Both boots have equally unforgiving heel counterr with suede overlays and a 3F system. The latter features a steel cable that connects the heel to the instep eyelet for added security.

Having pushed and squeezed both boots, we gave both boots a high score of 4 for their heel counter stiffness.

But why not 5? We took one point away because both boots have a flexible ankle cuff that allows ankle mobility on steep terrain. We found it to be a very handy feature that prevents the boot from digging into the legs on ascents and descents. In this case, not having the maximum score is a positive thing.

Much like the other hiking boots from Salewa, the Mountain Lite Mid GTX is built on a narrower platform. We measured the widest part of its forefoot at only 103.6 mm.

But don't worry, it is not a design flaw.

These alpine boots are intended for tricky, obstacle-laden trails where precise footing is essential. In this scenario, a wide and chunky boot can do more harm than good.

The heel of this boot also turned out to be narrower than average. Our caliper returned a moderate reading of 83.7 mm.

On the bright side, the midsole of this Salewa boot is not too narrow to cause instability.

Because the Mountain Trainer Lite Mid GTX is primarily made of synthetic textile, it proved to be less stiff than its all-suede and all-leather counterparts.

As our force gauge test showed, the boot required 46.0N to bend to a 90-degree angle which is slightly more than it takes an average hiking boot.

But wait until the air chills and this Salewa boot gets significantly stiffer! After a 20-minute session in the freezer, the boot needed a whole 31% more force to bend it!

Weighing the Salewa Mountain Trainer Lite Mid GTX in a men's US size 9, our scale showed 19.5 oz (553g). That's even a tad lighter than the stated 565g in the product specs.

As a sleeker and nimbler version of the Mountain Trainer 2 Mid GTX, the Lite is indeed 3.3 oz (94g) lighter that the premium boot.

The Mountain Trainer Lite Mid GTX also turned out to be one of the lighter backpacking boots we've tested and we thoroughly enjoyed its more agile nature on the trail.

Even though the Mountain Trainer Lite Mid GTX is devoid of an all-suede upper, its synthetic materials do not make the boot any more breathable. It is just as sealed off as the other GTX backpacking boots.

As you can see from our smoke-pumping test, the boot's toebox proved to be 100% impermeable unlike the Adidas Terrex Free Hiker 2 it is compared to.

Even when we cut the Mountain Trainer Lite Mid GTX in half and inspected its upper above a LED light, no sercet pores or ventilation channels revealed themselves.

Curiously, the boot's textile proved to be more loosely woven than the one on the Mountain Trainer 2 Mid but it didn't seem to have any effect on the airflow.

All things considered, we rated the boot's breathablity with the lowest score (1/5) as befits a waterproof three-season backpacking boot.

The Salewa Mountain Trainer Lite Mid GTX relies on the acclaimed Gore-Tex membrane to provide effective waterproofing for unpredictable conditions.

It uses the Extended Comfort version of the GTX which is claimed to have no insulation and better heat loss than the Performance Comfort GTX on the Mountainer Trainer 2 Mid GTX.

In our tests, the Trainer Lite lived up to the expectations by keeping all water and moisture at bay. Its expertise covers both wet underbrush and full-on downpours as long as you are careful not let the water get inside the boot over the collar. But gladly, its flood level is fairly high off the ground

Salewa's compromise with the Lite edition is most noticeable is the durability and protection department. The boot's TPU-coated textile and localized toe bumper just can't compete with the robust all-suede upper and 360-degree rubber rand of the Mountain Trainer 2 Mid.

And yet, if you prioritize lightness over added protection from scrapes and slashes, the Mountain Trainer Lite has pretty good longevity for its weight class. Its high-wear areas are all well reinforced with suede, TPU film, rubber, and other sturdy materials.

Testing the durability of its toebox in particular, we found that the suede and rubber here are just as wear-resistant as those on the Mountain Trainer 2 Mid! Given how minor the damage was, we didn't hesitate to rate its durability with the highest score - 5/5.

However, the inner fabric lining of the Trainer Lite's collar looked and felt too frail for the boot's price. It was also easily torn by sandpaper in our 4-second Dremel test which lowered our durability score to only 2/5.

As opposed to the commonly used Vibram rubber, Salewa features a blend from POMOCA, a Swiss-based company that's famous for their alpine and backcountry skiing equipment.

Curious to see what this unusual type of rubber is capable of, we put it through a series of tests starting with a hardness check.

An above-average durometer reading of 90.0 HC intrigued us from the off revealing the outsole's solid nature.

Next, we drilled the rubber at an unforgiving speed of 10K RPM for 18 seconds. And the result was just as encouraging!

Our tread gauge measured as little as 0.7 mm of damage in the rubber which is an excellent result and one we would expect from a technical backpacking boot.

Excluding its gigantic lugs, the POMOCA outsole showed only 2.3 mm of thickness. Thinner than the average but not too considering the resilience of that rubber.

With its alpine heritage, the POMOCA couldn't make lugs any shorter than 6.0 mm! This is how much tread depth we measured in the Salewa Mountain Trainer Lite Mid GTX.

Some of the deepest in our catalog, these lugs offered a very hard bite on both rocky and soft surfaces. They allowed us to mavigate loose scree, wet grass, and fresh mud without skipping a beat!

Our only concern was that the tread pattern of this POMOCA outsole wasn't as efficient in shedding mud as its Vibram counterparts on other Salewa boots or the Contragrip outsoles on Salomon boots.

The retail price of the Mountain Trainer Lite Mid GTX is 30% cheaper than that of the premium Mountain Trainer and we find that price gap proportional to the differences in these two boots.

And in the context of backpacking boots in general, we also find the Mountain Trainer Lite's price reasonable compared to its closest competition.

The night time visibility of this Salewa boot is limited given the absence of reflective elements.

Even though the Trainer Lite is a shredded version, it did not give up on the internal padding. With a tongue thickness of 9.3 mm, it is only 1.4 mm away from that of the flagship.

As a a waterproof boot, the Salewa Monutain Trainer Lite Mid GTX doesn't skimp on a fully-gusseted tongue. It helps keep the interiors dry, warm, and free from debris. Not to mention its contribution to a secure and locked-in fit.

A lage finger loop is there to help with the on-and-off.

This version of the Mountain Trainer Mid features a regular one-piece insole which is not adjustable like the MFF+ footbed of the Alp Trainer and the Mountain Trainer 2. But you can swap it for any custom orthotic of your choice.