Salewa WS ALP Flow Mid GTX. Aqua Green Color Women EU 36

The next evolution of an award-winning design the Salewa Women's Alp Flow Mid GTX hiking boot offers flex fit support and thanks to an innovative GORE-TEX Surround midsole it also delivers waterproof protection with extreme breathability. This technical high-performance boot tackles whatever terrain or conditions you throw at it.

A hybrid Nubuk leather and ballistic mesh upper offers a dynamic combination of durability comfort and breathability. A toe and heel rand delivers protection on rough and rocky surfaces. The innovative GORE-TEX Surround midsole keeps your feet dry while utilizing a “bellows” effect to actually push warm air from the boot keeping you cool and dry.

Salewa's 3F system creates an anatomical fit that works with the asymmetry of the human foot and results in less movement in the heel of the boot less rubbing and less potential for blisters. Flex around the collar of the boot allows more independent movement from the upper which results in the ability to flex your ankle for an agile stride. When moving sideways on steep slopes your ligaments are often pushed to their limits but Salewa's built-in support provides full ankle support while still offering freedom of movement.

An internal “Y”-shaped connection spreads the lacing three-dimensionally to hug the entire foot and better control the movement of the heel. A climbing-style lace-to-toe design allows users to get a more custom fit.

The Vibram Hike Approach outer sole provides the ideal mixture of durability and grip for on-and-off trail travel.

Sold in pairs the Salewa Women's Alp Flow Mid GTX hiking boot is available in full and half sizes.

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Waterproof/breathable GORE-TEX Surround midsole

Vibram outsole

Extended climbing lacing for an improved and customizable fit 3F System for ankle support and flexibility

1.6mm Nubuck leather and ballistic mesh upper

Vibram Hike Approach sticky rubber outsole for improved grip on rocky surfaces.

In a continuing quest to find boots that handle any kind of terrain and conditions without baking my feet, I took the Alp Flow Mid GTX—which sport Gore’s newest, most-breathable technology, Surround—on a pair of hikes that push footwear to extremes: a mostly off-trail, two-day backpacking trip in early October in Idaho’s White Cloud Mountains, and a late-May dayhike up Garnet Canyon in Grand Teton National Park, slogging through a lot of soft, wet snow.

The Alp Flow Mid proved excellent for my trip in the White Clouds, carrying up to about 35 pounds hiking over wet, shifting talus, loose scree, through mud and puddles, and bushwhacking. The boots could handle 40 pounds or more comfortably, thanks to an EVA midsole with a partial, plastic shank that delivers a nice balance of cushion, underfoot protection, and torsional rigidity. Plus, walking in them feels almost like walking in lighter shoes because of the substantial, natural flex the boot has below the ball of the foot. The medium-volume fit cradled my heel and held my midfoot in place, preventing my feet from sliding (and causing blisters). To-the-toes lacing and a locking lace hook at mid-foot—the latter allows you to adjust the tightness of the forefoot separately from the ankle—help dial in what feels like a customized fit. The roomy toe box keeps toes cooler and prevents them from banging against the front of the boot.

Salewa Alp Flow Mid GTX

Salewa Alp Flow Mid GTX

Even though the uppers were visibly wet in the White Clouds and Tetons, my socks stayed dry—which was particularly impressive when I was kicking steps for a few hours through soft, wet snow and occasionally postholing to my knees in Garnet Canyon. (I wore gaiters.) The Gore-Tex Surround not only keeps moisture out, it features 360° of breathability—as you walk, air gets pumped through the perforated inserts and midsole and the mesh sides of the uppers. My feet did get a bit hot by the end of that Tetons hike, when the temp rose to around 70° F (at lower elevation). My verdict: They’re more breathable than many midweight, mid-cut boots; but any boot in that category, especially one with leather uppers, will be warmer than any low-cut or lighter, mid-cut footwear.

The uppers made of nubuck leather and ballistic mesh, reinforced with rubber in the toe bumper and exoskeleton along the sides, make the Alp Flow Mid almost bulletproof; the weak link in durability looks like the soft EVA foam around the heel, which will suffer the abuse of rocks least well. Still, that’s not a part of a boot that tends to get banged up much. I expect these boots will last for several hundred miles, and you’ll eventually replace them because of normal wear on the outsole or the EVA midsole has gotten compacted and lost its cushion. Lastly, the Vibram Hike Approach outsole’s aggressive tread, with deep, widely spaced lugs, gave me good traction in snow and all kinds of off-trail ground, but isn’t made for smearing on steep slabs.

All in all, Salewa’s Alp Flow Mid GTX is a sturdy and comfortable all-around boot for backpacking or rugged, wet dayhiking.