Read up on this iconic, Italian footwear giant and check out our featured footwear available online and in store.
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It is near unanimously agreed amongst outdoor gear experts that La Sportiva make some of the best mountaineering boots, hiking footwear, climbing shoes and trail runners in the industry today. It is truly a European giant when it comes to innovation and distinctive design, you can spot a pair of them 200m away, whether for the distinctive yellow shared within their logo as on many of their models or simply from some of their iconic silhouettes bound in elegantly wrapped rands protecting the foot and shoe. Today on the TL Blog we’ll be discussing who La Sportiva are, what makes them different, and what makes them truly great. We’ll also be showing off a selection of our own La Sportiva range, available online and in our stores.
Who are La Sportiva?
La Sportiva is an Italian brand that’s been making hand-crafted footwear for nearly a century, since their inception in 1928. It’s more or less been run by the same family since 1928–an anomaly in an outdoor industry dominated by large companies. They adopted the brand name “La Sportiva” in the 1950s and largely remain based in the Italian Dolomites, hence the picture at the top.
La Sportiva is a premium brand that specializes in mountain footwear. It’s one of the best brands for climbing shoes, and their hiking footwear is known for providing great traction on rocks and technical trails. If you mostly hike mountains, La Sportivas might give you the quality grip you’ve always wanted. Amongst our own customers, we’ve also noticed that they work very well for those with slightly narrow feet, not to say that there are not options for those with standard or wider.
Amongst our range of La Sportiva, we’ve carefully handpicked a certain niche within our customer’s needs, that is those looking for a low in weight hiking shoe for serious mountain terrain. This niche often is the focus for climbers, mountaineers and those that love a good day out scrambling up scree-covered slopes and peaks. You’ll find a great degree of versatility in our selection with models great for a good day’s walking with some bouldering on the side as you stop by your favourite tor. The Gore-Tex surround membranes featured within the majority of our models keep the water out whilst letting the foot breath nicely over hard terrain.
What do we have on offer?
As always, we recommend that you head to our stores to receive out expert footwear fitting service where not only will you get to chat with footwear experts who can advise and recommend certain models for your needs but also be around serious outdoor enthusiasts who love to chat all things hiking, climbing and everything in between.
The La Sportive Ultra Raptor II Mid Leather GTX Walking boot
Ultra Raptor II Mid Leather GTX is ideal for fast hiking and excursions with light loads. The Nubuck leather uppers are reinforced with compression lines that guarantee foot wrapping and high stability. Abrasion resistant and breathable, it is perfect for hiking use. Waterproof and breathable thanks to the GORE-TEX Extended Comfort membrane. The soft Comfort Collar protects the ankle from the entry of stones or mud and integrates the easy-fit spoiler for maximum ease of fit. The rear stabilizing heel allows perfect control on the crossbeams. Ultra Raptor II Mid Leather GTX is also available in a wide-fit comfort version dedicated to hikers with wide feet. The result is a shoe that can be worn for many consecutive hours and is suitable for off-road use on any type of terrain. Raptorize yourself, again.
La Sportiva Mens TX5 Low GTX Shoes
TX 5 Low is the low-cut leather boot part of the TX Series, dedicated to hikers looking for a technical product for approach routes, hiking and via ferrata. Lightweight and protective, the boot is waterproof and breathable thanks to the GORE-TEX membrane. The abrasion resistant all-round rand, deriving from the climbing world, makes it sturdy and durable, the high quality Nubuck uppers further increases the overall comfort. Structured and protective thanks to the stabilizing insole, it is ideal for prolonged use by mountain guides and mountain operators . It adopts the characteristic Mythos-Style lacing system that wraps around the uppers for a perfect and precise regulation of volumes. The Vibram Megagrip compound and the pronounced heel combined with the Hiking-Oriented differentiated lugs favour downhill braking and uphill grip. Dedicated to all mountain lovers looking for a technical and trustworthy technical product for their excursions.
La Sportiva Mens Trango TRK GTX Boots
Trekking and backpacking boot with a look and technology derived from the Trango family. Made from recycled components (laces and Ortholite® Hybrid footbed) and without the use of animal-derived materials, it is designed for off-road trails, woodland walks and hikes with a full pack. The upper is water-repellent and abrasion-resistant with a wrap-around Comfort Collar that prevents stones or mud from entering. The presence of the GORE-TEX Performance Comfort membrane guarantees breathability and waterproofing, the 3D Flex joint applied to the ankle provides support and allows maximum control when leaning on uneven terrain. The Vibram® sole with Climbing Zone at the toe allows use on ferrata routes. Trango look, Vibram® sole and La Sportiva technology for comfort, protection and safety in the mountains.
La Sportiva Solution Climbing Shoe
We couldn’t do this post without including at least one climbing shoe! A revolutionary rock shoe developed specifically for bouldering. Whatever technical problem the rock presents, the “Solution” rock shoe gives you the support you need with the most innovative technology to overcome the boulder move. The upper uses Lock Harness System® technology, which hugs the foot from the inside and combines with the unique deep heel-cups to ensure maximum flexibility when hooking, on incuts and overhangs. The randing system P3® (Permanent Power Platform) is the active part of the shoe which gives it its versatility and works in synergy with the base of the foot to spread and maintain tension through time. The innovative Fast Lacing System® combined with the tongue in elasticized fabric ensures optimal adjustment of the internal volume.