Salomon XA Comp 7 vs. La Sportiva ultra raptor.

[M G]

Interested in long term durability experience with either of these shoes. Especially on Sierra Granite both on and off trail?

[Nick Gatel]

Can't say. I still haven't worn out my last two pairs of the Comp 3's. Great shoes, but a tiny bit heavy.

[Ryan P. Murphy]

I will start this off by saying I have not worn the comp 7 or the ultra raptors. I have, however, worn the 2006 iteration of the comps and the la sportiva raptors, which I'm still rocking. The raptors are one of the best trail shoes I have ever worn especially for the Adirondacks where they have seen the most strenuous use. I've had them for 11 months and have put a few hundred miles on them. They look almost new and the soles are still going strong. The yellow ink over the black foam/fabric is breaking down but otherwise they could be only a month old rather than a year. The soles are the best I've ever used on the wet slide climbs common in the Daks (think 45 degree granite/gneiss/anorthosite slabs covered in running water) and give great confidence. The big changes for the ultra raptor over the raptor is that the toe box is now mesh rather than the smooth fabric on the raptor. Sportiva says the mesh is more durable but my toe boxes are still intact and I prefer the fabric as it allows less mud and grit to work its way through the material. The lace attachments have also been changed a little; beyond that I couldn't say.

The older salomons I had were quite simply the worst shoes I've ever owned, developing major holes within the first six weeks from a poor design. The lace attachment reinforcement in the flex zone of the toe cut right through the toe mesh, developing large holes on both sides of both shoes in under two months and maybe 60 miles of use. Also the sole rubber was the least secure of any shoe I've ever worn on the trail, downright scary on wet rock. I know the newer Salomons are much more durable but believe the soles are similar (great design just not a good compound for my use).

I love my raptors and would recommend them to anyone whom they fit well, looking for a midweight trail shoe, with a bit of cushioning and a solid heel for long descents after big days. The sticky rubber soles are absolutely amazing on wet rock.

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