Customer Reviews La Sportiva Wildcat

Quite possibly the best all-around trail running shoes I've worn.

Wore a pair of these on my John Muir Trail thru-hike and they were awesome! I suspect I will never go back to hiking shoes/boots for backpacking again!

For a bigger, beefier shoe I actually really like this shoe. The best part is the rubber, which to a rock climber is so valuable. It is better and stickier than the rubber on the exum pro in my opinion and FAR more comfortable. With this shoe I have no need for the exum pro.

I prefer a smaller drop, however these shoes are just to luxurious in terms of comfort. When I went to get new trail shoes the other day, these were the first and only ones i needed to try. They are the Miura of trail shoes.

great cushioning, but not stiff or too heavy; can still race ultras in these.

First pair of quality trail/running shoes. Love them. I've worn anywhere from new balances to etnies (as I love skateboarding) and these are by far the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned in my life. Climbing up palomar mountain with these is a lot more enjoyable as I don't slip and eat crap every 2 minutes. Great buy.

I used this shoe on my second ultra, a 52K race and was very happy with its performance. After my first ultra in sneakers and a lost toe nail I was looking for both a better grip on rocks, a shoe that wouldn't come off in the mud and something with a little more sole protection - this shoe fit the bill perfectly. I was dissappointed at how quickly the treads have worn down but in fairness I have put substantial mileage on the shoe in just a few short months, and many of those miles were on roads in the summer heat. I'm planning on picking up another pair this fall to continue my trail running adventures!

The comfort sold me on my first pair of wildcats years ago. I've tried other vendors and always end up going back to the Wildcats. I've retired 5 or 6 pairs with between 7-800 miles on each pair. I prefer them especially running 100 milers with technical terrain/rocks/water crossing. Nothing comes close for the drainage and blister free performance. Most of my friends wearing Montrails or other trail shoes would change socks and shoes in an event longer than 12 hours, but the mesh drains after tromping through stream crossings so well, my feet stay relatively dry with Smartwool socks. My only complaint is the inner front seam going into the upper has ripped on me, however I am a high mileage shoe person and La Sportiva gave me another pair when that happened. The grip on rocky descents is unparalleled. I would highly recommend this shoe. The Raptor has similar performance, but not as flexible. I also go 1 size up on these.

I've had at least 7 pairs of these (1 & 2), and one Wildcat 3. They are my favorite all around shoes from overseas travel/walking/hitchhiking to scrambling to long distance hiking with a full pack. I'll keep buying them as long as LS keeps selling them.

Fantastic shoe. I run through a lot of rocky terrain out here in the desert and my feet are never in pain anymore. My knees don't even hurt like they used to with my old trail shoes. I got these specifically to train for the Tough Mudder due to the drainage capabilities. My training partner made comments that they would be too beefy to work well, but was he wrong! The drainage was excellent, they didn't come off in the sticky mud, they never felt heavy from mud or water, and I noted that these were the best investment I made for the event! I will be buying more for sure.

I've had these a couple of years, using them mostly for hiking on unkempt East Coast trails, plus some training runs (from treadmill to single track), third-class scrambles, and a handful of standard deathmarches, from the Pemi Loop to some 27+ mile days in the Tetons. I've never had sore feet at the end of a day, even after the Pemi Loop, which left every other part of my body sore. That's the best thing I can say about these shoes. They're soft all around, have a relaxed, almost boot-light fit in the upper, and provide reasonable cushioning on the bottoms, without too much deadening of sensations from the trail. The tradeoff is that they're not the most precise shoes in the shop. The uppers are clearly not designed with the hug-your-foot ethos of the Bushido or Mutant shoes, and the high-ish platform is not the most stable. I feel more worried about rolling ankles in these shoes than in other Sportivas I've had. The sole is medium-aggressive ... about halfway between a road running sole and the most aggressive lug soles you'll see. I find it performs adequately on all surfaces. It doesn't stick to slick rock like my 5.10 approach shoes, but it's better than every non-sportiva running shoe I've had. It works pretty well on loose stuff but definitely not as well as deeper-lugged shoes. I get good grip on wet rock, but generally not enough to move with total confidence on it. I don't wear these on pavement at all, because it's clear that the lugs will get worn down to nothing very quickly. My biggest complaint is likely unique to my feet, since I don't see anyone else talking about it. But I'll mention in case anyone else has similar issues. I get enough heel-slip in these shoes that I have to tape my heels/ankles every time I wear them. I'm used to having heel-slip issues, but usually it just means I wear out the shoes in the back. This is the first time it's worn out my feet. I'm now finding this same problem with some other Sportiva shoes, so it may have something to do with their lasts and my food dynamics. Whatever it is, I suggest paying extra attention when trying them on ... and be sure to take long strides like you do outside. These felt perfect to me in the store, without a hint of troubles to come.

Got my shoes this past Saturday. Ran 10k yesterday in them. Felt great, no problem with stones or cushioning. Calves and feet are a little sore, but that could be just having different shoes to break in. Great shoes.

I have had a pair of wild cats for 4 years and have worn them on and off. I have done a 50k trail race, hiked, and used them as a general shoe. After my 50k I developed plantar fasciitis but switched shoes and it never came back. I recently wore these shoes again on a hike and the day after my heel feels like it's bruised and I have some knee pain. This could just be a coincidence but as I have ran and hiked in other sportivas and other brands I do believe that it is this shoe. Granted, this shoe has been around awhile so the technology in the shoe is older, I have a pair of Akashas and I have had no issues with those and I would venture to say that all other models of sportivas are a better option. The only pro I have with these are is that they are super durable and rigid in the heel so there would be no issue with support. Cliff notes: if you're on the the fence between the wild cats and another model, get the other ones.