La Sportiva Wildcat Trail Running Shoe - Men's for Sale, Reviews, Deals and Guides

I haven't done any super long hikes in these yet, but so far they feel great! Wish I had just a tiny bit more room in the toe box, but they feel fine. I will say they run small, I ended up having to get 11.5 and I don't wear that size in any other shoe, so keep that in mind. (edit) After walking around the neighborhood in these a bit, I did a 35 mile trip through snow (UGH) and these felt great! No break-in period really, felt comfortable instantly. They did feel a bit too cushion-y at first, but I've gotten used to that. They are SO grippy! So grippy that they feel almost sticky when I'm wearing them, which is awesome.

well made , gives a solid foundation for my stride. size to me is true. would buy again

I've gone through 4 pairs of these shoes. I have narrow feet, and these just seem to "work" for me, and are very comfortable. Sometimes it's just easier to stay with what you know, then try to find a better alternative. My main two issues with the Wildcat are these: First, the very top/last eyelets, where one ties the shoes, fray very quickly. Ultimately, the underlying integrity of the eyelet is ok and has not caused issues, but if you care about aesthetics, those two eyelets on each shoe begin to look like muppets. Second, as another reviewer wrote, the bottoms of the shoes wear relatively quickly, which also decreases the traction. Further, I have not had great experiences w traction on any type of wet root or rock. I have started to using an Arc'teryx FL mid GTX to run on mountain trails. It will be interesting to see how these hold up over time, but so far, they have been amazing. Not to mention, the sole on the Arc'teryx is like glue on rocks and roots. They also run even a bit narrower than the La Sportivas, so if you have wider feet, they may not be great for you.

I received my new pair of shoes yesterday and put them to use on a Run/hike in the Santa Monica Mtns this morning. They were comfortable from the moment I put them on until the moment I took them off after about 5 miles of trail hopping. The shoes are only part of the story, the first pair I ordered were too small so I put a call into to Customer Service (my favorite Gearheads!!!) and of course was greeted by The Grateful Dead music while on hold, I love that, best hold musice EVER!!!! My Gearhead friend totally took care of me, made me aware of the replacement pair, shipped it and sent the return slip all with the greatest of attitude, Such a Pleasure to deal with, That's why my first go to for gear is Always Backcountry!!

I've worn La Sportiva gear for years. Mountaineering, running, climbing, etc. But these shoes within a month were falling apart. The rubber on the bottom worn out with less than 30 miles on them. Maybe I had a fluke pair. I hope so because I do like this brand.

Loved the shoes and the fit but after about a week of wearing them the tongue ripped out as I took the shoe off. Crappy sewing job. I expect better from them.

I have been running in Wildcats for years. 10 years ago a picked up a pair of La Sportivas cheap and thought I would give them a try... I have had a pair in my closet ever since. I run the Tetons... trails are either fast and smooth where I prefer a minimalist+ shoe like the Inov8 Roclite series or the trails are very rocky and technical which require more under foot protection... the Wildcats fit that bill. The Wiildcats also serve as my go to business trip shoe where I don't know how or what I will be running.... the WIldcat has good grip as other reviews have mentioned but I am not enamored with it's bite as compared to some other trail shoe treads.. what I like about the Wildcat tread is it is efficient so I have not problem using the shoes for 10K road runs when I can only carry one pair of shoes. Grab a pair, if you are like me and appreciate a neutral shoe that can be used wherever life takes you they will soon become an old friend.

. Grippy sole. Tongue stays put after lacing Build quality seems excellent after 3 months. But....runs small. I bought a 47 (13 US) and after several hours my toes start to hurt. Matched up to several of my other trail runners, these are clearly smaller. Again, ok first few hours but as feet swell/expand, you might have problems. Size up a half size at least. 3 stars because of bad sizing!

My Father in law loves these! They do fit on the small side so consider sizing up!

The Ultra Raptor has been my shoe of choice over the years for hiking, trail running, backpacking, canyoneering, and scrambling. It provides great traction and support; however, the toe box area is low volume vertically (thickness, not width or length) resulting in a few toe problems on more than one occassion. Enter the Wildcat. With a more spacious toe area and great cushioning it is all around a more comfortable shoe offering similar traction . Am I abandoning my Ultra Raptors? Not really, as the Wildcat does not offer as much support. I use the Wildcats for light activities, while the Ultra Raptors are still my mainstay when I need a more supportive midsole. Sizing: I wear a size US12 in Brooks running shoes and most Merrell shoes (I don't recommend Merrell, but that's another story). After trying a wide variety of sizes over the years, EU46.0 in both the Wildcat and Ultra Raptor work best for me.

