Bushido II Mountain Running® Shoe

I wore my la sportiva bushido II trail runners ([link to example here](https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChsSEwigxb_U3sGUAxUkQ_8BHYwWO7YYACICCAEQGxoCbWQ&co=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzqXQBhD2ARIsAKrIeU8_WOS774hRsiTVOxsV1oIyQKokRQlR-1bM_-EOOWkcY21ehsstA1oaAukIEALw_wcB&sph=&cid=CAAS9gHkaAsJHt9le8pd3c7zb3sws26_900PVp46d9-ERFXklMQlEz4U6jiHGEcA7qzutLfs8WRuDMm_uKO-3Ii3NWlF_S0ARSAjZVY4SW1rI5YZdGvl6JaX_wBkvQPl918sWJXQsN8sbjNwnXMzY9t22LqJygHGVOYrVJ3W2DXENqgyuxaSoTtPyDnyQqhSB5KJcukqYvgaPKvNDhQefOg2uDPZ9QA8uq3PSYUGTXv2tcbeM4JhhF08lblRl14T6pQngqsDH93GN9Z8TS7Fcu2CzGLnIn-t_DMbiT1xsJSlnTUIh0EU-3fJff5McKBJWpnofoTrN_Tk_JY&cce=1&sig=AOD64_1OPS6O0Y2nc_Ll3AoQh8DamJWLQw&ctype=70&q=&ved=2ahUKEwj6mbnU3sGUAxU6mokEHf_yL84Qwg8oAHoECAoQMg&nis=2&ch=1&adurl=) and they were perfect. I also had basic hiking sandals (Columbia brand) for purely water activities. If you search my post history [trip report 1](https://www.reddit.com/r/VisitingHawaii/s/gdQFM9mDo7) [trip report 2](https://www.reddit.com/r/VisitingHawaii/s/hNTnkPCNW3) [pics](https://www.reddit.com/r/VisitingHawaii/s/bhuA5fzTTL) you can see my itinerary was extremely active (Kalalau trail with stream crossings, many other hikes on Kauai and Big Island, kayaking, etc etc). I also posted my packing questions and got great recs from this sub re the shoes and ended up NOT bringing my waterproof hiking shoes (sooo happy bc they were not breathable and never would have dried) or my heels (I was attending a wedding, too) that were pictured. Here is the post: https://www.reddit.com/r/HerOneBag/s/kQrnit7lg4

I mean the LA Sportiva Bushidos are my forever shoes. I got the II, and in 20 years will get the VI

I mean the LA Sportiva Bushidos are my forever shoes. I got the II, and in 20 years will get the VI

You've gotten some good answers so far. It kind of depends what you mean by "minimal". Actual "minimalist" shoes - zero-drop and zero or near-zero cushion - have a small market share and are a fairly niche product that definitely take some getting used to, and would not be found in most running stores. But I have a feeling that you're just talking about lower-stack shoes. They are becoming a minority of trail shoes as higher stack heights become more popular, to be sure, but there are still plenty of shoes out there like the LS Bushido and a fair portion of inov-8's lineup that are <25mm stack. These shoes are generally meant for either very technical terrain, where you need every bit of proprioception you can get, or soft ground like fell running (which I believe describes the race you're talking about). I have had both Bushidos and Mudclaws and they are excellent for their intended purposes (rocky technical trails and soft ground, respectively) but personally would not take either out for a long run on hard packed dirt. Some people do just prefer being lower to the ground. The higher stack a shoe has, the less proprioception you'll have and the more unstable you'll be (both due to the shoe's height and your inability to feel the ground.) It's a tradeoff.

Unfortunately your two surfaces (mud, and wet rock) require polar opposites in terms of outsole design. I'm going to copy/paste from one of my previous comments on a similar thread: >Shoes with good traction on soft ground or mud will have deep, widely spaced lugs. The rubber compound itself is not of too much importance on soft ground. See Salomon Speedcross, inov-8 Mudtalon. >Shoes with good traction on hard packed trails, paths, dirt and grass tend to have shallow lugs more closely spaced together. See inov-8 Parkclaw. These outsoles may be made of higher durability rubber compounds. >Shoes with good traction on rock will have moderate to shallow lugs with lots of surface area. This is where rubber compound is important as some are grippier than others, however, the grippier the rubber is, the less durable it generally is (just like summer vs winter tires.) See La Sportiva Bushido. Also see this: https://www.reddit.com/r/trailrunning/s/mwQBjhm9MF Think of a spectrum where a soccer cleat is at one end and an approach shoe or climbing shoe is at the other. With the soccer cleat, you're digging into the ground to get traction on a soft surface. With the climbing shoe, you're relying on a maximal surface area and grippy material to get traction on a smooth surface. You might need to decide which one you want to prioritize. If the mud isn't very "sticky" (clay, for example, is very sticky and clumpy) then you can get away with a variety of shoes. Oftentimes the rocky areas may be more exposed or dangerous, so it might be worth prioritizing something that grips well on rock. Look for something with a very grippy outsole material. Megagrip , La Sportiva's rubber compounds, some of inov-8's stuff. It won't hurt you in the mud but will be necessary on rock.

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

Im looking for a new shoe that straddles the line between approach shoe and trail runner. I find my self doing more and more runs in the alpine over lots of scree and doing scrambling/climbng up to 4a. Most of the time I am running a long section of an approach and then hiking/scrambling to the summit. Currently I'm using my La Sportiva Bushido 2 as my alpine running shoe but I am not as confident as I would like to be on rock, especially once the sole gets wet. I've tried on the Salomon S Lab Alpinway and they seem to be what I am looking for, but I would love to hear from anyone who has used them. I've head really good things about the NNormal shoes and Killian Jornet is clearly able to climb super hard on them, but I'm not quite sure which one fits my use case the best. Thanks for your help : )