La Sportiva - Prodigio 2

Prodigio 2. Wider and more accomodating than the OG Prodigio or the Max. I would say the Pro if you were only running in it, but I wouldn't choose it for backpacking.

I can share some of my experience. I'm a woman who generally needs men's sizes in order to get enough width in the midfoot specifically. I can identify with your experience of feeling like the medial side of your foot is hanging off the inside of the shoe. Topos were the first shoes I found that worked. I never wore the Ultraventure, though- I was a MTN Racer fan. I ended up largely getting away from them for trail running because although the midfoot is perfect the toe box is actually too wide for me. Another one I'd consider is the La Sportiva Prodigio 2. Not a brand that's generally known for width, however, this version of this shoe is built on a much roomier platform than any of their previous offerings imo. I have a pair in my usual men's size and I actually think I'd be better off in women's because they're actually a bit much in terms of volume through the midfoot. If you can find somewhere to try them on it could absolutely be worth it. I've always had ok luck with New Balance road shoes when it comes to midfoot width, however, a) I'm not familiar enough with their trail line to know if this translates, and b) their road shoes always feel great for the first couple hundred km and then the foam seems to compress medially (I assume due to my pronation) which makes them uncomfortable. Good luck!

I'm very excited for the Prodigio 2. I thought the original was great, but it did have a couple of things I'd have changed (toebox shape and width, heel cup) and it sounds like they've changed those things. I think they're going to be an awesome all-purpose shoe.

Bushidos are a good choice. It might take you a bit of time to get used to the lower stack height if you're used to a more maximal shoe. Consider the Prodigio. More cushion, but not enough to get in the way or lose precision. Outsole is a combo of Frixion Red and Megagrip so it's nice and sticky.

There are two potential problems with high stack shoes when it comes to lateral stability. First, they're just higher off the ground, so even though they typically have a wide base, it still affects stability since you're essentially on a platform above the ground. The second and potentially more important thing is that the thick layer of foam drastically reduces proprioception. If you can't feel what's under your feet, your brain can't react to it quickly enough and your body is more likely to become unbalanced = twisty ankles. Your proprioception in high stack shoes is trainable as you get used to the shoes, but in my case and I think for many other people, it'll never be as good in a high stack shoe as it will in a more moderate one. You could consider the LS Prodigio. Good cushioning, but they still feel close to the ground and precise.

The newer ones, the Prodigio line, are definitely roomier than the older models. I would never have been able to be comfortable in LaSpo ten years ago, but now I have three pairs and I love them. Definitely size up at least a half size from your usual though.

Consider the La Sportiva Prodigio or Prodigio Pro. I've gone up to 85k in the regular Prodigio and could have gone farther; I wore the Pro for a 100M this year and they did well. The regular Prodigio will probably be more similar to what you're already wearing. Both have good energy return but the Pro foam feels much "faster". Of course, none of this matters if they don't fit you well, so you have to try them on.

You have to try them on. All the ones you listed fit differently. The Prodigio is a great shoe and you may be able to find it on sale right now. Most people need 1/2 to a full size up from their usual.

La Sportiva. Multiple ≤100ks in the regular Prodigio, 100 M in the Pro, next one will be in the Max. So much depends on fit though. What works for others may not work for you.

I ran a 100M in my Pro Pros and they were great. The only caveat with them is that if your feet swell a lot, you can only loosen them so much because of the integrated bootie construction. For my next 100 I'd choose the Max simply because of that. I've run up to 50M, and the last 40k of a 100k, in the regular Prodigio and I thought they were plenty for that distance and my feet felt great. Of course, everyone's different. They handle mud better than you'd think (and I live in an area with heavy clay mud for much of the year) but of course they won't dig in quite as much as, like, a Mudclaw. For any of the Prodigio line (or La Sportiva in general) you'll want to size up 1/2 to a full size from your usual.

If you think the Agility Peak is too high stack, you'll probably feel that way about Hoka as well. Look at the La Sportiva Prodigio. Cushioned enough for long days but still has plenty of groundfeel. Good outsole for technical stuff, sticky and a good lug pattern for rock.

Reg prodigios and pros are the same size for me. If anything, there's more room in the Pros.

Oh man Catamounts were horrrrrendous for me. I used to run and hike in Cascadia 8s or 9s so when I found them on a good sale I decided to give the Catamounts a try for getting back into trail running after many years off. I could barely walk let alone run a mile and a half without getting the worst shin splints I've ever had. I used to always wear La Sportiva approach shoes for climbing so gave the Prodigios (regular, not Pro) a try and they've been amazing. To OPs question on other gear - no name Amazon shorts with a built in compression boxer 👌 no chafing and half the price of the name brands. Carefully husbanding my last two Arc'teryx Velox tees though - still to this day the best hot weather running/hiking/MTBing shirt out there imo and mine are definitely getting a bit threadbare after the 12 years or whatever I've had them. I hope when they give up the ghost I can find something else with a similar ultralight dotted/pucker weave.

I have a pair of Prodigio low shoes. One is the most comfortable shoes I have worn. Breathable yet great in water, nitrogen infused foam is highly shock absorbent and not at all squishy, with great traction. These are primarily trail shoes. I am a heel striking supinator and the shoes fit like a glove and are light, neutral yet supportive and the uppers are durable. My only regret is that the outsole wears out rather quickly if you plan on walking on pavement for a long time.

I have had similar experiences with the Prodigio. Great fitting, very good cushioning while not being sloppy, and much stronger than they appear. My only regret is that if you walk a lot of kilometers in the street, the outsole which is designed for trails, is not durable. The shoes are so comfortable that I wish I could wear them for the streets. I guess I could with the expectation of replacing them more frequently. I really like the feel of the nitrogen infused mid sole.

