La Sportiva  Bushido III Trail-Running Shoes - Men's

Running trails and hills specifically: I enjoy being able to feel the trail’s texture to help guide my balance and footing. Additionally, the sole is not too soft as to feel the sharper rocks, gravel and roots stabbing through, just that they are there and I adjust accordingly. I think the flexibility of the sole was just right for me to allow for a purposeful barefoot running style of staying on the balls of my feet. Good traction throughout the trails; to include fine dirt, gravel, roots, and mud. Water: Running through small streams was hardly noticeable. If it was 2” or less I noticed no water intrusion. More than that or with longer exposure, water would start to seep in from the top mesh. I never really noticed water coming in from the sides. Pictures are from about 1 mile later. It was a hot and humid day running in Georgia this summer, and there was some dampness remaining, but no standing water or squishiness remained. The breath ability on the sides is great, and I really didn’t have much dirt get through. I like the sock-like feature that comes down from the tongue to help keep dirt out. Overall good evaporation and my feet stayed relatively comfortable without overheating. I would strongly recommend these as a great option for trail running. The sizes are about 1/2 a size small. I normally wear 11.5 and these fit really well as a 12. These shoes have a little arch support though it is not excessive. I have relatively flat feet. But I have found they are comfortable even after 8-10 hours on my feet. The notch taken out of the tongue is a good design. I like how it takes a little pressure off of the top of the foot above the ankle.

La Sportiva has a wide shoe now! Out of the box they are a little stiff but after a few miles of breaking in my feet really started to like them. So I decided to try them on a 14er hike in Colorado. This is where I fell in love with this shoe. It’s a tough and rugged shoe that hikes like a boot but feels like a sneaker. Light to the point where you forget they’re on your feet. The lugs were grippy on wet rock, helped in the snow and let me blast through the skree. The toe cap is tough and actually protects you. I was really surprised at how well they drained after crossing through some streams. These are now my go to shoes for rugged hikes and I highly recommend these to anyone looking for a sneaker that hikes like a boot.

Excellent sneakers for the trail to the asphalt. I really enjoy these sneakers for many reasons. They are a bit snug and you should probably size up by .5 in US. But I think they are snug in order for them to be very technical shoes. They give confidence in grip and agility. The breathable mesh sides offer great ventilation to keep your feet cool and dry. The soles are like glue, very grippy and nice. There is almost no drop from heel to toe, which is great in helping maneuver through uneven ground. I think these sneakers are great for trail running and also for day hikes, outdoor adventures, and anything that might require great grip and security in the woods. These Bushido IIIs are very similar in fit to the IIs. Excellent sneakers and would totally recommend.

A great product with a couple notable deficiencies. First, I bought my first pair of these, significantly discounted, from another retailer. I liked them enough I bought another pair here direct. Second, sizing with La Sportiva is wonky. I do appreciate that they can accommodate my wide, hobbit-y feet, but I wear a size 44.5 in these, 43.5 in low-top TX4, and 44 in mid-top TX4. Be aware. Third, let's deal with the downsides. Of which there are a handful. Those include: A) The laces. Please, for the love of whatever deity is currently in vogue in Italy, supply better laces with all La Sportiva shoes. Laces breaking is ubiquitous to the point that you'll be able to tell your own pair of TX4's apart from the others not by color or style but by what color of laces. I didn't do harsh canyon-y things with the Bushidos, but yep, still broke laces. Which brings me to: B) The lacing system/"grommets". This is also a problem across all the La Sportiva system. As soon as you replace the laces with something tougher (I used Kevlar laces), now you're going to chew through the lace holders / grommets. And this is a shoe-killer when it happens. La Sportiva: Please just make a "Southwest" version of your most popular shoes that has metal grommets and proper laces and you'd fix about 90% of the complaints people have about these. C) The smell. Get these shoes wet and it's like you'll always have a damp dog with bad breath on a run with you. D) The wear. Note that the front of these shoes, particularly, wears fast - mine have holes in them from doing fairly limited maneuvering on sandstone. Okay, now that we have those complaints out of the way, these shoes are great for moderate-mileage days on rocks or heavy-mileage days on uneven terrain. I've taken mine on a variety of Wasatch scrambles, including Olympus and Pfeifferhorn; they're also the shoes I ran R2R2R in, a 42-mile day, as well as Buckskin Gulch, a 23-mile day in water, mud, rock, and sand. The soles are not as grippy as TX4/TX3's (which is fine; I don't know that I'd want them to be). They're good trail running shoes in that they're moderate in all things- grippiness is somewhere between Altra LP's and TX4's; comfort is less than a padded track shoe (What's all the rage these days) and a flat shoe. My first outing with these was an 11-mile run + scramble and it left the soles of my feet a little achey (which was a surprise; I run barefoot plenty and it takes a lot for my feet to feel something). Since then, though, I've reached for these for anything that didn't require Class 5 scrambling or walking on slickrock. What should you buy these shoes for? What it says on the box. Non-technical, uneven terrain outside. For more technical terrain, use a TX4 or TX3. For a regular track, use a regular shoe. I liked 'em enough that I bought another pair. I think I've got something like 400 or 500 miles on these (probably more)

