Salewa Alp Trainer 2 Mid GTX review

The Alp Trainer 2 Mid GTX is a must to consider if you are in search of the following:

• a technical boot for alpine trekking, hiking, and even some scrambling
• a high-quality suede boot with a reasonable price tag
• a boot that can accommodate narrow feet (lace-to-toe closure and a fit-adjusting footbed)
• a boot collar that flexes at the back to increase ankle mobility on descents

This Salewa boot excels at its intended purpose but you may want to consider a few alternatives in the following cases:

• you want an equally capable boot for technical terrain but a much lighter one (check out the La Sportiva Ultra Raptor II Mid GTX)
• you need a wider platform and added impact protection for multi-day backpacking trips with a heavy load (consider Salomon Quest 4 GTX)

The Alp Trainer Mid GTX is also an overkill for moderate and well-maintained terrain. In this scenario, you are better off with a less specialised day hiking boot.

With a heel stack of 37.1 mm, the Alp Trainer 2 Mid GTX offers a solid buffer from rocks and other trail obstacles. It is taller than many other hiking boots we've tested but is on par with its own kind of sturdy boots for trekking and alpine hiking.

The forefoot stack, on the other hand, shows a more moderate calliper reading of 21.0 mm. It is thick enough to protect the ball of foot from impact but not too bulky to detract from proprioception when precise foot placement is needed.

According to Salewa, the Alp Trainer 2 Mid GTX has a heel-to-toe drop of 8 mm. But when we cut the boot in half, we were astounded by the steep slope of its midsole!

Based on our own stack measurements (which are consistent for all hiking boots we test), the drop of this boot is as high as 16.1 mm! Twice as tall as the stated one.

It's not an unusual number for a technical mountain boot (because the higher heel takes the pressure off the Achiles) but it's the discrepancy with official specs that we found shocking.

The brand lists EVA foam as the only midsole material in this Salewa boot. On foot, it felt like a standard type of cushioning without any noteworthy plushness or bounciness.

But we have nothing to complain about because it maintained excellent shock absorption even on longer hikes.

Pressing our Shore A durometer against the boot's cut-open midsole returned a high reading of 31.1 HA. That puts the Alp Trainer into the firm category of hiking boots and makes it feel quite stable and grounded.

When the foam is firm as is at room temperature, it rarely gets significantly firmer in freezing conditions.

After keeping the Salewa Alp Trainer 2 Mid GTX in the freezer for 20 minutes and retaking the durometer measurement, we found that the HA reading was only higher by 12%.

Like many other Salewa boots, the Alp Trainer carries the brand's proprietary Multi Fit Footbed (MFF+) which includes two insoles for you to choose from - the half-length one (for a medium fit) and the full-length one (for a narrow fit).

But whichever one you choose, the insole thickness in the heel is going to be exactly the same - 4.3 mm according to our calliper. Please note that it is a couple of milimeters thinner than the average hiking boot insole so you may need to get an aftermarket insert for more padding (if your heels ask for it).

The Climbing Lacing style of the Alp Trainer makes it seem like a very narrow boot but, luckily, the gel mould of its toebox proved otherwise.

Applying our calliper to the widest part of the mould (between the big toe and the pinkie), we got an above-average reading of 95.1 mm. Sure, those extra couple of milimeters don't make it spacious enough for a wide-footed hiker but we are happy to report that the fit of this Salewa boot corresponds to the expected D medium width in our men's US size 9.

P.S. We created the mould with the standard insole inside the boot. To achieve a narrower fit, you can insert the full-length insole or adjust the boot's lace-to-toe closure. The latter comes in especially handy on steep technical sections.

Our calliper measurement also confirmed that the boot's toebox is only mildly tapered. Showing 70.1 mm near the big toe, it is exactly the same as the average.

It should also be noted that the boot's thick suede and toe rand did not interfere with its toebox height. On the contrary, its vertical space returned an above-average reading of 30.7 mm!

With the brand's considerable legacy in mountain sports, we had zero doubts in the Alp Trainer 2 Mid's stability. And the boot delivered as promised!

Its solid base, twistproof construction, and tonnes of side-to-side ankle support kept us surefooted on bumpy trails and scree slopes. This boot is primed for high-mileage trekking objectives over technical terrain.

The stout nature of this Salewa boot showed exceptional resistance to twisting in our manual test. Its sturdy exteriors and a stiff internal shank generate a great deal of torsional rigidity to prevent the foot from rolling or spilling sideways.

On a 1-5 stiffness scale where 5 is the absolute stiffest, we rated the Alp Trainer 2 Mid GTX with the highest score without hesitation.

A lot of stiffness is concentrated in the rearfoot portion of the Alp Trainer which helps to hold the heel and ankle securely in place.

Putting pressure on the boot's heel counter in our manual test, we could hardly push or squeeze it with our bare hands. Thus, we gave it another high stiffness score - 4 out of 5.

Please note that the very top of the collar is rather pliable. The brand calls it Flex Collar and it helps to increase the range of ankle motion during descents.

