Wildcat 2.0 GTX

I've been rocking the la sportiva wildcat gtx....they are pretty bomb proof in snowy slushy conditions....I've even crossed shallow streams and my feet stay dry. Not my favorite shoes for straight up running...but excellent protection in cold winter conditions 

I find the sizing runs smaller in some of the European brands so may they offer more options.  For example most people size up in La Sportiva. In my case I wear a 6.5 in Salomon and a 7 in Hoka but a 7.5 (or 38.5) in La Sportiva. Given you’re typically a 5, La Sportiva’s 5.5 might actually be perfect for you. Something like this shoe: https://www.lasportivausa.com/wildcat-2-0-gtx-womens.html Dynafit is another brand I size up to a US 7.5 / EU 38.5 in, plus their sizing appears to actually go down to a US 5 so you have a couple options that are worth trying on. Something like this shoe: https://www.dynafit.com/ultra-gtx-running-shoes-women-08-0000064110?sku=08-0000064110_0000000014

i favor la sportiva - trail runners designed not to be too heavy on your feet & soles have the best traction - often on sale and last a long time. bushido comes in all black and wildcat is plain gray. Second someone’s comment about skipping goretex, it is more expensive & doesn’t breathe, which makes your feet sweat, i.e. defeats the purpose & puts you at risk of getting blisters. When the weather is so bad you’ll basically have to go wading, stick your socked foot into a thin plastic shopping bag/the free shower cap provided at hotels, put on your shoes, then stuff shoes with newspaper when you’re not wearing them to quickly dry them out afterward. The too-trendy Hoka/fat sole might attract “here’s an out-of-towner” attention when traveling & could even cause you to trip up on lil stairsteps.

right about now i'm rolling off of my shoulder season asolo fugitive gtx boots to la sportive wildcats, which i'll use through the middle of fall shoulder season (as soon as snow ankle deep or micro spikes required). in winter i'm in scarpa mont blancs.

I need help finding new trail running shoes. My feet have two major issues: 1. I have a very prominent heel with the heel bone "bulge" being a bit higher than perhaps normal, and many shoes give me heel blisters - especially when running/walking on a steep incline. 2. While my feet themselves aren't exactly wide, I have a massive big toe and in a lot of trail runners I get blisters on the edge of it. The shoes I tried: * Saucony Peregrine 14 and 15: these shoes came the closest to being a perfect trail running fit - except for the heel. While not an issue on flat trail runs, after I had to do a steep run/walk I would start getting heel blisters. * Asics Fuji Lite 6: perfect heel fit, very comfortable even on long ascents. But my big toe would develop painful hot spots and eventually blisters even on a 10 km run. * La Sportiva Prodigio: Flawless heel fit, pretty good big toe space - on a 15 km run, I get a hot spot, not a blister. So they are still not perfect. I also notice that the outer side of the shoe opening digs into my ankle bone when I tighten them for descents, which is a new annoyance (but not a deal breaker by itself). Note: the shoes I use for hiking are the La Sportiva Wildcat. They fit absolutely flawlessly, I've done 16 hours hiking days in them and never had a single foot comfort issue. They just don't run very well. I live in Squamish, BC and run in the local mountains, so the shoes should have good scramble ability. Any suggestions on what shoes to try next?