The La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX is a rarity—a lightweight hiking boot with high-cut ankle support. That's a sick combination for hikers (like me) with ankle issues. It's also one of the first Sportivas offered in wide, which meant I could pick up a pair and put in through hundreds of miles to review on Hiking Feet. My La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX review digs into the support, weight, comfort, traction, waterproofing, durability, fit, and value of this lightweight backpacking boot. This should help you figure out if it's a good fit for your feet, your budget, and your hikes.
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La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX Review
My La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX review covers the newest edition of this boot. For the purpose of this review, I purchased my own pair for personal use and wore it for hundreds of miles. That included dozens of day hikes in Pennsylvania, hard day hikes in New Hampshire's White Mountains, and some of Pennsylvania's signature backpacking trips, such as the Loyalsock Trail, World's End State Park, and the Black Forest Trail.
Here's my first-hand review of the Nucleo II:
Support
It's hard to make a hiking boot that's both supportive and lightweight. Cutting ounces generally means cutting support. The Nucleo II stands out for offering hikers and backpackers moderate support at a relatively light weight.
The Nucleo's high-cut ankle collars are taller than most mid-cut hiking boots, including the Salomon X Ultra Mid, which is one of the best lightweight hiking boots. That's a plus in the ankle support department. Just keep in mind that the soft, nubuck leather won't provide bomb-proof ankle support because it's not particularly stiff. Likewise, its soles are moderately sturdy with some flex in the forefoot—not as stiff as traditional backpacking boots. Still, the torsional rigidity is pretty good, which may prevent some rolled ankles.
Overall, my messed up feet and ankles feel pretty confident in the Nucleo High II GTX. I've had no issues hiking and backpacking on some of Pennsylvania's harder trails, including the Black Forest loop, which many consider PA's toughest backpacking trip.
women's Nucleo High GTX
Weight
Sportiva promotes the Nucleo High II GTX as a lightweight hiking and backpacking boot. My Nucleos (men's 12 wide) weigh about 2lb 6oz. Compared to my other leather hiking boots, that's about 11 ounces less than my Lowa Renegade backpacking boots and 6 ounces lighter than my Oboz Bridgers. They're 2-3 ounces heavier than my Topo Trailventures and Hoka Anacapas, two other boots on my list of the best lightweight hiking boots.
Overall, this boot could be a solid pick for hikers and backpackers who want to cut weight without losing the foot and ankle support of hiking boots.
Comfort
COMFORT DEPENDS ON FIT & PERSONAL PREFERENCE
The Nucleo's soft, nubuck uppers feel good around my feet and ankles. It's well cushioned for La Sportiva, a brand that otherwise runs stiff with more "feel" than "float" underfoot. And now that that the Nucleo is available in wide, more people will be able to hike comfortably in La Sportiva— one of the best brands for hikers.
I've found these boots very comfortable. At the same time, my hiking feet do better with a little more arch support. (These feel great, but my feet feel more fatigued in Nucleos on longer hikes than they do in my mid-weight hiking boots.) So I replaced this boot's insoles with Superfeet insoles for more arch support and cushion. Overall, I like wearing these!
La Sportiva is a great brand for narrow feet
Fit
Like most Italian brands, La Sportivas run narrow and a little small (by US standards). Historically, this brand is a better fit for hikers with narrow feet. New for 2021, however, they've begun to offer their best hiking footwear in wide sizes to accommodate more hikers and backpackers in North America. These fit my moderately wide feet by selecting the "wide" and sizing up a full size. Even with sizing up, the boot's low volume put pressure on top of my toes.
Nothing beats trying shoes on in person for sizing and fitting. However, here's some general fitting advice for the La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX:
- narrow feet: size up at least a 1/2 size (after converting Euro sizes to US sizes)
- standard size feet: size up at least a 1/2 size and consider wides for comfort
- wide feet: choose wides and size up approximately a full size
Weather Protection
The "GTX" in the Nucleo High II GTX stands for GORE- TEX, still the best waterproof-breathable membranes in outdoor gear. More specifically, Nucleos feature GORE TEX Surround—the most breathable GTX. GORE TEX Surround channels heat and moisture vapor away from your feet in every direction—even through the sole. That means Nucleos may help your feet - and socks - stay drier in a wider range of conditions than most waterproof hiking and backpacking boots.
