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.

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.

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.

Look for something with sticky rubber, Megagrip or better, *and* you want wide lugs with lots of surface area. Sticky rubber is great, but if the lugs are narrow and pointy, not much of that sticky stuff is contacting the surface. La Sportiva Bushidos are a good example of a good rock shoe.

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.