For a busy entrepreneur like me who is running an adventure travel and trekking company, a pair of hiking boots must fulfill the criteria of a #badass gear. Salewa's hiking boots are not new to me. In fact, I have owned a pair since 2015 when I first discovered them in Rome, Italy while en route to trekking the Dolomites. My conversation with the store salesperson went like this:

Me: Hi, I'm looking for a new pair of hiking boots - something that can handle tough terrain like the Dolomites.

Him: Oh, I have the Salewa boots for you - here.

Me: Hmm... interesting design. (Tried them on) They feel high and narrow. I've had the same brand boots all these years. Not sure about this pair.

Him: It's good shoes. And blister proof! I'm serious. Write me and let me know if they're blister proof. See for yourself.

Me: Ha! Sure (rolled eyes). Well, I don't have many options, do I? I'll have to take them.

On my last day of trekking the Dolomites, I took it easy and did a day hike.  My Salewa shoes performed exactly how I had to as a solo trekker in such a rocky terrain. — On my last day of trekking the Dolomites, I took it easy and did a day hike. My Salewa shoes performed exactly how I had to as a solo trekker in such a rocky terrain.

So, off I went and with my first pair of Salewa I trekked the Dolomites. It's safe to say that I fell in love with Salewa boots in the process. They handled the rocky terrain well. My balance was way better with these shoes compared to the previous pairs I had. And, the sole's grip and high quality traction helped me from falling off the slippery rocky parts of the trail. In many ways, Salewa saved my life as a solo trekker on the Dolomites many times as I safely trekked the Alta Via 1 and 2 - thanks to my new pair of hiking boots.

And guess what? In the almost 3 weeks I spent in the Dolomites, no blisters! The salesperson wasn't lying. He proved my assumptions wrong.

The pair of Salewa boots I bought back in 2015 is the same kind as the new pair I have now - Mountain Trainer Mid-GTX. Just like it's older version, the new version performs similarly as its predecessor. To me, after over 2 years of owning this brand and model, I realized there's hardly any downside to the product except: Can they make the pair lasts for eternity?

Here are the reasons why I love the Salewa Mountain Trainer Mid-GTX:

No Blisters. I'm starting out with the most unusual feature of these shoes - it's blister proof. Prior to owning these boots, I had mastered the routine of ducttaping my toes to prevent blisters as my previous shoes were major culprits in that department. Since owning a pair of Salewa Mountain Trainer, I said goodbye to blisters. Not once did I have an occurrence of blisters. Imagine that!

Heavy duty and perfect for hardcore backpackers. I must confess that I am far from being an ultralight kind of backpacker. Hence, at one point, I had to haul 37 pounds on my back when I trekked the 5 day Rae Lakes Loop in Sierra Nevada on my own. These shoes performed better than I anticipated with my heavy pack as a I hauled it with an altitude gain of 7000 feet from a height of 5000 feet to 12,000 feet, and then back down. My feet and ankle were fully supported the entire time - thanks to its sturdy ankle support.

Great traction. I'm not the most graceful on the trail and frankly I'm one that is likely to slip and slide on the downhills a lot. But Salewa boots changed all that for me. With its awesome traction, I hardly have a reason now to slip or fall down the mountain. Even after 2 years of use, the sole still retains its high quality traction so I can enjoy my treks without fussing over the risk of injury on my journeys.

No feet issues whatsoever. The pair is narrower than most of hiking boots. At first, I questioned the comfort level of the shoes but soon enough I learned that wider shoes aren't necessarily more comfortable. The narrower structure and snug fit actually provided a much easier way of movement for my feet - in many ways, it made me hike "lightly" - thus eliminating excess weight and bulkiness that you don't need to have when it comes to hiking shoes.

A great all around pair of hiking shoes. Even when I am opting to just do day hikes as opposed to hauling heavy packs, the Salewa Mountain Trainer does its job of keeping me at my high level of performance as a mountain trekker. It's durable to withstand any type of terrain from rocky to muddy. With its Gore-tex material, the shoes can handle wet conditions and are quick dry. At the same time, the material ensures breathability which is much needed given some of the places in the world I end up trekking. Since my adventure in the Dolomites, my pair has gone with me to trek in the volcanoes in Hawaii, Drakensberg in South Africa, the Caucasus Mountains in the Republic of Georgia, Kilimanjaro, Usambara Mountains, Mount Baker Wilderness, Sierra Nevada, Indian Himalayas (Ladakh), Inca Trail and the Cordillera Blanca in Peru. These shoes have proven its versatility and adaptability to just about any kind of condition - high altitude, cold, wet, hot, humid, etc.

Salewa Mountain Trainer Mid-GTX can be summed up in one word: #badass

The only question is, are you #badass enough to keep up with it?

Get your #badass pair HERE.

(Financial compensation was not received for this post. A sample product was provided; however, opinions expressed here are my own).