Bushido II Mountain Running® Shoe

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.

The lug pattern matters just as much as the outsole material. For example, the Bushido is likely going to be a better rock shoe than the Cyklon just because of the outsole design. For rock, especially wet rock, you want large lugs with lots of surface area. Look at the outsole of an approach shoe vs a mud shoe like the Speedcross for example.

Why this shoe and not a trail shoe? Why sacrifice traction? I'm not sure what you'd be getting from this shoe that a trail shoe wouldn't do better in a mountain race. Look at the La Sportiva Bushido. Low stack, excellent traction on most surfaces, including rock. You may need the wide if you're used to Altras. Look at the Merrell Skyfire as well. Inov-8 also makes several lower-stack options that are high-quality.

La 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.

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.

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.

I 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.

I 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.

Altra 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.

Interesting, 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)