La Sportiva  Ultra Raptor 3 Hiking Shoes - Men's

I love the new colours for this iteration, but after having both the first and second versions, this shoe is simply not the same. The Canadian Rockies are notorious for loose, crumbly choss and scree and with my flat feet this LaSpo model was the only thing that worked for 4th+ class terrain where I felt like the shoe held up. The tractions is still amazing with this version, but both previous versions lasted me around 500km of absolute bashing in the mountains. Some wear was unavoidable, but this new version ripped the upper on my first day out. The foam midsole also seems much less durable with multiple gouges already. I do not want to baby these shoes, they are bought for mountain adventures. Please fix this new version!

Very poor quality. The front material if falling apart.

Update to initial review. Sadly after a couple months of weekend warrioring my shoes are ripping like others are describing here. The ripstop fabric is separating from the TPU side panels as well as tearing at the forefoot creases. Simply put - it’s the wrong fabric as it’s too brittle for anything apart from nature walks and doesn’t breath well enough for a non-GTX upper. Adding Aquaseal/Freesole preventatively only slightly delays the problem but does not fix (once it dries it starts to peel at flex points). I’d give this only one star but the midsole is holding up well and the Frixion White sole is trying its hardest to cope. As per my first review LaSpo really should move to a more durable compound at the expense of stickiness. If any LaSpo folks see this - happy to chat. I doubt you want my Frankensteined shoes with Aquaseal back but I’ll probably just go back to Aku and Scarpa till something changes.

Well.. I thought I was moving up in the world going from Salomon to La Sportiva with this shoe but it has been a major let down. The top lace is routed through the inside of the shoe vs an external loop or rivet on the outside. This causes the laces to dig straight into the upper ankel and make it very painful to walk in let alone go for a long hike or backpacking trip, terrible design on that portion on the shoe. As for durability, after my first hike, the shoe showed heavy wear on the outside front below the small toe. On the second hike, I tripped on a small branch and fabrick on top of the toe shredded like wet paper. With 30 years of hiking and backpacking in the high sierras, Ive never had any experiences remotely close to this with any other shoes. Ive submitted a warranty and have yet to hear from anyone, hopefully I can get these warrantied so I can try something else or wait until a diffrent rendition of this shoe is released. Total bummer!

After the Ultra Raptor II, I thought UR III would be the same or better. It is not. Same size, but not same last or fit, leaving room to rub in a blister. A disappointing start after high expectations.

Just bought this last week and took it out on my first hike today. I’d definitely say these are more hiking shoes than trail runners, as these wouldn’t have enough padding for running. Even for hiking the insole is a bit thin - wish it was a bit thicker for more shock absorption, which is why I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 (might try an aftermarket insole to improve the comfort). Otherwise the outsole is very grippy on rocks and fallen trees, and the lugs are fairly deep so you can have a lot of traction on muddy trails. The lacing system works great, didn’t come loose at all during my hike. Sizing wise, I usually wear a size 12, sometimes 12.5, and for these I needed to get the size 13 (47), so I’d say they run a bit small. I have narrow feet so these worked really well for me. Overall highly recommend it for hiking, just confirm that the insole provides enough comfort for you.

Not up to real outdoor use. Uppers ripping apart after 200 miles on the PCT. Best use is for the Mall. Disappointed, the Ultra Raptor IIs were great.

The toe box is roomier than the last version, but the heel is narrower, too narrow. If they come out with a wide version I may try it. Years and years of great fitting shoes and now I'm down to only the Wildcats that fit and while a great shoe they don't stand up to abuse. Overall, La Sportiva has lost their way.

The grip on these is next to none with excellent traction and amazing heel support. I know there’s always debate about whether synthetic hiking shoes really need a break in period, but for me the difference between the first 10 miles and the next 10 mile hike was huge because they felt infinitely better once they loosened up a bit. They are somewhat tighter in the heel than what I’m used to in a low top hiking shoe of this style, but honestly it has grown on me and now feels more like added support than a negative. My only complaint was completely my own fault because during one hike the inner sole somehow got pinched under my heel and I kept walking on it instead of stopping to adjust it. Once I fixed it, I haven’t had any issues since. Overall, I’m extremely impressed with the comfort, support, and grip.