As of 2026, the La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 3 is a completely redesigned shoe—and 100% a hiking shoe. For years, the Ultra Raptor was La Sportiva's oldest, heaviest trail running shoe. Then they reclassified it as a hiking shoe without actually changing the shoe itself. Now, it's specifically designed for hiking, not trail running. My La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 3 review is based on two months of test hikes in New Mexico, including tougher trails I handpicked to test the limits of this shoe's traction, comfort, and support.
Testing the traction of the new La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 3
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How is the Ultra Raptor 3 different from the Ultra Raptor 2?
New for 2026, the La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 3 is significantly different from the older La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 2. In contrast to the old Ultra Raptors, the Ultra Raptor 3
La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 3 Review
For this review, I personally tested the new La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 3 on moderate to difficult trails outside Albuquerque—from the Embudito (5 miles 1500') to the Pino (9 miles 3000+') to the South Sandia Crest (11 miles 4000')—plus excursions to the Ojito Wilderness and Jemez Mountains. As always, this review is 100% independent (not sponsored) and based on my personal hiking experience (40-50 miles) and outdoor industry experience. I'm the former footwear manager of a hiking and backpacking shop and test hiking shoes and hiking boots more than 1,000 miles each year.
Testing the Ultra Raptor 3 in the Jemez Mountains
Support
The Ultra Raptor 3 isn't as supportive as the La Sportiva Spire, but it's still a solid hiking shoe. When I tested it on mixed mountain terrain, I appreciated the shoe's torsional rigidity and heel stabilizer. The shoe's side-to-side stiffness gave my crooked ankles extra support when I stepped on rocks and roots. On steep sidehill trails—which put extra pressure on the outside of your downhill ankle—I didn't roll an ankle on my test hikes.
Obviously, there's no mid-cut ankle collar, but this shoe has enough backbone for tougher trails. It's stiff through the midfoot but flexes at the foot's natural flexpoint—a good build for the average day hiker and more aggressive hikers, too.
Weight
The La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 3 meets my definition of a lightweight hiking shoe. The average men's hiking shoe weighs more than two pounds per pair. My test pair weighs less than two pounds—light for a men's size 12.5. For a weight comparison, the Raptor is similar to the Salomon X Ultra 5 (many people's favorite hiking shoe), 5 ounces less than the Merrell Moab (the world's best selling hiking shoe), and 6 ounces less than the Spire (La Sportiva's traditional hiking shoe).
It's one of the lightest hiking shoes I've tested that's actually made for serious hikers.
Resting among the hoodoos of New Mexico's Ojito Wilderness
Fit
The Ultra Raptor 3 has a roomier fit than most La Sportivas. Most La Sportivas run small and narrow (by U.S. standards)—not the Raptor. It has a standard width. If you have standard-width feet, you should size up at least 1/2 a size. I should have sized up one full size in the Ultra Raptor 3 to accommodate my wider feet.
The Ultra Raptor 3 has less float, more feel
Comfort
Like most La Sportivas, the Ultra Raptor 3 feels relatively firm underfoot. It's less cushioned than most hiking shoes with more "feel" than "float." This can be a good thing, performance-wise, if you're trackling rougher trails that require more precise foot placement. You can feel more trail in this shoe. But comfort-wise, the Ultra Raptor's firmer feel might turn off more casual hikers. It's not as stiff and supportive as the La Sportiva Spire GTX.
Fit also feeds into comfort. The Ultra Raptor used to be one of the narrowest shoes on the market. Now that its width is more typical, narrow-footed hikers may be turned off by this update. On the flipside, more people can probably wear this shoe comfortably now that it's not so narrow.
Personally, I've found the Ultra Raptor 3 most comfortable on shorter, more technical hikes. On longer hikes, I wished this shoe were wider (or that I'd sized up extra) and more cushioned.
Choose the La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 3 GTX for GORE-TEX Waterproofing
Weather Protection
La Sportiva makes two versions of the Ultra Raptor 3. The Ultra Raptor 3 GTX has GORE-TEX ("GTX") waterproofing. The regular Ultra Raptor 3 ($30 less) is NOT waterproof.
The GTX version should provide above-average weather protection. In spite of the online haters, GORE-TEX is reliably waterproof and breathable. In my experience, it's still the most reliable waterproofing on the market for hiking footwear.
I tested the non-waterproof Ultra Raptor 3 because I live in a semi-arid environment where I rarely hike in water and mud. The regular (non-wp) Raptor wears slightly cooler than the GTX waterproof version, which works for me in New Mexico's high desert mountains.
La Sportiva changed the tread for the Ultra Raptor 3
Traction
The old Ultra Raptor 2 and new Ultra Raptor 3 both have GREAT traction. But the tread on the new Ultra Raptor 3 hiking shoe is completely different from its predecessor.
The old Ultra Raptor was fantastic on solid rock but slippery on mud and loose sediments. The new Ultra Raptor 3 has much more aggressive tread (deeper, angular lugs) and a pronounced heel brake. This means its traction is much more reliable on gravel, scree, and mixed terrain. It's not as special on solid rock, but I still pulled off plenty of rock scrambling in the Ultra Raptor 3. It also handled the slickrock section of Embudito Canyon reasonably well during my traction tests. But it's even better on steep trails with loose sediments, which are often slippery in the average hiking shoe.
For MY hikes, this is a traction upgrade. However, if you're expecting the Ultra Raptor 3 to have the soft rubber scrambling soles of the Ultra Raptor 2, you'll be sad with the switch.
Women's La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 3 Low
Value
La Sportivas have always been expensive, but the Ultra Raptor 3 costs less than I expected. With an MSRP of $169 ($199 for GORE-TEX), it's slightly above average in price (and above average in performance) for a hiking shoe in 2026. It also costs $20 less than the Spire, La Sportiva's flagship hiking shoe (which will be phased out in 2026).
Given the skyrocketing footwear prices of 2026, the La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 3 isn't a bad buy. You may be able to score a discount at the links below:
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Men's Ultra Raptor 3 Low
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Women's Ultra Raptor 3 Low
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La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 3: Pros & Cons
The La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 3 is an excellent hiking shoe, but that doesn't mean it's the best match for you. You should compare the shoe's specific pros and cons to your needs and preferences:
Should you buy the La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 3 hiking shoe?
The La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 3 is a high-performance hiking shoe for men and women with standard-width feet who mostly hike moderate to tough terrain. It's supportive yet lightweight and offers hikers excellent traction on most types of trails. Plus, it's available in waterproof and breathable GORE-TEX.
The biggest possible downside is the Ultra Raptor isn't as cushioned as most hiking shoes. This improves its trail feel on my technical trails but not feel as comfortable as some hiking shoes, especially if you prefer more cushioning. This shoe should fit most hikers (if they size up) but isn't the best fit for narrow or wide feet.
If you're interested in the new La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 3, please consider purchasing your pair through the links below. That's free for you but may send a few dollars my way—which keeps this site alive. Cheers!
Men's Ultra Raptor 3 Low
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Women's Ultra Raptor 3 Low
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