La Sportiva isn't just a good brand for climbers and mountaineers—it's also a good brand for hiking boots, hiking shoes, and trail running shoes. Why is La Sportiva a premium brand for hiking footwear? How do La Sportiva hiking boots and shoes fit? What kinds of hikers are most likely to love them? Which La Sportivas should hikers target? My La Sportiva brand review has the answers for hikers—along with professional recommendations for the best La Sportiva hiking boots, hiking shoes, and trail running shoes:
La Sportiva brand review
La Sportiva is an Italian brand that's been making hand-crafted footwear for nearly a century. It's more or less been run by the same family since 1928—an anomaly in an outdoor industry dominated by large companies. They adopted the brand name "La Sportiva" in the 1950s and largely remain based in the Italian Dolomites. La Sportiva-North America is based in Boulder, Colorado.
Highlights: La Sportiva hiking boots & shoes
Much like Salomon, La Sportiva is one of the few brands that's strong across the board in all categories of hiking footwear. La Sportiva makes some of the world's best hiking boots, hiking shoes, and trail running shoes for hiking (along with the best climbing shoes, approach shoes, and mountaineering boots). It's a good brand for hikers who mostly hike technical, mountain trails and for hikers who prefer light but sturdy hiking footwear.
Photo credit: La Sportiva
Mountain traction
It's no surprise that one of the best brands in climbing shoes also makes boots and shoes with great grip on rocks and mountainous terrain. La Sportiva's trail lineup stands out for its traction on technical trails, thanks to the brand's own FriXion rubber or Vibram rubber outsoles. That makes La Sportiva one of the best brands for the mountain goat-wannabes who mostly hike in the mountains.
La Sportiva photo by Aly Nicklas
Lightweight support
Even though the brand specializes in mountain gear, La Sportiva hiking boots and hiking shoes tend to be lightweight. The Nucleo High is a lightweight backpacking boot while the Spire GTX is a lightweight hiking shoe with plenty of backbone for harder hikes. It's one of the few brands that offers lightweight hiking footwear with significant support. That's a huge selling point.
hiking Franconia Ridge (New Hampshire) in La Sportiva hiking boots
Narrow fit
Like all Italian brands, La Sportivas run narrow by US standards. That makes La Sportiva one of the best brands for hikers with narrow feet. At the same time, the brand now offers a few of its best sellers in wides, which may fit hikers with standard to wide feet if they also size up.
Who should wear La Sportiva hiking boots & shoes?
La Sportiva offers several high-end choices for hikers. Ultimately, though, the best brand for you is the one that best fits your feet and best matches your hikes. Who might hook up with this hot Italian brand? Here's my take on La Sportiva's best fits and best matches— based on my experience hiking in Sportivas and selling them as a Backcountry Gearhead and former footwear manager at Appalachian outdoors:
Best Fit
narrow feet
(Fitting tips: Sportivas run snug and narrow by US standards with some wides available. Hikers with standard to wide feet should size up more than normal.)
Best Match
moderate to difficult trails on technical terrain
hikes with rock scrambling
(Sportivas are made for the mountains more than the woods and flatlands.)
best La Sportiva hiking boots
La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX: best hiking boot
Main Benefits:
LaSportiva's Nucleo High GTX is an excellent, light-weight hiking and backpacking boot for men and women. The Nucleo is relatively light (for a mid-duty boot) yet supportive enough for backpacking. Packed with premium features, it comes with waterproof-breathable Gore-Tex and a grippy Vibram outsole. The trimmed down Nucleo won't be as sturdy or durable as traditional backpacking boots; however, it's the only lightweight hiking boot with high-cut ankle support, which may appeal to hikers with ankle issues. La Sportivas run narrow, but this is also available in wide. With moderately flexible yet supportive soles, the Nucleo GTX may be a good choice for longer and harder day hikes, fast-packing, and lightweight backpacking.
best fit
narrow, low-volume fit is best for hikers with narrow feet.