These shoes are great trailrunner for good weather. These are very light weight, relatively narrow trail running shoes that so far ive really liked. They have mesh siding for good ventilation and pretty light but also have great traction and insole. Its not a minimalist running shoe like i like but its the next best thing. I also really like the look of it.

Shoe looks solid and well constructed and looks like it could survive a good trashing. The grip's great too and holds on to any terrain like its afraid to let go. The breathable mesh is a great little mercy on a hot and humid day. On the downside La Sportiva built this just almost right. Usually, I slip into a size 10.5 (D) like it was made for me, but these felt like trying to squeeze into a 9 or 9.5. This gets uncomfortable and frustrating especially on technical terrain. Downhill was a nightmare, my toes jamming into the front. Two miles in and my toes went numb, and I had to loosen the laces to be able to continue. So, if you're thinking about buying these, do yourself a favor. Try them on in a store, let your feet decide. The sizing is a cruel mistress, dragging down what could’ve been a masterpiece. Here’s hoping they get it right next time.

I received these products for free from the REI Trailblazers sampling program in exchange for my honest review. I used these shoes everyday for 2 weeks, primarily on dirt trails that were not very technical. I found the shoe fit to be a little snug in the waist when compared to my other running shoes, but I actually grew to appreciate this feature because my foot would stay securely in place. If I happened to bump into something with the tip of the shoe, my foot would not slide forward in the shoe and I would be protected by the toe box. The traction was excellent on the trails and I felt very secure going up and down the hills. The heel to toe transition during running was also very good, and I felt that I could really run well on the trail. The shoe has adequate cushioning, and there is also a rock plate for added protection. I think that these shoes are excellent training shoes which could be used in most conditions. However, if I were planning an extra long run where I might want to maximize comfort, I would consider picking a shoe with more cushioning.

Used this shoe exclusively on my AT thru hike and shakedown hikes, going through 3 pairs. I regretfully replaced my first pair after only 600 miles, and my subsequent two each lasted over 1000 miles without ever failing catastrophically. My feet are exceptionally narrow, making these a perfect fit, plus I loved the traction and of course the durability. The mesh part of the shoe and panel seams near the front were the weak points. I would sew these up with dental floss and glue over the top to create a permanent fix. This is the last hiking oriented trail runner I will ever buy, and I'm tempted to buy a dozen pairs to hoard in case they're discontinued or changed.

Great looking shoe, but unfortunately a tough review for me since they didn’t fit the best. Took them out for a few trail runs and they seemed to handle the trail pretty well. Firm sole, secure lace hold and extremely durable. Solid aesthetics and a great colorway. Rear loop makes getting them on and off a breeze, tread pattern really helps lock in your grip on the trail regardless of conditions.

La Sportiva is the best I’ve found for my narrow, bony feet. I climbed Long’s Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park in these shoes. They have awesome grip, are very stable, and held up great. It was raining most of the way down and I didn’t slip. This is all with the insoles taken out since I bought a half size too small by mistake. The Bushido is worth every penny.