22 in Trail Running Shoes
La Sportiva - Bushido II Mountain Running® Shoe
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Reddit Reviews:
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Based on 1 year's data from Feb 15, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
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"incredible traction for the chossy desert terrain I’m usually on."
"I love minimalist trail runners for this. You just run on top of the rocks, and the softer shoe deforms, giving much better grip. You want good rubber though."
"Excellent for rough terrain running (including grippy on wet granite slab)"
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"Whereas something like my Bushidos feel like an extension of my foot."
"I have narrow feet and hike/ backpack I love my La Sportiva Bushido trail runners."
"The fit is amazing for someone with a narrow foot. ... No heel slippage ever ... love the way they hug your feet."
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"Whereas something like my Bushidos feel like an extension of my foot."
"for hiking or running techy trails, and the occasional scramble, they’re a great little shoe. ... Bushidos are designed for techy, mountainous running, and I believe excel at what they are designed to do. ... I find that the precision feels more comfortable on technical terrain."
"La Sportiva Bushido which I have now are awesome but some Nike trail runners I had in the past were very bad and unstable."
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"incredible traction for the chossy desert terrain I’m usually on."
"I just took my most recent pair over the north cleaver route on Mt Adams, and they already had 600mi on them. Still grippy and good for the whole traverse, though they did end up in the trash after."
"I love minimalist trail runners for this. You just run on top of the rocks, and the softer shoe deforms, giving much better grip. You want good rubber though."
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"I just took my most recent pair over the north cleaver route on Mt Adams, and they already had 600mi on them. Still grippy and good for the whole traverse, though they did end up in the trash after."
"I have more miles on these shoes than any other single pair of shoes. ... I have had five pairs of speed goat fives but I can only seem to get 300 miles on those shoes while these have over 500. ... I will say that 500 is about as much as you can squeeze out of these shoes though, but that’s saying something"
"Bushidos are the most durable trail runners ... Tough to beat."
Disliked most:
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"the middle of the sole doesn’t have any grip on the bottom, literally just a plastic plate with branding on it. ... I found myself slipping on rocks right jn that section of the sole which led to some of my biggest spills."
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"intolerably narrow for me"
"Absolutely would not recommend La Sportiva for wide feet"
"Absolutely would not recommend La Sportiva for wide feet"
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"They are not good for southwestern canyons or sandstone - the mesh on the sides and top gets abraded pretty easily."
"They are not good for southwestern canyons or sandstone - the mesh on the sides and top gets abraded pretty easily."
"I burned through a set of Bushido II's in about 3 months"
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"honestly it was pretty painful for the last 5 or 10 miles ... it's not the lack of cushioning for me but the way they're stiff and clunky."
"although I was definitely hurting at the end!!"
"I will say, they're what I would call a 10-mile shoe unless you're okay beating up your feet a bit. ... The tradeoff is really excellent ground feel and precision in exchange for less padding."
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"And when these shoes get wet, you will get an unmistakable wet dog smell as they're drying."
"And when these shoes get wet, you will get an unmistakable wet dog smell as they're drying."
"And when these shoes get wet, you will get an unmistakable wet dog smell as they're drying."
BottleCoffee 0.5La Sportiva Bushido are among the most durable trail runners. What did you do to them?
I have the II's, not the latest one, and it's built like a tank. You can probably still get them on clearance.
I don't think anyone else thinks Saucony Peregrines have "a decent amount of cushioning." Most people would never run an ultra in them for that reason (though I did, just a 50k). I have a bad ankle but my issue is rolling outwards. Saucony Peregrines feel good and secure for me as long as I do heel lock (which I do on all shoes) and tighten the laces. I feel comfortable bombing down hills in them.
Those are my exact two pair of trail shoes, pairs I bought specifically because I don't like cushioning. Not much out there other than barefoot shoes are as low stack as Bushidos. Peregrines DON'T have "a decent amount of cushion." Bushidos just have even less.
I agree with all of this. Bushidos are so reliable and great, but they don't fit everyone.
The two trail runners I really like are La Sportiva Bushido 2 (except they're slightly too narrow for my toes so I can't only wear the thinnest socks and I had to stop using them for longer runs), and Saucony Peregrines (except they're a little shorter than expected so I had to size up another 0.5 compared to my road Saucony). They're both firm, lower cushioning, lower stack (6 and 4 mm) with good traction. Peregrines are infamously not durable so I wouldn't wear them all around town, just for hiking and trail rubbing, but they're very comfortable. Personally I wore them for my ultra.
Capitan_Dave 0.5Honestly "trail running" shoes should just be called trail shoes, they're the best option for both running and walking on trails. If you're doing muddy and looking for a specific rec I really like my La sportiva bushido II for wet days. Not goretex so it doesn't hold water, so they will get wet but dry quickly. Pick up some non-cotton socks too and you'll be golden.
ConcreteConfiner 0.5I have owned 3 pairs of Salomon XT-6’s and I find them to be incredibly comfortable but somewhat lacking in durability. Again I’m on my third pair so for me the pros greatly outweigh the cons but they’re not my go to trail runner. If you’re looking for something else at an even better price point I’d recommend the La Sportiva Bushido II. They’re my favorite pair of trail runners I’ve tried.
ForestryTechnician 0.5I backpack in my La Sportiva Bushido II’s and if I’m crossing a bigger creek I just take them off and throw on my Chacos. My Chacos double as my campsite shoes.
gradstudentmit 0.5Altra Lone Peaks for wide fit and rock plate. La Sportiva Bushido II grips wet rock best. Skip waterproof, just get mesh and let them dry. Half size up helps on descents. Gaiters only worth it if trails are super dusty.
hikebikephd 0.5Interesting, I got holes in the sides of my IIs fairly quickly, but I got them a bit too small. Sized up half a size for my IIIs, have used them for about 70 miles so far, no issues yet (though I haven't been into the mountains with them yet, mostly dirt/gravel terrain closer to home)
IMx03 0.5I mean the LA Sportiva Bushidos are my forever shoes. I got the II, and in 20 years will get the VI
jmcstar 0.5Perhaps Bushido 2 then add insole cushioning for longer days.
La Sportiva Bushido 2 (not the 3). Great prices right now. Order 1 full size larger than your normal shoe size. Also, make sure you do the laces lock out. There are videos on that
Jrose152 0.5I don’t run but I will say bishido 2 is my favorite light weight technical hiking shoe I’ve ever put my foot into. Just did a 15 mile hike with 3,200ft of elevation the other day to end a 45 mile hiking week with them. I also hike with 30-35lb in my pack every time. I’ve been nothing but happy with them, but can’t speak to the Bushido 3’s. Get them from rei with the one year return policy as a member and just return if you don’t like them. Not a direct answer but take this info for what you will.
kiranomimus 0.5I have la sportiva bushido ii's that I got off a sale rack from REI in 2021...I have never particularly loved them but they've finally gotten super comfortable in the last year or so (now that they're visibly wearing out, both with holes in the upper and the lugs wearing down).... I'm loathe to replace them though!
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