Salewa MS Alp Trainer Review

by Kevin_Fonger

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As the Salewa brand is starting to become more recognizable in the US, I thought it would be appropriate to test out and review one of their hiking shoes. The Salewa MS Alp Trainer is in the Hike Approach category for Salewa as it has some features of both a hiking shoe and approach shoe.

The Salewa MS Alp Trainer has a number of features worth mentioning. For starters, it is hard not to notice the steel wiring throughout the rear of the shoe. This wire goes from the arch of one side of the shoe, up to the top lacing whole, back up and around to the other side connecting to the opposite lacing whole, and down to the arch of the other side. What this in theory does is allow for a firm secure wrap from the midfoot and around the heel. This is what Salewa calls “3F” and stands for fit, flexibility, and support. While testing out the MS Alp Trainer, I found that hike after hike that the heel did not have a secure fit in one of the shoes. Now most peoples feet are different in size and shape as are mine, so this should not come as a surprise that one of the shoes had a better fit than the other. My feet are not too different in size though and I tried all different methods to get a good fit where I would commonly get blisters and I was not able to come up with a good solution.

The sole of the Salewa MS Alp Trainer is pretty beafy and effective for traction. It is a Vibram outsole which is one of the most trusted brands of rubber on the market. The MS Alp Trainer toebox is wrapped with a sticky rubber which can comes in useful if you end up using this shoe as an approach shoe. I am not a climber, so I didn’t use the shoe as an approach shoe but I like the rubber wrapped around the toebox for additional protection and it also helps keep your feet dry when you step into a puddle. The midsole is made with a semi dense EVA that is firm, yet has a little cushion to it. Similar to other low profile hiking shoes.

The material is the upper is a combination between suede and rugged mesh that allows the shoe to breath in warmer weather. Around, the ankle, there is a piece of fabric that stays pretty close to your skin, but not touching. This helps keeps rocks from getting into your shoes. As for looks, I feel the Salewa MS Alp Trainer is a good looking shoe as it has a mix between classic and modern styling.