La Sportiva - Bushido II GTX Mountain Running® Shoe

I ran in Bushido as an alternative to my regular Saucony Peregrine. I found the fit similar. The Peregrine has a bit more cushion, but otherwise felt similar on trail.

I did so much research on this subject last year before landing on the la sportiva jackal. IMO the bushido are too soft for serious scrambling. I also used scarpa ribelle run xt’s, which I liked, but did not fit my foot correctly. Scarpa also makes an approach/ runner, but from what I’ve been told, they aren’t great to run in.  I listened to a podcast recently where the guy was talking about how great norda is for scrambling due to the dynema upper. If I could try them on and they weren’t so expensive, I would probably go that route. The biggest downside to scrambling in running shoes is the mesh when you are jamming. I’ve climbed up to low fifth class in my jackals for what it’s worth.

I mean the LA Sportiva Bushidos are my forever shoes. I got the II, and in 20 years will get the VI

I love Bushidos for shorter distances (have run up to 50 miles in them) and have liked the Prodigio Pros for ultra distances. La Spo just fits my feet really well so I’m happy they have a more cushioned option now.

I never liked the Bushido, but have run in the Akasha and Mutant a fair amount. The Prodigio Pro fits my foot a lot like the Mutant but with a much more responsive midsole and more forefoot room. The Prodigio Pro isn't an evolution of any existing LaSpo shoe, though -- it's a much bigger forward leap. Responsive, sticky like the Mutant, nimble, and far more stable in the heel than the Akasha. Would I scramble low 5th Class in the Prodigio Pro like I do in the Mutant? Probably not on purpose... But long runs are a dream in them.

La Sportiva Bushido is preferable to Prodigio for technical, rocky terrain.

I absolutely love my bushido for shorter and technical runs Surprised you basically recommend everyone stop running in them

La Sportiva Bushido. Excellent for rough terrain running (including grippy on wet granite slab), minimalist heel (6mm), and sufficient suspension.

I heart my La Sportiva Bushidos, which are the nimbler little brother to the mutants. They’re stickier and have a lower profile/drop so I like them better for scrambles on dry desert terrain and talus. I posted a few weeks ago that you can absolutely tell they were engineered by rock climbers, which is a compliment. I’ve raced half marathons in them and hiked 20 miles in them. But I’m seriously considering getting the Mutants for longer distances. Obviously the answer is to get both. (My feet are on the narrow side but I also wear road running shoes with a wide toe box and zero drop and find the Bushidos comfy.)

I did have a pair of bushidos and loved them for the balance between trail and grip for scrambling but unfortunately they were intolerably narrow for me. I did see they have a wide version out now so maybe I’ll have to give that a try

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.

I find the higher the stack leads to more rolling ankles. Shoes that have not worked for me: Brooks Cascadia, New Balance Hierro Shoes that have worked for me: La Sportiva Bushido, Topo Terraventure. Also would like to find a more cushioned shoe but they have been directly correlated to rolled ankles for me and I'm sick of spending money on shoes for now. I'll see how far I can go in the Bushidos, I did a 50 miler in them and it was good, although I was definitely hurting at the end!! The more you do the more you adapt though!

I loved the Jackal 1 (haven’t tried the newer model but it looks great) and currently am in the Mutants for seriously rocky/bouldering/loose gravel and they’re like I have gecko feet on lol. I did have an issue with the Bushidos however; the middle of the sole doesn’t have any grip on the bottom, literally just a plastic plate with branding on it. I found myself slipping on rocks right jn that section of the sole which led to some of my biggest spills.

La Sport Bushido. The mutants are supposedly more comfy for longer days but I've done multiple 12+ hour consecutive days in the Bushido with no issue. Also backpacked in them.

Same. I liked the Bushido II more but I'm still happy with the III. La Sportiva Bushido is a slightly heavier shoe but the additional traction and stability is incredible for running in rugged/wet/scrambly terrain.

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 find Bushidos really comfortable and ran a 50 miler in them one time, but acknowledge that my feet are exactly a La Sportiva fit and their shoes are often wildly narrow for other people. In terms of comparison to TX4s, they are lighter, less stiff, and slightly more cushioned. I think they are more comfortable than TX4s for hiking long distances, and I’ve climbed up to around 5.4/5.5 in them, though of course without climbing rubber, they’re not as secure as approach shoes on rock. If Bushidos are comfortable on your feet, I’d recommend them. Sure, maybe don’t run a 100 in them, but for hiking or running techy trails, and the occasional scramble, they’re a great little shoe.

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.

Bushidos are designed for techy, mountainous running, and I believe excel at what they are designed to do. They are not as “comfortable” as something like a Hoka, because they are meant to have a close, precise fit, so they just don’t pack as much midsole foam as other, more cushioned shoes. However, I find that the precision feels more comfortable on technical terrain. I would absolutely wear mine for distances up to 30km. And given the choice, I’ll always prefer a running shoe over an approach shoe if I’m going to be running, or even hiking long distances. TX4s are great approach shoes and are nice for approach hikes, easy climbing, etc. but can be heavy and feel a little clumsy for running, in my experience.

I'm glad Bushidos are so high up in the comments as that's what they're built for. Fit is most important, of course. But if they fit, these are incredible for scrambling on slab and scree.

I was kind of hoping to get a reply out of you, since your content is what inspired a lot of my objectives + I’d noticed you like to wear cruxes! Since making this post I’ve realized the scarpa ribelle run 2’s have been slightly widened in the forefoot so I might have to give that a shot, but you’ve definitely got me curious about the cruxes especially if you can last all day in them. In terms of my ability I’d say im a climber first and a hiker second, so Im just not sure if I should lean into my strengths (crux) or boost my weaker side with my shoe choice (trail runners), basically. Will have to look into the acrux/aerios. As an aside, Robie Reid confused me as I see a lot of trip reports in the 21-27km range!

I agree with all of this. Bushidos are so reliable and great, but they don't fit everyone.

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)

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.

For technical terrain you probably want La Sportiva if you don’t have wide feet. Bushidos or mutants are the usual recs. Note that a shoe that is good for difficult terrain won’t be as comfortable for long miles, and vice versa so there’s a trade off there. If you aren’t actually running consider approach shoes too. They’re much better for climbing.

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.

Perhaps Bushido 2 then add insole cushioning for longer days.

i like the fit and feel of Altras - but they are not durable on rocky terrain. Merrels and Hokas are also not durable in general. my go to trail runners are La Sportiva Bushidos... but also any Salewas or Innov8s. for beefier hiking shoes/boots look at Asolos (which are my favorites) but La Sportiva and Salewa also make great boots and approach shoes.

If the shoe fit is good, you should definitely be good for longer than a few kilometers :) The rock plate helps mitigate a lot of foot discomfort and fatigue on rocky stuff, and if you’re used to hiking in TX4s, which also don’t have a cushy midsole, I feel like the Bushidos will feel light and fun and comfy for you.

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).

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.

I don’t run but I will say bishido 2 is my favorite light weight technical hiking shoe I’ve ever put my foot into. Just did a 15 mile hike with 3,200ft of elevation the other day to end a 45 mile hiking week with them. I also hike with 30-35lb in my pack every time. I’ve been nothing but happy with them, but can’t speak to the Bushido 3’s. Get them from rei with the one year return policy as a member and just return if you don’t like them. Not a direct answer but take this info for what you will.

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.