I haven exclusively run in La Sportiva's for a few years now (very casual trail runners) and I go back and forth between these and the Mutants. I love the wildcats as they are simple, solid, and comfy.

These are great shoes for trail running, climbing approach, hiking/backpacking, and everyday use around the office or town. I wear these everywhere. As others have mentioned they are surprisingly great at keeping sand out while using them in the desert.

This is my go to shoe for Class 4 and easy class 5 climbing. I purchased this shoe as a "trail running" shoe ( I don't trail run), but it quickly became my long approach / easy and short scrambling shoe. Typical approach shoes are much better for actual climbing, but if I am doing the South Ridge of Superior (Easy class 5), I will be wearing the Wildcat.

Read the reviews on these shoes and bought 1/2 size up, but it turned out that I needed a full size up. I normally wear a 9 1/2, but had to get a 43.5 to fit me. The exchange with Backcountry was smooth and easy. I've only used them for about 10 mi, but they feel very good so far. I'll update when I get some serious miles on them. This review was more about good customer service.

I bought these for my brother, and he loves them. He runs about 20mi a week on trail and has said that these are really comfortable, supportive and have exceptional grip even in wet conditions.

Well, I don't write many reviews but I felt this product deserved a postive rating so I'll share my opinion. I was not having success finding a shoe that stayed comfortable for the long distances that I wanted to run. I tried several other brands but I'm not here to downgrade those products. I think everyone needs to find what is comfortable for them. The problem is that you don't know if a long distance shoe is comfortable until you run a long distance. It might feel good in the store or when you run a 5K but the true test is wearing the shoe for several hours and still finding comfort. I stuggled with blisters and mystery foot pain after about 20 miles with several other top trail running shoe brands. The Wildcat was comfortable from the day I put them on. I have already run a 50K, 41 miler, and training for my first 50 miler. I'm averaging about 50 miles of trail per week in these shoes. I even ran the 41 miler in the pouring rain. I did not change my socks once and finished the race with happy feet. It is easy to see that I'm hooked and a believer in these shoes. My advance - keep trying shoes until you find the one that FITS! Good luck and happy running. My foot is a true 10 1/2. All my running shoes have been 10 1/2 and fit just fine. I found that I need to increase a 1/2 size in my trail running shoe due to all the elevation change. The Wildcat in size 44.5 fit me perfect. BTW - I liked the Wildcat so much I bought a second pair (which where on major sale at the time) that are still in my closet waiting for the first pair to wear out.

Having worn some of their climbing shoes and boots, I was under the impression La Sportiva only made shoes for a narrow foot. I was looking for a new trail runner, and almost completely ignored all of the LaSpo line, assuming they wouldn't be a good fit for me. Then I decided to give these a shot, and ohhhhh man am I glad I did!!! I don't know if I've ever worn ANY shoes that is this comfortable. They have a spacious toebox and forefoot area, yet they still feel very precise and nimble on the trail. The heel is comfortable without feeling loose or sloppy. Great traction on all types of terrain, including mud, soft snow and wet rock/granite. I often wear these instead of my approach shoes when I'm out climbing, and I always feel very secure scrambling on anything up to easy fifth class terrain. They seem to run a bit small; I normally wear a size 42 in most shoes, but these were most comfortable in a 43 for me. I got them in the Ocean/Flame coloring, and they look great! If you need a comfy trail shoe, these shoes definitely deserve your consideration!

These are great shoes! I used them for hiking a week down in Capitol Reef, and while they were very breathable, and sand didn't get in them, which was amazing. They also have great traction, I didn't slip on the slickrock once! They are technically trail runners, but I will be using these as my everyday hiking shoes all summer! I usually wear a size 10 in street shoes, but I ordered a 43.5 (10.5) and they fit perfect! I can't wait to get out in these more!

I have used these for short day hikes and walking around at work, but I would also definitely use them for backpacking as well. It only took one day of walking around in them at work to break them in. For running, these shoes are amazing. I have owned many other trail runners and these are definitely the best by far. They are comfortable and designed very well so that running in them feels great. They are also keep my feet nice and cool with how they ventilate. There are no downsides to these shoes! Would definitely recommend these to hikers and trail runners, but also for casual walking around in them.