For me, La Sportiva is a brand built for climbing. I’ve worn out countless pairs of their climbing shoes, and a fair few of their super grippy approach shoes. But as I’ve discovered, they also do a good line in trail running and fast hiking footwear.
The La Sportiva Prodigio Hike GTX combines trail runner agility with boot-level protection, delivering surprising versatility on rugged terrain. They remind me of the first generation of the Adidas Terrex Free Hiker ($165), which changed the way brands looked at hiking footwear. The elasticated knitted upper is wonderfully comfortable, even if getting them on does remind me of wrestling into surf booties. The fit is snug rather than generous—this is consistent with La Sportiva in general—but the foothead was fine for my wide feet, and the overall impact is a feeling of security, without the bulk of a traditional boot. And at 1.65-pounds for the pair, they are the opposite of bulky.
Waterproofing comes courtesy of Gore-Tex ePE, the latest-gen membrane, and while I imagine the knitted design will wear out relatively quickly, they show no worrying signs of wear after a week’s walking in the Lake District. The FriXion Red Dual-Mix outsole is a new compound for me, but I have no complaints, even across treacherous loose slate, while the EVA cushioning manages to balance cushioning and responsiveness. My only real complaint in fact is with the laces, which are very spaced out, so dialing in the fit isn’t as easy.