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Post by oldbill on Aug 3, 2022 17:49:04 GMT -8
Anyone familiar with Salewa Mountain Trainer Mid boots? Been searching for 3 months for a replacement of my Salomon Quest 4D 3 (size 11) that are 2.5 yr old with about 300 miles of backpacking. The Quest is comfortable and good traction *except for wet rock. Slipped a couple times last year off trail crossing a boulder field and on a ledge. Swore I'd find something better than Contagrip soles for this year. My old Lowa Vantage are being resoled.
Looked at boots likely to be supportive with a 30 lb initial pack weight over rough terrain (sidehills, boulders, scree,...) Tradeoff for traction on wet rock softer rubber/faster wear. Vibram Megagrip, Drumlin are a few with good records. La Sportiva another.
I am a nightmare to fit: 10 A/B Left and 10- B Right. Both arch lengths at 11. Fairly high arch, narrow heels. Seems close but right foot is less volume. Left fits many EU 44, 10.5 and even 11 boots well. Have to use 2 mid-weight socks on right + add lambs wool around heel to get any hope of a lock on the right. (Heel cup width in particular is a difficult one to solve.) I always use a good high volume insole (TreadLabs matches my arch best). The Quests are size 11 and require all of that tinkering.
La Sportiva Trango TRK 44 wasn't bad but right slips more than Quest. Also the GTX doesn't extend to the tongue. It's the only LS made for heavier backpacking. The Nucleo is a lightweight model with poor durability and support reviews. The Raptor is available in a mid. Lacks deep lugs for scree and mud and support is much less. I may get a pair for day hikes and short backpacks in the Whites as they may fit well.
Tried hard to get these to work but the heel box was too wide. Had to crank laces very tight and slip still worse than Quest. To be fair, the Quests are fully broken in while these others aren't.
Scarpa Zodiac's
Asolo Finder
AKU Alterra
Salewa Alp Trainer 2 (Megagrip) (no GTX in tongue here either)
Debating: Lowa Camino Evo or Explorer II (less heavy but Megagrip, unfortunately not available in my size yet)
Last one's left (which I can only return if used indoors) are the Salewa Mountain Trainer Mid's. Read everything online I can find, but there are few reviews and they are balanced with regard to traction on wet surfaces. The fit is decent, though it has a shallow heel box. At least it's not as wide as others. Any other options, advice all appreciated.
If only Salomon would use Megagrip! I leave for WY in 4 weeks. My fallback plan is to seam seal the Quests and hope for a dry trail.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Aug 3, 2022 21:09:30 GMT -8
All I can do is wish you luck. I share many of those problems, and have reached the point where I don’t actually even try for a heel lock. The slipping doesn’t seem to rub blisters, though it wears out the shoes faster. In a mid boot, the fit is no better but the slippage is less. The Keen Targhee worked really well for me, but I can’t recommend due to problems with the soles. Merril Moab is my current boot, but I think both of those are lighter and less waterproof than you want (my feet also sweat buckets, so even in damp conditions I can’t stand waterproof. I’m mostly on more grippy rock out West, so not sure about soles.
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Post by oldbill on Aug 4, 2022 3:08:11 GMT -8
In a mid boot, the fit is no better but the slippage is less. Thanks! Found the same thing. I Leukotape my heels before any major hike. The heel looseness maybe more of a mental bother. Hiking with 2 socks isn't fun either; hot, tendency to bunch underfoot & restricts toe space. Few brands or lasts seem to fit a narrow heel: Vasque, Lowa, Salewa, La Sportiva get mentioned. Oboz had a good fit but their wet traction is worse than Contagrip. The Salewa Mtn Tr has ok fit, but there's no texturing on the lugs and may be a harder compound. The wet traction on the Scarpa Zodiac was fantastic. Yeah, I need a firmer (aka heavier) boot. My left foot has recurring plantar fasciitis and peroneal tendonitis as well as a compressed Baxter's nerve. At least it's the easier foot to fit! |
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ErnieW
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I want to backpack
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Post by ErnieW on Aug 4, 2022 5:18:34 GMT -8
This was for cleats and sneakers not boots but I had a friend that had size 11 and the other size 12.5. He had at times had to buy two pairs but then he started contacting manufacturers. He found ones that were willing to send him pairs in the two sizes he needed. One downside was the process could take months to get a new pair.
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Post by Coolkat on Aug 4, 2022 5:24:56 GMT -8
I'm with rebeccad on this... good luck to you. I've found that I just can't do boots. No matter the brand, type, size etc, I get blisters. I've moved to trail runners and this solved my problem but that may not be feasible for your feet the terrain you're hiking in. |
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Post by oldbill on Aug 4, 2022 11:46:45 GMT -8
had size 11 and the other size 12.5 Huge difference! Have seen exchange programs set up for those individuals. What is bizzare is that my feet differ by about a 1/3 size and yet it causes significant challenges. Lots of folks in that camp. Don't mind for the easier trails but found that supportive mids (with GTX for as long as it lasts) work best for me with off trail September conditions in Wyoming. But, some can even use trail runners up there even then! Salewa isn't a widely popular brand, esp. in US outside the hunting community, but thought I'd check. |
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rebeccad
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Writing like a maniac
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Post by rebeccad on Aug 4, 2022 20:06:19 GMT -8
One problem I’ve found is that boots/shoes with a narrow heel tend also to have a narrow toebox. I have some funky issues with the toes on my right foot (which of course is also the larger one; like Oldbill by maybe 1/3 size) and need a roomy toebox. For me, that has become the key, and outweighs heel fit.
