How to Choose Hiking Boots

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Designed from the inside out to withstand the harshest conditions, the men's La Sportiva Ultra Raptor II Mid Leather GTX hiking boots are ideal for hikers who need boots to handle the daily grind.
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View the La Sportiva Ultra Raptor Product LineView all La Sportiva Men's Day Hiking BootsBest Use | Hiking |
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Footwear Height | Over-the-ankle |
Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
Waterproof | Yes |
Type of Waterproofing | GORE-TEX Extended Comfort w/ GORE-FLEX |
Upper | Nubuck leather |
Midsole | Injection-molded MEMlex |
Support | Nylon-molded flex TPU transfer shank/TPU Transkinetic EVO heel stabilizer |
Outsole | FriXion AT 2.0 with Trail Bite heel |
Can Be Resoled | Yes |
Weight (Pair) | 1lb. 12.9 oz. pounds |
Gender | Men's |
Sustainability | From a Climate Neutral Certified brand |
34 EU | 35.5 EU | 36.5 EU | 37 EU | 37.5 EU | 38 EU | 38.5 EU | 39 EU | 39.5 EU | 40 EU | 40.5 EU | 41 EU | 41.5 EU | 42 EU | 42.5 EU | 43 EU | 43.5 EU | 44 EU | 44.5 EU | 45 EU | 45.5 EU | 46 EU | 46.5 EU | 47 EU | 47.5 EU | 48 EU | 48.5 EU | 49 EU | 49.5 EU | 50 EU | |
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U.S. Men's | 2.5+ | 4 | 4.5+ | 5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 6.5+ | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 8.5+ | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 10.5+ | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 12.5+ | 13 | 13.5 | 14 | 14.5 | 15 | 15.5 | 16 |
U.S. Women's | 3.5 | 5 | 5.5+ | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 7.5+ | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 9.5+ | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 11.5+ | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 13.5 | 13.5+ | 14 | 14.5 | 15 | 15.5 | 16 | 16.5 | |
EU | 34 | 35.5 | 36.5 | 37 | 37.5 | 38 | 38.5 | 39 | 39.5 | 40 | 40.5 | 41 | 41.5 | 42 | 42.5 | 43 | 43.5 | 44 | 44.5 | 45 | 45.5 | 46 | 46.5 | 47 | 47.5 | 48 | 48.5 | 49 | 49.5 | 50 |
Mondo | 24 | 24.5 | 25 | 25.5 | 26 | 26.5 | 27 | 27.5 | 28 | 28.5 | 29 | 29.5 | 30 | 30.5 | 31 |
For boots: Add one half size to your street shoe size. You should be able to slip one finger behind your heel when you are standing up with the boot unlaced and your toes touching the front. If the boot is too short, your toes will get smashed walking downhill. Too long and your heel will slide up and down and give you blisters.
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These boots were great in rock scrambling sections, and the heel brake system in the outsole was good with catching rocks/dirt on downhills to slow descent. I would say that I have wider feet, and was recommended wider/american brands by a specialist at REI. I still picked these up because of their awesome reviews online, and tried sizing a full size up and in a wide. Still the boots felt constrictive of my toes and at times uncomfortable. Waterproofing was good, did as expected in water crossings and crushed snow. I would say the grip on these would be overkill for groomed trails and a more comfortable boot for short jaunts would be appropriate.
Of course all feet are unique, but for some reason I've always gotten blisters on my heels from hiking boots, to ski touring boots, and even non-technical footwear at times. Hiking boots especially have been a massive point of frustration, as I typically hike and do light scrambles on steep and rocky trails in Colorado. I've been through all the "greats" from Asolos to Salomons. They've all left me with blisters or I've had to tape up my foot preventively, and even then I've had issues as the tape will shift and cause friction at some point. I've only done about 50 miles in these shoes, but hiked Mt. Bierstadt in CO this morning and was blown away by how light and comfortable they were after very little breaking in. They're essentially like trail runners with ankle support. The main compromise with these boots is that you give up some of that hard solid sole, that sometimes is necessary if you're carrying a kid on rocky trails over several hours, or a big heavy 30+ lbs backpack for a full day. I don't typically write reviews, but I've benefited a lot from other people doing it. Another motivator is that I want everyone to buy these shoes so they keep making them!
Super comfortable lightweight hiking boot. Purchased size 42.5 wide and took this straight out of the box to Rocky Mountain National Park for a 10.75 mile break-in through lots of packed snow, slush, and standing/running water and ice-melted streams. Comfort-wise, these were awesome with zero hot spots or other fit and break-in related issues. The problem I ran into was the effectiveness of the goretex. My merino socks were wet early in the hike after 2 shallow water crossings and later again descending through slush and other shallow bands of runoff towards the end of our loop. I was able to change socks early on after the initial issue, and after returning to the trailhead. Truly a bummer since these were super-super comfortable, especially for such a long break-in hike, and they look pretty sweet to boot.
Great boot. A bit pricey but they can be resoled and they are leather. I've been having a tough time finding a shoe that's wide enough. Men's sizes worked.
Best boots / shoes i’ve had. I live hike and do some trail running in the mountains. Just took a snow hike feet are perfectly warm and dry. I love the natural foot fit with spacious tow box. Traction and support are excellent, with enough flexibility they’re as comfortable as low tops. Cushioning is perfect. I run hiit sprints on rocky trails, and I’ve hiked many miles with 35 pounds. 1.5 years later, They’re not hot in summer, and no quality problems at all.
These boots provided great fit & support - a real plus while negotiating the UK in real and urban settings!
I’ve had for over a year and just love them. Have hikes a couple of hundred miles in them, mostly in the White Mtns but also desert SW. Very lightweight, grippy and comfortable boots. I’m going to buy a second pair for when these wear out.
These are narrow, which caused some issues with my gait. But even moreso, there is a seam not pictured that runs vertical along the inside near the arch. Due to the minimal nature of the shoe, that seam caused some immediate problems for me.
Purchased these boots a few weeks ago. I have taken them on two separate 2.5 mile hikes so far and have really enjoyed them with zero issues. Hikes included gravel ascents/descents, sandy washes, rocky creek beds and traversing through low levels of water. I had to purchase the wide version of the boots, but they are very comfortable/supportive and I like their strong grip on different terrains.
Best hiking boots I have ever owned, light weigh, bouncy and comfortable. Make sure you get 1 full size larger than your normal size, if not 1.5 sizes larger if you want to use aftermarket insoles (highly recommended)