My pair performed as expected in some muddy spring backpacking trips, including a 45 mile loop with more than 50 water crossings. As the miles have added up, however, I've taken on more moisture. My guess is that my GORE-TEX membrane has failed where the Nano Cells have worn away on the outsides of my boots? Or, my Superfeet insoles compromised the GTX Surround?
Traction
Traction is another big selling point for the La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX. La Sportiva sourced these outsoles from Vibram— an Italian company that's been making quality outsoles for almost 100 years. Nucleos ride on top of Vibram's® Nano XS-Trek Compound, a technical rubber known for its wet traction and flexibility for range of outdoor activities. That's a big plus.
This outsole's soft and shallow lugs are super grippy on rocks— and pretty good on other surfaces. My Nucleos stuck well to rocky sections of Pennsylvania's Mid State Trail and Black Forest Trail. They also feature a pronounced heel brake for better downhill traction. In my experience, this lug pattern is not as good in mud, where I've taken a couple tumbles. With their softer, rock-friendly rubber, these soles won't last as long as some hiking soles.
As long as that rubber lasts, however, you should expect good grip on rocks and wet surfaces in La Sportiva's Nucleo High II GTX.
This hike almost didn't happen because of the Nucleo's wimpy shoe laces
Durability
Overall, my Nucleos lasted around 500 miles—average for a hiking boot. The Nubuck leather uppers and rubber rand proved to be very durable. The Vibram outsoles showed normal wear until the lugs wore out underneath the balls of my feet.
Still, I've got to ding them in the durability department. Sportiva's thin shoe laces snapped on me twice on steep trails. One lace frayed on a steep uphill slog just 20 miles into my backpacking trip at World's End State Park. The other lace snapped just a few steps into the famed Franconia Ridge hike in the White Mountains—which would have ruined my trip had I not packed extra laces. Rocks also beat up the ventilated mesh (Nano Cell) that runs between the boot's uppers and outsoles—which may be the weak point in my waterproofing.
Value
EXPENSIVE
You'll have to pay for La Sportiva's premium weight to performance, waterproofing, and traction. The Nucleo's price has increased $40 since I purchased my pair with a current MSRP of $239. That's on par with other backpacking boots but significantly higher than most hiking boots, especially lightweight hiking boots.
La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX: Pros vs Cons
As with all hiking boots, La Sportiva's Nucleo High II GTX fits certain kinds of feet better than others and matches certain hiking styles better than others. It may or may not be a good pick for your feet, your budget, and your hikes.
Here's a quick overview of the boot's pros and cons:
Overall recommendation:
My La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX review is a positive one.
La Sportiva has given us plenty of reasons to pick the Nucleo High II GTX over other hiking and backpacking boots. The La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX has several stand out features, including its high-top ankle support, light weight, best-in-class waterproofing and breathability, and premium traction on wet and rocky surfaces. For me, the biggest drawbacks are price and potential limits in durability compared to the best mid-duty hiking and backpacking boots. Overall, this is a premium hiking boot from a premium brand —and one of the best hiking boots I've worn.
Hike your own hike. In other words, buy what you want. But if you want my professional opinion, these are the "best fits" and "best matches" for the La Sportiva Nucleo High GTX:
best fit
narrow, low-volume feet
hikers with wide feet should order "wide" & size up
best match
moderate to difficult day hiking
backpacking with light to moderate pack weight
If La Sportiva's Nucleo High II GTX fits your feet and matches your hikes, it may be worth its premium price.
Should you buy the La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX?
Has my La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX review convinced you to pick up a pair of this standout lightweight hiking boot? If so, please consider purchasing them through the affiliate links above. Hiking Feet may receive a small commission from the retailer (at no cost to you). Those commissions aren't much. But they keep this site afloat and let me continue to create free and independent content. If this site hooked you up, please consider hooking me up, too. Thanks, I appreciate it!
If you're not feeling the La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX, no problem. Feel free to scroll down my home page for curated lists of recommended hiking boots and hiking shoes, particularly my picks for best lightweight hiking boots, best women's hiking boots, best hiking boots, and best backpacking boots. To learn more about the brand, you can also read my La Sportiva brand review or check out Hiking Feet's brand recommendations for recreational hikers and backpackers. You're sure to find some sweet hiking boots somewhere on Hiking Feet. Just dig around a bit.
Happy hiking!
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