La Sportiva  Ultra Raptor 3 Mid GTX Hiking Boots - Men's

Tried in several other shoes but this shoe felt the best. Didn’t rub the inside of the ankle like others. Lasted well on a rocky terrain over 3 days with average of 8-10 miles per day. The Gortex kept my feet cool and did well with warter.

For many years I used my Asolo 520s for everything from multi-day backpacking trips to 14ers, but have spent the last few years looking for something lighter for single day hikes. I'm not a fan of hiking in trail running shoes, something I did for a few years in the aughts, partly because I have high-mobility ankles and even with years of strength training, my ankles love to roll I spent about 18 months in a pair of Merrell Moab Speed 2 Mids, which didn't really seem to offer enough ankle support. I also have lower volume feet, but decently sized little piggies so a good fit can be hard to find. I also found that after 18 months (many mountain ascents and a few more casual outings) the toes were very worn down. After doing some research I picked up a pair of Ultra Raptor 3 Mids, hoping to find boots that better met my primary use case: peak bagging. Criteria for me: comfortable for long days on the trail, ankle support to prevent rolling, good performance on talus and scrambling up and down class 3 and class 4 terrain. I tried these back to back with some Hoka Kaha 3s, which I thought would be the winners, in store and found that the Kahas were too large (I had to really tighten them down and the leather would only stretch) and the large cushy outsole made them feel too imprecise for edging and smearing. The Raptor 3 Mids, on the other hand, fit perfectly right out of the box. I didn't have to overtighten them and the speedhooks at the top seemed to keep tension fantastically. On the trail I found them to be perfect for my use case: the FriXion® XF 2.0 does a good job of gripping and smearing on large granite slabs (very common in the Rockies at elevation) and my feet did not feel beat up despite being less cushioned than the Speed 2s I was using prior. I also greatly appreciated the continuous rubber toe cap something neither the Kahas or Speed 2s had. Ankle support is improved, though I wouldn't classify them as supportive as something like my aforementioned Asolo 520s, so I would probably not use them for multi-day backpacking. But for my chief use is alpine ascents involving a mix of scrambling and hiking, they have so far been perfect. I did have to size up (I wear a 42.5 in most climbing and cycling shoe brands and went up to a 43), even with my narrow low volume feet to prevent toe jamming. The locked in feeling they offer is phenomenal. I hope to get a few seasons out of them before the rubber is destroyed and the upper is a floppy mess. Small nit would be the ghillie lacing. In my experience that style of lacing, with nylon loops, can wear out. It would be nice to see them use eyelets or some other ghillie style, but it's a small nit. Bottom line: if you have lower volume feet and like quick paced hiking up a mountain that will ineveitably involve some marginally technical scrambling, these boots are fantastic. I'll report back when I've done more than a handful of hikes, but thus far, chef's kiss!

I work in footwear and have tried to wear La Sportiva in the past. Always too narrow or just the wrong fit. This new version of the ultra raptor is much better for me. Not wide, but accommodating for a technical boot. I had to figure out that I needed to go one full size up. Looking forward to some time in the Sierras to really test them out.

I purchased these back in April of 2026 and as of June 2026 they already have hole in the sides an lost most of its tread. They’re a great light boot but not very durable. I work as an Archeological Field Tech in Montana an try to find what works out in the field. I was super hyped for these but after the wear and tear tear over a short while it leaves me to write this review.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Loved using this on a recent 14er. Highly recommend and going to be great to use on my winter hikes too!

Bought these for a 30 mile backpacking trip across the Englands Lake District. They were perfect. Takes a little bit to get them broken in, but they are not too bad in the process. Once they are broken in - Oh MY! The boots were actually more waterproof than I expected, but eventually they did get wet and they really worked the water out very impressively. Each night my feet only felt a little damp and the boots were ready to go again the next morning, which is impressive since we walked through the wettest valley in England. I finished the trip and my feet felt great, no blisters or hot spots. I love these boots.

The Sportiva Raptors have been my go to boot for the last several years. I walk/hike about 1,000 miles/year and the old version was versatile in all situations. I didn’t even look at other boots, I just kept re-upping with Sportiva Raptors. Well the araptor 3s have changed that - they made significant changes to upper, much for the worse. In the past, the Raptors had a unique (to me) upper that was a softer material that you could lace very tight around the an ankles. The upper was almost like a compression sleeve around your ankles - it provided stability, kept debris and water out, and made the boots easy to slip on and off. The new upper is a dramatic downgrade. It flares at the top, providing less support and allowing all kinds of junk in. It’s also difficult to get the boots on and off. Basically, Sportiva took a unique boot and made it bog standard. Don’t get me wrong - these boots are still fine. But they are no longer special. I might buy them again, but I would definitlely shop around first, particularly at this price point. Sportiva had an edge that convinced me to pay a premium price. That edge is gone.

Bought these mid boots for a five day hike in the Wind river range WY. The boots fit perfectly and performed well on long daily hikes. Excellent grip in rough terrain. Good ankle support. Haven't had them long enough to judge durability but have held there own so far and I haven't babied these things. I would definitely recommend. Just size up the fit in store.

More narrow in the picture center. 5mm less width than other current models. Difficult to pull on with midweight socks. Insoles are the same length as the other shoes, but the width is tighter. Narrow width could mean future length problems on long mileage days with feet swelling. I bought these for bad weather days convenience and ski trips.

Well, I am a female that has found that men's La Sportiva hiking boots fit me better than the woman's models! This pair is my 4th pair! Roght put ofvthe box they feel great. I havent hiked in them because I am STILL using my 'shoulder season' 200 gram boots, but I can already tell this new model they will be great boots. You just cant beat the grip they give you on steep ledges.