They have an authorized distributor and re-soling shop in Chonburi but they don't respond to emails. Poor service. I wrote to Italy letting them know their distributor customer service sucks but they didn't get involved.

I wouldn't trust them. I no longer wear Solomon shoes since they were acquired. I find the quality is poor. I would recommend La Sportiva for comfort. If you want a quality product made in China try the Kailas Fuga Ex series. I have a pair of the EX3s and have worn them on numerous hikes. Some of the hikes were very steep on slippery mud in tropical jungle . The traction is great. On rocks and hard trails they are light, highly protective, and dry relatively quickly. The fit is similar to Solomon's but the quality is another level. I can't speak for others but my experience had been that they are excellent. P.S I still love my La Sportiva Prodigios but the Kailas are tougher and weigh only slightly more.

I have used Zamberlain, Solomon Ultras, La Sportiva Prodigios, Arc'teryx Norvan, Topo Ultraventure, Altra Lone Peak, and I am currently using Kailas Fuga EX. Zamberlain - sole delaminated La Sportiva Prodigios - most comfortable yet not durable Solomon Ultras - too hot, heavy, fit was bit sloppy. Decent traction Topo Ultraventure - good toe box but not durable Altra Lone Peak - not for me Kailas Fuga EX - Best Grip, most durable, one of the lightest, took a bit of break-in and is now very comfortable (La Sportiva still is most comfortable), great on mud yet durable on pavement, runs narrow but they have a wide model with plenty of room. https://preview.redd.it/6l8apbqae0gg1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e3631376751409ad88a8d3d4b91bc11f1133c8e6 sum of the attributes make it my current favorite I am a westerner living in Asia so availability may matter depending on your location. Most use cases are softer trails or mud with roots. Some pavement. Have used them in Southeast Asia and Nepal.

I tried the non-max versions at REI the other day. They aren’t as crazy narrow as some LS models, but were still a bit too snug for me — ended up grabbing the Bushido III wide. One consideration is what sort of routes he’ll be on. Something with a big stack of cushioning could be good for cranking out miles on maintained trails, but may lack stability and ground feel for scrambling.

The Prodigio Pro is designed as their race shoe. So it’s designed with running fast in mind, not walking. Most of its best features wouldn’t be noticeable at walking speeds - you’re not getting the bounce from the nitrogen-infused foam, the rocker isn’t helping propel you into the next step, the precise fit is just going to leave less room for your feet to swell. If your BF was getting into trail running and was looking for a shoe for a race, or even a shoe for faster runs I’d say absolutely go for it. My non-pro Prodigios are awesome and I’ve been drooling over the fancier ones now that they’ve been released. But why pay extra for a premium race shoe when you’re not going to benefit from any of the premium race features?

Oh that makes a lot more sense, my bad. I dunno why my brain misread that one (probably because I’ve been drooling over the Prodigio Pros).

Damn. I wished these worked for me, I love the OG Prodigios and still run in them and love them. Tried these in multiple sizes and they made my feet ache like hell even just walking in them and I have never had that experience in any shoe before. So very strange, esp considering all of my climbing and trail running shoes have always been Sportiva and never had any issues like that!

I ran in the Pro's today, just an easy 5k to test them out and I did get the same size as my reg Prodigos annnnd I need to exchange them for half a size up. They seemed fine when I put them on but once I started running they def squeeze my toes in a bit too much and I felt sore on the base of my foot afterwards. That is just my personal experience, you may have a different experience due to foot shape, etc.

They were much too narrow for my slightly larger than average width foot.

Just getting ready to ship mine back. My normal size is 13 w and ordered a 14 (47). My big toe hit the front and it felt narrow. Not sure I’ll try a 15 as I don’t know if that would solve the narrowness.

My SG5 was cooked at only 250 miles, midsoles were dead and uppers started to tear. La Sportiva prodigio lasted around 260 before both uppers torn on both sides of both shoes and midsoles were dead Norda 001 is at 300+ miles of the same and even worse trails and have zero signs of wear except the sole

I can’t speak too much for speedgoats but I can for Norda and LS. Both the 001 and 001A as well as the prodigio feel firmer, but still well cushioned. On all three pairs if you step on a sharp rock you will feel it, but they’re all super precise and feel great on technical terrain. I ran 2 50k’s in my Prodigios and that’s just about the limit for them, they did super well though especially since I’m 180lbs and tall. Norda is supremely comfy though, never once been blistered by them anywhere at all, they’re nice and roomy but not clunky. Even if you get them wet the insole doesn’t absorb water like the open celled foam in the Prodigios. Prodigios are comfy if you have light socks and avoid water, if they get wet they quickly start sucking and gave me blisters and gnarly nasty toes after 50k. Speedgoat was very comfy during my training runs, but felt a little too high up and often time clunky. Overall I’d give it to Norda, my 001 have 550 miles and the uppers are still mint while the outsole is getting pretty worn with at least another 100 miles of running left. 001A is also solid, definitely more responsive under foot

Gravel is a tricky surface, I agree. It probably depends on the the percentage of a certain terrain in a run that I choose the shoes. Generally, for steep grass I like Mudtalons with 8mm lugs, for snow the Genesis and for barely runnable rocks Bushidos. But then again, there is always a trade-off, since a run is usually composed of different surfaces. As an allrounder in alpine environment, I often go for Dynafit, Prodigio or Ribelle Run. YMMY. (And yes: I might have too many shoes).