La Sportiva  Ultra Raptor II Mid GTX Hiking Boots - Men's

Lightweight, Great Grip, Runs Small

I’m more of an ankle support type vs a trail runner and these are great for that. They are really light and fit like a trail runner. But provide that extra ankle support and protection. The only problem is that they run small and my feet were hurting on a 18 mile overnight hike. Especially jamming my toes going down hill. I had to return these and order .5 size up. Once I got the new size in they are perfect. They’ve got a ton of grip and would be great in all conditions and scrambling too. If you’re looking for a stiff heavy duty boot I wouldn’t go with these. But blog you’re g looking for a lightweight fast boot, these are pretty good.

Great Design; poor durability

The soles of approach shoes with a mid-rise GTX hiking boot upper. I bought these for the Whitney Mountaineer’s Route. These lightweight, breathable waterproof boots were ideally fit for the purpose of steep cross country hiking, alpine stream crossings and, most importantly, talus-hopping and nearly vertical Class 4 scrambling on exposed quartz and granite faces in the alpine. They also served me well on early season training hikes over packed snow and ice around Lake Tahoe. Unfortunately, they failed the durability test. After my successful four day Whitey tram the rubber “fenders” along the toe sidewalls became unglued and were peeling off the body. Worse; one of the top lace hooks broke right off when I tightened the laces upon returning to the parking lot. Had that occurred during the summit push it would’ve posed a material safety hazard.

Cool weather hybrid hiking/running fit

This is out of the boxish, but I did a lot of research looking into quasi-winter running/fast hiking footwear, and I legitimately live in high elevation Rockies where winter, is well, winter, with good conditions being snowpacked with dry section trails, and ordered these. I purchased a pair of Sportiva TX4 EVO approach shoes a month ago and they were a true fit for my M's 9.5 and honestly, are the best thing I've found for my needs except for the days where I'm essentially breaking trail or following a few previous and I needed more over-ankle coverage and more aggressive sole lugs - so I bought the Mid GTX. They functionally seem perfect, and I read the reviews and upsized to a M's 10 (in cm). They are a little snug out of the box but have that vibe that they will break in and be fine. I noted others suggesting moving up a full size and I can see that if you also want no break in and thick insulating socks. The bottom line is, I have other clunkier, and heavier and warmer footwear when it drops into the mid-low 20's F and I'm planning on being out for several hours. Giving them a whirl, and due to REI's excellent return policy, which I seldom use, if I have to return and upside another half size so be it. They are incredibly well built pair of boots - running level feel of control, great grip. The over ankle rise isn't really going to give you much true ankle support if that is your thing but it sure keeps out the snow and seems to me it could be pretty much a 3-season option for hiking and quasi-trail running. In summer, lord knows regular trail runner options are there in droves. I also can pair them up with my all-purpose running/hiking traction cleats and running gaiters when things are tending towards "Why didn't I just wear my heavier/warmer/higher rise winter hiking boots" - its about being comfortable outside while getting some burn, after all.

Comfortable to take on long hikes.

I have tried a half a dozen boots but this pair is comfortable from the get go. These are narrow boots but switching to a wide version did the trick. These boots held up well on a 18+ miles hike with highly technical terrain. I am also keen on ankle support and these boots have just enough support to keep my ankles from turning completely. Of all the boots I tried out, I am keeping this pair.

Great Fit and Super Comfy!

I love these. Perfect fit and comfy from the start.

Little to no cushioning

These boots are relatively stiff through the midsole and flex near the ball of the foot. They provide ankle support but have little to no cushioning. Durability has not been an issue with my shoes. I normally wear a size 12 shoe, but I bought a size 12.5. These fit fine with a single pair of socks. I think the La Sportiva TX4 EVO mid GTX, which I also own, are better hiking boots.

Comfortable and light

I bought these last season and they have held up for a lot of miles so far. They feel like running shoes, but do alright in rougher stuff and keep your feet pretty dry. They don’t have a huge amount of ankle support, but are comfortable on long steep hikes.

La Sportiva Men's boots

Good hiking boots. I spent many walking days using them in all types of environments and terrains. Comfortable. Great water resistance. Great grip of the surface

The sole straits to make a thump thump noise with each step. Mine made the noise, returned them, REI was great, and then after about 75 miles they started making the noise again. Also, my son bought a pair and after about 100 miles his is making the noise. Unfortunately outside the REI return window. 3 pairs that all started making a thump noise with each step. Unacceptable.

Look tiny and they ARE!

These are stiff and run small. I am a true 40.5 and these run to tight in the toe box. If you have narrow feet may work. The are stiff too but the soles seems sticky. They are going back