Bushido Series

I like Topo a lot in general, but for off-trail I have a preference for the Bushido III Wide which is much more enjoyable than any other Sportiva shoe. I wear the same size in them as Topo and they fit toes better than my upsized Mutants and Akashas did.

I only use boots if I need crampons. Scree, talus, bouldering is sooooo much better with the right trail runners. They are stickier and give you better feel for the rock. You are more nimble and quick to react. I’ve done thru hikes and off trail high routes in trail runners. I sometimes use running gaitors. The only real protection boots give is if shifting rocks hit your ankles. They don’t prevent you from rolling an ankle. I like La Sportiva Bushidos, which have a relatively stiff sole and a good rock plate. Not all trail runners have a rock plate.

YES. but. The new version the IIIs are falling apart waaaaayyyy sooner. I have holes in the sides after 100 miles, vs 2-300.

Btw I have been a lover of Hoka Speedgoat for several years. I use a GTX mid version & use it for mostly trail running in ❄️ winter time. I use the La Sportiva Bushido outside of winter. * hiking boots vs trail runners https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouverhiking/comments/1ltydv7/hiking_boots_vs_trail_runners/ * What shoes do you swear by? https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouverhiking/comments/o77olh/what_shoes_do_you_swear_by/

I’m new to using trail runners for hiking and first got the La Sportiva Bushido 3 because I heard people recommend them for narrow feet. They fit snugly and don’t give me any blisters which is awesome, but I have fairly high arches and would love a bit more cushion/arch support and a bit wider toe box. I tried the Topo Traverse recently but they weren’t quite narrow enough and started giving me blisters on my heel. For road running shoes, I have the New Balance 860, which fits me well. Any fellow narrow feet hikers have shoes that they recommend? I plan on asking the staff at REI too, but it’s helpful to get more than one opinion. Thanks!

Thanks! I have looked into adding insoles. Unfortunately the bushidos are so minimal that I can’t add much cushion without it causing the heel to no longer be secure - even the superfeet run were too thick.

La Sportiva Bushidos fit your description. They run narrow but if you like Salomon and Arcteryx they will fit similar.

If you're only hiking a handful of times a year, and your current boots get the job done, I'd say stick with what you got. Hard to say it's worth the money for you. The main benefits of trail runners are lightness and ventilation. My non gtx runners can be submerged in a river and be mostly dry in minutes. I believe your boots are already pretty light, so I don't think you'll notice much difference in terms of weight unless you're really pushing long distances. Even then, I personally don't notice a huge difference between my la sportiva bushido 3 shoes and ultra raptor 2 boots. I think there's a 3-4 oz difference on each foot, and there definitely is a non zero difference, but not Earth shattering.

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.