La Sportiva Wild Cats

REI carries them, if you have one nearby you could try them on.

I’m on my >12th pair of Wildcats.  I’ve no idea how many miles I get out of them since I wear them nearly every day in the front country, but I go through 2-3 pair per year.  I talked to a lady who through hiked the CDT and she was getting 700 miles out of hers.

Traction is as good/better than any boot I’ve worn and sticky enough for me.  These were the first Trail runners I ever tried for hiking and I like them enough that I’m not willing to experiment with other shoes, so I couldn’t compare them to Cascadias for example.

They run true to size.

I’ve ripped the outside fabric on two pair, one trip was over 50% talus and scree.  The inner fabric held the shoe together fine and other than looking trashed, I didn’t notice a difference in comfort or performance.  But, if I was ever masochistic enough to do the SHR, I’d go with a different pair of shoes.

Lastly, footwear is highly personal.  What works for me may not work for you.  I love them but as Doug suggested, I’d find an REI  and walk around with them on for an hour in the store before purchasing.

Yeah this is very true. I suppose the ride to REI would be worth my while. You kinda fed me the line i use all the time. Silly question on my behalf shoes are surely a personal item. Just kinda wanted to feel a few people out. These will be my first pair of trail runners since i started backpacking   17 years ago.

I like Wildcats. I’ve worn them for both on- and off-trail travel. I think they’re slightly better suited to trails, for the reason that Ian provided.

Also note that they are extremely breathable. This is usually fine and often a good thing, but if you’re hiking through silt, fine sand or dust, it will get in your shoes, which is a minor nuisance.

I still keep a pair of Wildcats in my quiver–they are reliable; I’ve worn them on many a 30-40 mile day in the Sierra. But I prefer others now, depending on whether I’ll be on trail or off.

Here’s a relevant thread from January that provides some alternatives: https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/looking-for-footwear-substitute/

Top three most important considerations for footwear are fit, fit, and fit. Definitely try some on and make sure they are a good fit for you.

I own Wildcats and also like them. I sometimes have trouble finding a shoe that has ample width in the toebox but then also isn’t too wide in the heel, and the Wildcats fit me well in that regard. As noted, they are sticky enough and very breathable. As for durability, my current pair has about 200 miles on them and has lost some lugs but otherwise holding fine. The laces they come with don’t seem to last me, I’ve switched them out for a pair of Lawson’s.

I’m a fan of La Sportiva. As long as your making the trip you may as well try on the Ultra Raptors as well. A bit beefier than the Wildcats in my opinion.

Im planning on heading over to REI on Friday.  I was looking at the raptors as well. So best to narrow it down between the 2

Again, fit is king, but…

My go-to shoe are the Wildcats but I bought the Raptors to have a more robust shoe in my quiver for trips that are talus/scree heavy.  I found for me that they were a tighter fit.  For my foot, the toe box in the Wildcats are near perfect, much less so with the Raptors.

Also, the inside is more plasticy with the Raptors and I found myself fighting off blisters more with them.  When paired with Wright coolmax socks, I’ve only had one blister with the Wildcats and that was at the absolute end of my Wonderland Trail hike.

Your tootsies may vary.

John – since you have tried both the Ultra Raptors and the Wildcats, how to do they compare fit wise?

Doug – I would not narrow it down to those two, it depends on your foot.  La Sportiva’s are known to be narrow, so if you have a narrow foot, I would look at La Sportiva and Salomon.  If you don’t have a narrow foot, I doubt La Sportiva’s will be for you.

I do have a narrow foot and after 10 years of using Salomon’s I am trying La Sportiva’s now.  I tried Montrail’s which were big a few years ago and they killed my feet.  I tried Innov-8 too and they didn’t work for me, but obviously both Montrails and Innov-8 have worked well for a lot of people.  Feet are so different what works for one, doesn’t eccentrically work for another.

10 years ago I switched from Lowa 1 piece leather boots (leather lined) and have never looked back.  Once you find the right fit with a trail runner, it will greatly improve your comfort on long days on the trail.

If anyone from La Sportiva is reading. How about size 15? We are out here. Sometimes with no shoes to choose.

I agree that footwear is a very personal decision, as we all have different feet and different needs. Having said that, I’ve been a big fan of La Sportiva over the years. I wore through a few pair of the Wildcat and Ultra Raptor, but now much prefer their newer models. When you visit REI, make sure to try on the Akasha and Akyra if they carry them. Both have the FriXion Red outsoles which are grippier than the FriXion Blue (Wildcat) and longer wearing than the FriXion Green (Ultra Raptor). The Akasha and Akyra are also built on an ‘endurance’ last, meaning the old assumption of La Sportiva shoes being too narrow doesn’t hold true. I still need to size up to a 47 (13) from my usual 12.5. The Akyra is currently an REI exclusive and not available through other retail outlets. My local REI carries them. I’ve put around 30 miles on them so far, and my initial impressions are very positive. I’ve put over 400 miles on two pairs of Akashas, and they’re my favorite max-cushion shoe in my quiver.

As for Salomon, the most popular hiker is probably the XA Pro 3D. If you go for this one, find the new model that was just released last month (they didn’t change or append the name). Salomon added the new Premium Wet Traction Contragrip outsole, which is a huge improvement over the previous model. The Salomon X Ultra 2 is another popular option with hikers. Salomon’s newest model for off trail adventures is the XA Enduro. I just got a pair last week and have yet to put any miles on them, but I’m liking what I’m seeing.

I second the Akashas. The red FriXion grip is really great. The downside is that I find I slide when I wear any other shoe as I’ve gotten so used to my feet sticking to anything in the La Sportivas.

Last years models are on sale (here in Europe anyway). I find I need a full size larger in all La Sportiva models, YMMV.

I like the Wildcats. Plus points for me are lots of EVA, which almost acts like a rock plate because of its thickness, and very breathable mesh. Minor points for me are slightly wider last and ‘clunkiness’ of the whole thing.

I prefer the fit of the Mutants. I have read people with a bit wider feet fitting well in these, but they fit me superbly as well – and I have very narrow feet. Toe box is amazingly wide while I can lock down the mid of the foot really well. Also as a triple broken toe sufferer, I like the rubber toe bumper (on the front! not over your toes, which can block toe movement).

The heel to toe transition on the Mutants is very smooth, it feels like a more minimal shoe than it actually is. Quite a difference with the Wildcats especially, but even compared to something like the Montrail Bajadas.
The grip on the Mutants is superb with the fat lugs and sticky rubber – useful in mud as well as to scramble up rock.

Minor points for me are on high mileage days over technical and rocky terrain my feet will feel it. More so than with the Wildcats. I am not sure if my feet will get stronger, but I have had this when I reach 40~50Km, the soles of my feet feel real bruised. Same in the Bajadas even. Also, even though the Mutants are supposed to be have these integrated semi-gaiter like ankle entrance – I do find I actually get more of the occasional dirt inside my shoe. Not a huge deal, but kind of like a reversal of what I expected and I unexpectedly destroyed my socks this way.

The Wildcats are light, airy and cushiony, great for long days on decent trails, but in some cases I prefer the heavier TX3’s because of the stiffer sole, like the talus situation mentioned above. I have been considering trying the Raptors for an upcoming SHR trip as they used to be described on the Sportiva website as having a proper rock plate. Are the Akashas or Akyras also stiffer than the Wildcats?

To the OP, the 12mm heel drop of the Wildcats is perfect for me. I have to build up the TX3’s with a shim. I took me awhile to understand how important the heel drop factor is for me.