La Sportiva - Akyra II

La Sportiva Mutant and Akyra I & II. The II version has a thinner shoe tongue so it might be uncomfortable for some people. 

I would avoid Goretex ... in the hot season . Personally, I find the La Sportiva Akyra 2 excellent.

Just here to say to never trust this kind of posts. The Prodigio Pro is definetly a good shoe, but not a durable one, and SPECIALLY NOT on "rough, alpine terrain". I've got the basic version, done 200km of mixed terrain, and they look worse than this. Also, the sole doesn't have the grip to prevent slipping on rocky terrain, and it's too tall to feel confident in anything remotely technical. I've rocked 8 pairs of Akyras, from la Sportiva aswell, for the last 7 years. THAT is a shoe designed for alpine terrain and with plenty of durability. Still, when I use them for the summer season in the high mountains, they usually last me 500km in good conditions, but no more than 700. They get destroyed. No running shoe is capable of resisting the wear and tear of the mountians for long. The only shoes designed to do so are hiking shoes.

Indeed, the basic Prodigio weighs more because, for the most part, is more protected and durable. That's what brands usually do with their "pro" shoes. They make them less durable and protected than usual, so they're lighter and faster, and you can get that extra speed on race day. What's impossible is the combination of long-mileage and alpine, rough terrain without the shoes getting destroyed. One of your claims HAS to be false. Giving you the benefit of the doubt, I would say you might be American. I know American races and courses are usually filled with fire roads, wide, well maintained trails that you can run without even looking at your feet. So your concept of "rough, alpine terrain" might be light years off of what we consider in Europe. I haven't met a single runner here that thinks UTMB, for example, has rough and alpine terrain. In that regard, the Prodigio Pro could be a good choice to run the loop, although arguably the Max is for these long distances. Even so, I doubt you could run 500miles ont the UTMB course and have the shoes looking like yours. My biggest concern here is for buyers, like me, who have been following the hype around the Prodigio Pro. I've read here before of a guy who said they were perfect for scrambling and long days in the mountains. With a single look into the sole, you realize that's a bad idea. Lastly, as I said again, I've used the Akyra for a looooong time. I've had 8 pairs of them. That's the only "running" shoe (of the dozen or so that I've tried) that can withstand hours and hours of alpine terrain without getting destroyed too fast. They're built like tanks, and the grip they provide is outstanding. There's no sole in the market like it. When people try to make you think that the Prodigio are actually designed for the terrain the Akyra excel at, I feel obliged to let people know they will be disappointed.