wides available for standard to wide feet (size up)
best match
moderate to difficult day hikes, lightweight backpacking, better traction on rock than in mud
La Sportiva Ultra Raptor II Mid: best lightweight hiking boot
Main Benefits:
In 2021, Sportiva released a mid cut version of its best trail running shoe for hikers, the Ultra Raptor (see below). The Ultra Raptor II Mid GTX may be a great choice for hikers who want a lightweight hiking shoe but don't want to lose all the over-the-ankle protection of a hiking boot. Like its low-cut sibling, this lightweight hiking boot/mid-cut trail running shoe has great grip on rocks, a snug and secure fit, and firm feel on the trail. The "GTX" stands for GORE-TEX, a waterproof-breathable membrane for added weather protection and comfort on damp trails and winter weather. This may be a great, lightweight hiking boot for serious hikers who prefer more "feel" than "float" and mostly hike mountainous terrain.
best fit
narrow feet,
also available in wide sizes
best match
technical terrain, moderate to difficult day hikes
best La Sportiva hiking shoes
La Sportiva Spire GTX: best hiking shoe
Main Benefits:
This may be the best hiking shoe on the market. La Sportiva's Spire GTX is both soft underfoot and stable on uneven ground with a mixture of cushiony EVA foam and firmer TPU supports. For a premium price, you get grippy Vibram outsoles for excellent traction and GORE-TEX Surround—which pairs Gore's breathable waterproofing with aeration channels for 360-degree breathability. It's expensive for a low-cut hiking shoe. In this case, though, you get plenty of extras for the price. This lightweight but sturdy trail shoe may be a good match for moderate-to-difficult day hikes and backpacking trips with a lighter pack.
best fit
standard to narrow feet—
runs large by Sportiva standards
best match
moderate to difficult day hikes, rocky trails (better in the mountains than woods)
La Sportiva Ultra Raptor Low: best trail running shoe
Main Benefits:
The Ultra Raptor II nudges the lighter Bushido II for the best La Sportiva trail running shoe for hikers. It offers a snug fit with a firm feel, giving hikers plenty of foot protection (for a trail running shoe), strong trail feel, and great grip on rocks and technical terrain. Ultra Raptors offer less weight savings than most trail running shoes. However, they have a little more cushion, volume, structure, and protection— which may spare your feet from a little more wear and tear on the trail than the typical trail runner. If they fit you, Ultra Raptors may be a killer pick for ambitious day hikers and ultralight backpackers who mostly hike mountain trails.
best fit
narrow feet,
also available in wide sizes
best match
hard day hikes on technical terrain, ultralight backpacking
Overall Rating: La Sportiva hiking boots & shoes
Without a doubt, La Sportiva is one of the best overall brands for hiking footwear. Similar to Salomon, they've got a strong brand lineup that includes some of the best lightweight hiking boots, best hiking shoes, and best trail running shoes for hiking. Even so, no brand works for everybody. Here are the brand's pros and cons for hikers:
Conclusion:
La Sportiva hiking boots, hiking shoes, and trail running shoes generally favor serious hikers who prefer moderate to difficult hikes with some rock scrambling. La Sportiva is a good brand for hikers with narrow feet and hikers who mostly hike mountainous terrain. That's where the brand's performance fit and mountain goat-worthy traction really stand out. Hikers with standard to wide feet also may be able to wear La Sportivas, if they size up and select wide sizes (if available). If you're a casual hiker, cushion-lover, or hiker on a budget, you should probably target another brand —check out Hiking Feet's brand recommendations and other brand reviews to find a brand that's a better fit and better match for you.
buying the best La Sportiva hiking boots and shoes
hiking Pennsylvania's Mid-State Trail in La Sportiva's Nucleo High II GTX
Why is La Sportiva one of the best brands for hiking footwear? Goat-like traction. Weight savings. Quality. Performance. It's one of the best companies in the world for climbers, skiers, trail runners, mountaineers— and hikers. The four options above might be great choices for you, especially if you prefer a snug fit and mostly hike in the mountains.
My take is that a lot more hikers should be wearing La Sportiva hiking boots and shoes. Are you thinking about buying a pair? If so, please consider purchasing them through the affiliate links above. Hiking Feet may receive a small commission from the billion-dollar retailer (at no cost to you) for qualifying purchases. Those commissions aren't much, but they fund this site (and compensate me for the hundreds of unpaid hours I spent creating free content to help you buy the right hiking boots or shoes). If this site hooked you up, please consider hooking me up, too. Thanks, I appreciate it!
