Akasha II Mountain Running® Shoe

I like Topo a lot in general, but for off-trail I have a preference for the Bushido III Wide which is much more enjoyable than any other Sportiva shoe. I wear the same size in them as Topo and they fit toes better than my upsized Mutants and Akashas did.

Ive used trail runners for years now. I will, just to clarify add that I do have a lot of mountain running experience also. That gives ankle strength and experience in lightweight footwear on rough ground. But heres my thoughts I actually struggle to walk in boots. My ankle moves like an ankle should. Even lightweight boots make me stumble about like some special case. On my ML assessment I wore some boots a customer broke an eyelet off of in the shop I was working at. I had to unlace them around the ankle. The assessor noted I was moving better. On top of that, knee deep bogs, river crossings, torrential rain. None of it is an issue. Walk through it all and in no time, minutes even, the water is out and you forget your feet are wet. Gore tex holds the water in the boot. Gives a horrid sloshy cold feeling. River crossings in Scotland, no messing about with wet boots or taking boots on and off all the time to wade. I use poles a lot. With boots you can kind of switch off and walk with ankle support. With trail runners you have to watch the ground more. Poles have allowed me to catch myself if I do turn an ankle, catching myself on my other foot is kind of instinctual now. Just the weight saving on your feet is a bloody good reason to skip boots. Thicker socks in winter and you'll be suprised how warm your feet will stay. Darn Tough are ace socks. I've used runners year round. Be aware that some running shoes have large areas of lamination or leather. That will hold water in. Compare something like the upper of a La Sportiva Mutant compared to a Hoka Speedgoat. The Mutant will drain instantly compared to a speedgoat. Comments relating to waterproof socks. Dexshell are the best it seems and very highly regarded by the Winter Spine racers, but keep your toenails clipped right back. After a week of solid use, they're done. If water goes over the top of the sock, you're back to square one. Wet feet and water trapped inside your sock. I have used them and loved them, also used them and felt like they were a pain in the arse. I generally use them in my approach shoes on mountain rock climbs and scrambles. Im currently hiking around the UK and using a pair of La Sportiva Akasha's. Great shoes, not the stickiest rubber in spotivas line up but not the hardest. Steer clear of Scott runners. Unless they changed their rubber compound because my Supertrac RC II's were phenomenal in the dry. Up there with my approach shoes. But in the wet, the became the superdeaths

La Sportiva mountain runners are great. My favorite right now is the Akasha II's. Trail runners with rubber I'll trust on low 5th terrain. I even soloed a pitch of 5.6 in them recently. Bushidos are also great, cheap, but a little more minimal. That being said I used them for a long time. If you need high top shoes they have a couple high top trail runners with the same rubber. Unfortunately though, features don't matter if it don't fit so try them on

Hi there, I run in Prodigio Pro and I would not buy them for hiking. They are too racy, meaning a bit narrow, the sole shows magic when you run faster etc. Akasha 2, Saucony Pergerine, Prodigio 2 are all better choices. I use Pergerines for the more techical hikes and Akashas for long, easier trails. Love prodigio pro for the actual running.

VJ Maxx 2 or La Sportiva Akasha II, depending on the goal.