La Sportiva - Bushido III GTX

La Sportiva Bushido III GTX Light and provide great grip in various conditions.

https://www.rei.com/product/234656/la-sportiva-bushido-iii-gtx-trail-running-shoes-mens?sku=2346560005&store=38&CAWELAID=120217890018956084&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=110260850545&CATCI=pla-908557076159&cm_mmc=PLA_Google%7C21700000001700551_2346560005%7C908557076159%7Cbrand_flag%7C11306320442&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=11306320442&gbraid=0AAAAAD_DTlyy2wE2ptgWq01jz1jHAzBYs&gclid=Cj0KCQiAq7HIBhDoARIsAOATDxCizmFMoK8Bl52bbn347b6b005ToU5gUstAWdZJfsfemKtu5ZEkgkUaAr5YEALw_wcB I love these. Very comfy and has lasted a little more than one season so far. I play a 2-5 rounds per week.

YES. but. The new version the IIIs are falling apart waaaaayyyy sooner. I have holes in the sides after 100 miles, vs 2-300.

I only use boots if I need crampons. Scree, talus, bouldering is sooooo much better with the right trail runners. They are stickier and give you better feel for the rock. You are more nimble and quick to react. I’ve done thru hikes and off trail high routes in trail runners. I sometimes use running gaitors. The only real protection boots give is if shifting rocks hit your ankles. They don’t prevent you from rolling an ankle. I like La Sportiva Bushidos, which have a relatively stiff sole and a good rock plate. Not all trail runners have a rock plate.

If you're only hiking a handful of times a year, and your current boots get the job done, I'd say stick with what you got. Hard to say it's worth the money for you. The main benefits of trail runners are lightness and ventilation. My non gtx runners can be submerged in a river and be mostly dry in minutes. I believe your boots are already pretty light, so I don't think you'll notice much difference in terms of weight unless you're really pushing long distances. Even then, I personally don't notice a huge difference between my la sportiva bushido 3 shoes and ultra raptor 2 boots. I think there's a 3-4 oz difference on each foot, and there definitely is a non zero difference, but not Earth shattering.

Same with the bushidos 🤙

La Sportiva Bushido 3 for technical desert terrain. Amazing groundfeel, super toothy. The wide skirt at the back really helps with slippage.

I heart my La Sportiva Bushidos, which are the nimbler little brother to the mutants. They’re stickier and have a lower profile/drop so I like them better for scrambles on dry desert terrain and talus. I posted a few weeks ago that you can absolutely tell they were engineered by rock climbers, which is a compliment. I’ve raced half marathons in them and hiked 20 miles in them. But I’m seriously considering getting the Mutants for longer distances. Obviously the answer is to get both. (My feet are on the narrow side but I also wear road running shoes with a wide toe box and zero drop and find the Bushidos comfy.)

Sooooo, my hot take is that I have an utterly different trail shoe. I love my Atmos for long distance on pavement. But on the trail I don’t need the squish the Atmos gives me because that’s being provided by the ground. I wore them once accidentally in a race and it felt awful. Squish on squish, total loss of proprioception. But I come from a more minimalist background so getting the Atmos was a big shift for me. I wear La Sportiva Bushidos and they’re perfect for my foot shape. (Narrow-ish, medium-high arches, neutral/hypermobile ankles, wide toe splay.) Lots of ground feel, incredible traction for the chossy desert terrain I’m usually on. Not officially a wide toe box shoe but they still work well for me. 6 mm drop and basically no rocker. I tried all the things the running shop had that were analogous to Atmos and hated all of them for various reasons. I suspect most people will think I’m bananas for running in such different shoes but it keeps my feet adapted to a lot of scenarios. I generally wear barefoot style shoes in everyday life (I can actually be barefoot at work most of the time). This is a useful video. https://youtu.be/-kBiOYTu0Rk?si=3VueMVjQNvuIltwS

I also had the Bushido IIIs and the outsoles were falling apart in less than a year.

I need shoes more for very fast hiking and mountain running. I have narrow feet. If I had to choose, I'd prefer stability and security at the expense of a little less comfort. The terrain is rather wet, with some rocks, grass, and also various wild terrains. I don't want GTX, so it would be nice if they dried quickly. I previously had La Sportiva Bushido 3 and was very happy with them, but they weren't very durable, so maybe there's something similar, but with a slightly longer lifespan. La Sportiva Mutant, Akasha 2 or something else? Thanks

The soles on my Bushido III lasted 3 months.

The soles on my Bushido III lasted 3 months. I don't know what their durability is supposed to be. Besides, the material is like curtains, so it doesn't look well for durability.

I have the TX hike mids. That’s so timely you mentioned the Bushidos because I just tried those on yesterday and ordered a pair. I only tried them on but the bushido seemed a bit more contoured than the TX. I’ve also used the TX4 shoes but ended up not needed that much of a dedicated approach shoe.  The TX doesn’t have a lot of cushioning or obvious support which is why I bought them. In a single day I’ve put about 20km on them and would have liked a bit more support which is what led to the Bushidos. Sounds like I might experience what you did though and they might not work for the longer trails! I also really like the Salomon Quest 4 and Oboz Bridger for my heartier boots as they don’t have a ton of cushion but have good support. But I also think the Terrex are fun to hike in because of their rocker and the way I can push off the padding. I always feel like my hike is easier in them so for my casual hikes I tend to grab those or my Altras!

I have had the same issue and have had a good experience with Brooks Caldera 7s. Haven’t used them much yet but was also pleasantly surprised by La Sportiva Bushido III in a wide and half sized up