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Reddit Reviews
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.
Geographic area? If your hiking trails look like the picture, nice and smooth, dry, warm weather, you should be good with those shoes. If the trails are rocky, uneven, muddy, wet, you might be miserable. My opinion, and it's just my own opinion, is I prefer to have a little too much shoe than too little. Trails for me are rocks and mud, lots of water, ascents and descents, so for me waterproofing and traction are big deals. I go for shoes that are more substantial with more aggressive lugs than trail runners, even if I have to sacrifice some weight. Salewa Pedrocs are very nice shoes, comfortable, lightweight. I tried their Powertex and they were wonderful shoes, and for a lighter model Pedroc Air would be great. I'm kind of partial to La Sportiva, and they have a nice light hiker - Akyra - that might work work for you. Again, a lot depends on your hiking conditions. Good luck with whatever you choose.
I switch from the ultra raptor to the Akyra. They seemed to be pretty much similar
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.
La Sportiva Akyra has been the go-to shoe for my whole family, and even friends. Great grip, comfy, durable and you can get it in Gore-Tex. I've also tried on the Dynafit Transalper, and it looked super promising, but I haven't taken it to the mountains yet.
End of reviews
Rankings by Use Case
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Best for Deep mud and soft ground

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Salomon - Speedcross Series
Best for Quick draining and drying for wet trails

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Hoka - Speedgoat Series
Best for Road-to-trail transitions

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Nike - Pegasus Trail Series
Best for Steep technical descents

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Salomon - Genesis Series
Best for Technical rocky terrain

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La Sportiva - Prodigio Series
Best for Ultra-marathon racing

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La Sportiva - Prodigio Series





