Customer Reviews La Sportiva Blade GTX

Wear it Dailey for work over a year. Just bought a second pair. They are the best!!

Avid hiker from Costa Rica here. I have owned a pair of these shoes for about a year and have logged close to 1000km of varied, mostly abusive terrain in them so far. They appear to be about halfway through their service life as i write, which is quite reasonable for a shoe at this price point. My general opinion is that this is a fantastic shoe, possibly my all-time favorite, yet there is still some room for improvement in a few areas. I found the fit to run small. I'm a wide footed size 11, wear 11.5 on other LS models and i got these a full size up (12.5) which allows for extra toe room (i like to keep my toenails) while still locking the heel firmly in place. Buying them at the store was a huge bonus in this case. Performance and feel of the shoe is wonderful. For a former boot-wearer like myself the light weight and flexibility were game changers, yet the shoe keeps a very reasonable level of ankle support. Traction was really good on virtually every surface, wet or dry, i threw at it... while new. And this is where i start griping. I mentioned the shoe looks about halfway through its life cycle, but the lugs on the sole have already worn down to the point that traction is starting to feel compromised in some conditions. I'm thinking of getting a second pair to wear on places where grip is critical and let these live out their lives on easier trails, but it's hardly an ideal solution. My dream shoe would be the Blade with a Vibram sole, i hope the people at R+D give this thought some consideration! The Lacing. To its credit, it never actually snapped, but from the beginning it always felt like it was just about to, and has required strategic repositioning a few times to keep it from wearing through in some places. Very recently i switched to thicker, sturdier lacing which has improved the whole feel of the shoe a lot, and i regret not having done this sooner. An easy fix, but there would be no harm in providing better lacing out of the box. Performance-wise i have only one issue to report, and it's a somewhat annoying tendency to snag on small obstacles on the ground like roots, sticks and the like. Usually i would blame myself for this but my girlfriend owns a pair of these shoes too and reports the exact same issue. Maybe add a bit more toe rocker on a future version? Last thing i wish to mention is that the provided insole doesn't do the shoe much justice. I switched to a stiffer insole i never used from a pair of old boots and very much prefer it to the factory one. Also an easy fix, and there's plenty of aftermarket insoles to choose from, but still... Anyway, despite all the stuff i mentioned, the shoe still gets a 5/5 rating from me. That's how much i like it. Hope it's around for a long time. Cheers!

Felt perfect right out of the box. Light as most running shoes. Very pleased.

I did a two month expedition in AK and these boots performed perfectly. Breathing/ventilating well through times of high moisture, quick drying, and adequate three season insulation. I wear these as a winter boot/runner in CO. Amazing boot overall. In my opinion some of the best construction sportiva has engineered. Enough volume in the boot for thicker socks with an American style fit. True to size.

1st day with these. I was looking for a sturdy waterproof shoe that could be used for trail running with some degree of ankle support. I FOUND IT. Perfect fit. I wear a US size 11 and got a 45 in this boot (1/2 size up) and it fits like a glove. They go on easily and feel like they were already broken it. Honestly the most comfortable shoe / sneaker / boot I have every worn. Great ankle support and stiff enough in the sole to do some good rock-hopping without stressing my feet. Yes, it is only day 1 but I am very optimistic about this. Highly recommended.

This is my favorite all-around hiking boot. They are extremely light weight and feel like a running shoe, but have the support of a hiking boot with the mid-top. They also have a very beefy mid-sole for heavy loads and a stabilizer to prevent lateral motion that could result in rolling an ankle. The lug pattern and rubber combination is incredible for variable terrain. I am able to devour downhill terrain even on scree and loose soil. Also the small neoprene cuff on the back of the ankle makes for awesome full articulation of the ankle when needing maximum forward tilt for downhills. It does a good job of keeping out debris too. I down-sized mine a half size for a technical fit which has really allowed for full optimization of the toe lugs. At first they were a little tight but after a couple weeks of wearing they stretched a little and feel awesome. I have been pleasantly surprised by the durability of the laminated outer. It's tough, stays clean and holds up super well to abrasion and maintain their waterproofing. This would be an awesome through-hiking boot in my opinion!