Salewa makes ankle support even more secure by adding its trademarked 3F System around the boot's heel counter. It is a solid steel cable that embraces the heel and connects to a pair of eyelets offering unparalleled ankle hold. No matter how thick or skinny your ankles are, it can be adjusted as needed!

The Alp Trainer 2 Mid GTX proved to be highly stable even without a particularly wide midsole.

Measuring the widest part of its platform in the forefoot, our calliper showed only 106.7 mm which is narrower than average by more than 5 mm.

However, we found the width to be just right for the boot's intended pupose - hiking and trekking on technical terrain. Rock-heavy areas and off-trail obstacles call for a more precise foot placement which is hard to achieve in a wide and chunky boot.

The heel width also showed a below-average reading of 83.7 mm but it's not narrow enough to compromise stability.

Considering its burly design, we were surprised to find that the Alp Trainer 2 Mid GTX has a little more give than the average hiking boot.

Our force gauge showed that this Salewa boot needed 8% less force to bend to a 90-degree angle than the category average.

It also retained decent flexibility in low-tempareture conditions. After 20 minutes in the freezer, it only got 10% stiffer and had notably more give than the other hiking boots we've tested.

Loaded with the brand's best hiking boot technologies and high-quality suede, the Alp Trainer 2 Mid GTX clocks in at a hefty weight of 19.2 oz (542g).

Not a very lightweight option but if you compare it to similarly built backpacking boots for technical terrain and off-trail situations, it actually sits on the lighter side of the spectrum.

Please skip the Salewa Alp Trainer 2 Mid GTX if you hike at temperatures of 60F (15C) and above. Our lab tests confirmed that it is a 100% airtight boot which is meant for coller conditions.

When we pumped smoke through the boot's toebox, its suede upper, tightly woven textile, and waterproof membrane all worked together to prevent even a tiny streak of smoke from escaping the interiors.

The perforations on the sides of the boot do very little for the air circulation and the textile on the tongue is extremely tightly woven leaving no pores for ventilation.

All things considered, we gave this Salewa boot the lowest breathability score of 1 out of 5.

With its thick 1.6-1.8 mm suede panels, and a generous front rubber rand, the Alp Trainer 2 Mid GTX proved to be indestructible, even against rock and scree.

After drilling it with sandpaper for 12 seconds at 5K RPM speed (our standard durability test), the boot remained in near-perfect condition with just a minor scuff.

This level of abrasion resistance deserves nothing less than the highest durability score - 5 out of 5!

If you ask which part of the Alp Trainer is most likely to give up first, we would say that it's the boot's heel collar lining.

The fabric here failed to sustain the Dremel drilling for even 4 seconds and developed a notable hole. Thus, we can't rate its durability any higher than 2 out of 5.

On a positive note, we expect the Alp Trainer's outsole to stay intact for hundreds of miles! Based on our durometer measurement, it uses a very hard Vibram rubber blend which showed a solid reading of 87.0 HC.

Our initial impression was backed up with the boot's a stellar result in the Dremel test.

Ramping up the speed to 10K RPM, we ruthlessly drilled one of the boot's lugs for 18 seconds. And yet, it brilliantly stood up to the test showing only 0.6 mm of damage. A result you would expect from an alipne boot!

With a calliper reading of 3.6 mm, the outsole thickness of this Salewa boot doesn't exceed the average by much but it's a solid rubber layer that contributes to the durability for sure.

The Salewa Alp Trainer 2 Mid GTX features a rather aggressive tread pattern with a lug depth of 5.2 mm. About a milimeter deeper than average, they make it one of the toothiest boots in our catalogue.

It latches onto unfriendly terrain like there is no tomorrow, trudges through loose terrain confidently, and shows excellent braking power on steep scree slopes.

But it's not just the lug depth that is responsible for the boot's unparalleled grip, but the tread pattern too. The Alp Trainer 2 Mid GTX uses the Vibram Alpine Hiking outsole which was designed exclusively for Salewa. Its strategic lug placement is meant for challenging terrain high up in the mounains.

Price-wise, we think that the Salewa Alp Trainer 2 Mid GTX sits exactly where it should. Given that the retail price of similar rugged boots for alpine trekking and hiking on technical terrain ranges from £200 to £300, the Alp Trainer offers excelent value for money in the lower range of that spectrum.

Reflective elements were not detected on the Alp Trainer 2 Mid GTX.

The tongue of the Alp Trainer 2 Mid GTX is very adequately padded for an alpine boot. Our caliper showed an above-average thickness of 12.7 mm. 

The fully-gusseted tongue of this Salewa boot maximises waterproofing, warmth, and protection from debris.

There is an oddly-shaped finger loop at the back of the boot but it gets the job done just fine. It is attached to the sturdier suede panel because the Flex Collar is too pliable.

The Alp Trainer's Multi Fit Footbed+ is not only removable but its is adjustable too. As we mentioned above, it helps to regulate the in-boot volume.