Customer Reviews La Sportiva Bushido

I believe these are awesome trail running shoes, but they did not work for me. I'm writing this review to help others figure out if the shoe will work before it’s too late. I was replacing my Sportiva Wildcats, which have served me pretty well, but rubbed in the heels so much that I always had to tape up before wearing. I wanted to dispense with this. The Bushidos seemed like the perfect replacement, and felt great in the store and around the house, but once I started up the trail they tore my heels to pieces. I was able to mitigate this by taping up and by removing my aftermarket insoles (using the shoes with nothing inside). But the cruel irony is that they were much worse in the heel department than the shoes they replaced. Over the course of this ill-fated hike, I learned that in every other way the shoes rocked. They fit my forefoot and midfoot like a glove … snug and controlled, but soft. They have decent arch support. They are low-slung and exceptionally stable and precise. And the outsole grabs aggressively both on smooth rock and on loose dusty gravelly choss. And they’re light! What’s not to love? Besides the huge welts on my heels? I tried really hard to fix the heel issue. I tried the original thin insoles, a thinner version of my Sole insoles, extremely thin socks, mutliple lacing arrangements, and finally, another pair of Bushidos sized up a size. Nothing fixed it entirely. I figured out that a big part of the problem is a low heel pocket. If this fits your heel, it’s evidently great. If it doesn’t, look out. What’s insidious is that if you’re taking the kinds of small strides that you probably take when walking around the house or the store, you may not notice this. I recommend taking to the gym, and giving them a workout at many speeds and inclines on the treadmill. You’ll keep the shoes in new condition so they’ll be returnable, and you’ll really figure out if they work for you.

These are great if you get the right size. Pay attention to the relationship between the European and US sizing.

These are great shoes and fit just like the pair of LaSportiva's I bought 3 years ago.

Was wanting a more rugged shoe for light off-road use in potential wet areas, but wasn't wanting a heavy hiking shoe. These fit the bill perfectly. Only been using them for two weeks, but so far I really like them. We'll see how they hold up. Definitely listen to the reviews about sizing up with this shoe. I have a narrow foot and usually wear a 9-9.5. Tried a 9 in this and didn't stand a chance in it. A 9.5 was better, but still too tight. Got the 10 and it fits perfectly. I'm not sure I've ever worn a size 10, but definitely needed it with this shoe.

Excellent shoe for trail running. It was time to finally replace my L.S. Crosslites, and I didn't see an obvious model with the same features as I loved with my Crosslites -- namely lightness, narrowness and traction to allow for aggressive trail running over the sketchiest of terrain. But these are it and more! These have firmer arch support and the sole is lugged but gummy enough to handle rocky scree. Similarly snug fit on my narrow-ish, low-volume feet, and better fit for my heel.

These shoes are awesome! I ordered three different shoes to see what fit the best and these were the hands down winner. I did have to go up a full size for better fit. Great arch support, and light weight. I work on my feet all day and these shoes keep my feet happy.

Because of the European sizing, it runs a whole size small. My son usually wears a 10, but we had to buy an 11 to fit him. Other wise they are true to color, comfortable and stylish.

I've used these shoes for hiking and so far I like them. They feel a little bit snag first but give them few hours to break in. Very comfortable, with great arch support; the heel cup is good keep the heel locked in.

Just a follow up. These shoes are great. You can use them as casual walk-around shoes for the gym or for outdoor fun. The fit is superb and they just feel right and are lightweight. Two thumbs up!

Have not run in them yet, but I bought 1 size larger based on past experience with this brand. 1 size larger may be too much so I'll try 1/2 size larger and see from there, but the fit it excellent and they feel REALLY comfortable. I mean really comfortable and are REALLY light. Can wait to test run them in the dirt. The bottoms seem to offer an aggressive design and are tacky. I think for trail runs, short of hardcore rock type of hiking, these just may fit the bill. So far, I'm very impressed with them, even with some added toe room for now. Whether you need a 1/2 or a full size larger depends on your feet size, but either way, give these puppies a try. They got rated best trail running show for 2014.

When sized correctly these shoes are awesome technical trail running shoes. I would say that these are like an aggressive version of the crosslite. The inner "sock" fit feels great on your foot as if the shoe is part of it. The upper is wonderfully breathable especially in the scorching SoCal heat. La Sportiva has always made the best gripping and most protecting shoes I've worn. The sole and rock plate really suits the technical stuff that can be found throughout the San Gabriel Mountains. Be sure to size up from normal. I wear an 11 in most US size running shoes but all my La Sportivas have been 45.5 (12 US).

I returned these shoes. I’m 11.5 in most shoes (Altra, Salomon) but the stated 11.5 (EU 45) is just too tight. I’m eager to try the Bushidos in 45.5 when they are available.

These are great shoes! They are very comfortable, supportive and sleek looking. Being a trail runner these are the best that I have ever had. Make sure to order a size larger than you normally would. I ended up having to exchange my first pair. Thanks to Zappos for the great customer service. They are easy to deal with and have an easy exchange process.

I really like these shoes. They look and feel great but they certainly run small so be sure to size up. I have not done any trail runs yet but i can tell they are going to be awesome. I would recommend these to folks wanting a solid pair of runners or just done comfy casual shoes.

These run very small, maybe even a full size. I wear a 9 or 9 1/2 in running shoes and the 9 1/2 would barely fit on my foot. They look cool and seem to be good quality construction.

I really liked them...but up next to the Altra lone peak...these dont even come close.

Just got them and they fit in length and width but the height is short so they're pretty tight across the top of the foot. Never had this issue with a shoe before. Will see if they break in after a day or so. If they didn't look so good, I'd return them instantly.

After 7 pairs of La Sportivas, the Bushidos did not live up to my expectations - possibly my fault - should have read up a bit more. here's the deal, plain and simple: I am a heavy runner (199-202 lbs), up to now all other models were perfect. Unfortunately these are just too light. I can feel the rocks / small stones when running in the mountains - to the point that I was only able to use them 2 times.

The looks of this shoe - Very Cool, The quality of this shoe - very good, the fit of this shoe - horrible unless your foot is the size of a pencil! I gave this shoe 5 stars for style, 1 star for fit and overall 2 stars. After all, I didn't buy them to put on my mantle I bought them to run in. I ran about 1 mile and had to turn back for home because it felt like my feet were in a vice. I was running in my suburb and they hurt like hell, I cant imagine trying to run in the wilderness and thats what these shoes were designed for.

I wear a 9.5 US and read all of the reviews, so I ordered a full size larger per the recommendations. When I tried them on, I couldn't get my foot in the shoe due to being very narrow. The craftsmanship, materials and style were just what I was looking for, but the sizing was something I couldn't get past. Shoes were returned and another brand was ordered.

First, the most relevant information. The shoes run about a half size small. They are very well made, and comfortable. What I don't like about them is that they are "one trick ponies". Remember snow tires? Those tires you could put on your vehicle just for driving in snow? Well these are "trail tires". Just trying these out in the house felt like I was going to tear the floor up walking in them. They are squeaky, noisy shoes on hard surfaces. If my intentions were to have these only for trail running, I still don't think I would keep them because I run some on pavement to get to the trails. How far into the backcountry would have to live to not need to run on pavement at least occasionally? My impressions of these are that running on anything that isn't trail surface would be like riding on snow tires on the dry highway. That is kind of a lazy way to design a trail running shoe. Disregard all the "critical acclaim" these shoes my have; they don't deserve it. Trail running shoes have to function as normal shoes, to some extent, anyway.