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driftwoody
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Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
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Post by driftwoody on Aug 5, 2022 7:37:39 GMT -8
My only real advice is to try on a lot of boots until you're certain of the right fit. Lately I've ordered more than one pair then returned one or both (free shipping & return is a must).
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Post by downriver on Aug 5, 2022 9:14:34 GMT -8
I really like my La Sportiva Raptors; it’s an excellent trail shoe. I’ve had three pairs. I prefer the low fit trail runner to mids these days. LS makes an excellent product.
Regards,
DR
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Post by oldbill on Aug 5, 2022 12:46:32 GMT -8
LS makes an excellent product Tried 2 pairs of LS Ultra Raptor mids for dayhikes and lighter backpacks. Sent those back and have 2 more. The collar and tongue aren't well padded, unlike the Mtn Trainer and Quest. For me, not comfortable and still wide heel on right with 44's. Soft/grippy outsole for sure. How does that perform on loose gravel and mud? Lug depth is minimal. I'm certainly following that advise! At least with REI I can take promising pairs outside. Only did that with one of Scarpa's. Unfortunately, the Salewa Mtn Trainers are inside use only so no testing on wet rock or non-obvious hot spots. |
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Post by downriver on Aug 7, 2022 7:28:28 GMT -8
LS makes an excellent product Tried 2 pairs of LS Ultra Raptor mids for dayhikes and lighter backpacks. Sent those back and have 2 more. The collar and tongue aren't well padded, unlike the Mtn Trainer and Quest. For me, not comfortable and still wide heel on right with 44's. Soft/grippy outsole for sure. How does that perform on loose gravel and mud? Lug depth is minimal. I'm certainly following that advise! At least with REI I can take promising pairs outside. Only did that with one of Scarpa's. Unfortunately, the Salewa Mtn Trainers are inside use only so no testing on wet rock or non-obvious hot spots. I hike on loose gravel all the time and they are fine. Living in the Pacific Northwest and its rain, I usually switch out to La Sportiva GTX Jackals in the rainy months due to their Goretex booty. But I’ve never had problems with my Raptors in the rain for traction. Regards, DR |
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Post by oldbill on Aug 16, 2022 3:47:59 GMT -8
Gambled and used the Salewa Mtn Trainers (10.5) on a few 4000'ers in NH. May be of limited interest, but figured I'd review results for those that may search the site for a similar issue.
Taped foot for PF and heel for potential slipping. Shallow heel cup still caused some slipping when used with a good high-arch, 3mm cushion orthotic. With a medium weight wool sock overall fit was OK for a 10B. The steel cable of the Salewa's "Y" fitting system causes a crease under the outer ankle bone which results in a hot spot. Salomon's Quest lace lock system does the same, but it has more substantial padding. Laced toes and midfoot loose on way up and tight on the descent. Traction ok with mud, gravel, dry rock. Smooth, steep-angled or algae-covered wet rock were issues, but then they are for most outsoles. Improvement over Contragrip? A firm maybe. Some pain at the lace crossover point for the "Y" so had to back off on fit. Was happy to pull them off at the end of a 4 m day!
Now that I'm stuck with them, will have to make them work. Will take to cobbler to try and stretch length and toe box. (The 11's required a lot of extra padding to get right heel to lock, though in retrospect...) My stuffing a shoe tree and socks + 10% alcohol didn't seem to do much. Will also pack some open-cell, fairly firm foam I happen to have from a sofa cushion. Similar properties as that used to in boot making. That will hopefully take care of noted hot-spots. The ski-boot fitting foam pads are just annoying to position correctly, they don't adhere for long, and are generally higher compressibility (less comfortable). Good ol' Leukotape will take care of remaining hot spots.
So the search goes on... but these are likely headed for the Winds in a few weeks. Thanks for all the encouragement and feedback!
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Post by leadbelly on Aug 23, 2022 11:16:53 GMT -8
I rotate between the Quest 4 and Limmer boots for carrying a larger backpack. Both have hard, durable soles with good tread, prone to slipping on smooth or wet rock. i don't blister in either, but I wear custom orthotics that do a great job filling space and making the fit better.
for day hiking on trails I know have a healthy amount of slabs and scrambling, I wear approach shoes - currently either a pair of five ten guide tennies or La Sportiva TX3s. Both are very grippy; neither would be my footwear of choice for really rugged trails or carrying higher amounts of weight.
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