La Sportiva Wildcat Trail Runner Review – GWC Mag

The La Sportiva Wildcat is a moderately cushioned trail runner that provides excellent stability for hiking and trail running in rugged terrain. It has a mesh upper that drains water and dries quickly with nylon molded shanks and external thermoplastic stabilizers for extra stability. The toe box is moderately roomy and has a substantial front toe kick for additional protection. Its sticky rubber outsoles provide an excellent grip on rocky and mountainous terrain with multi-directional lugs that improve traction and help reduce impact forces.

Specs at a Glance

• Best Use: Trail Running and Hiking
• Trail Runner Shoe Type: Rugged Trails
• Cushioning: Moderate
• Waterproof/Breathable: No
• Heel to Toe Drop (mm): 12
• Heel Stack Height (mm): 29
• Forefoot Stack height (mm): 17
• Upper: Nylon Mesh
• Rock Plate: No
• Midsole: EVA
• Support: Nylon Shank
• Outsole: Rubber
• Vegan: Yes
• Wide Sizes Available?: No
• Weight: 1 lb 8 oz / pair (men’s size 10.5 US)

It’s been 9 years since I’ve used La Sportiva Wildcats for section hiking the Appalachian Trail and I decided I’d like to try them again to see if I want to take the backpacking Scotland this May. The region of Scotland where I’ll be hiking is both very wet and very mountainous. My preference is to wear well-draining trail runners in those conditions, that are comfortable when walking 15-20 miles a day, but still provide excellent traction so I can scramble up mountains when the weather is favorable. 

The Wildcat checks a lot of boxes for me in those conditions. The mesh uppers drain water and dry quickly. They have a beefy toe kick that protects the toe box in front from hard impacts. The toe box is roomy enough for my toes to lie flat and spread out without being sloppy. The heel is rigid without rubbing my Achilles or causing blisters. The sticky rubber soles also provide great traction on rock which you would expect from a La Sportiva, which is known for its climbing shoes.

The Wildcats are also very stable shoe with a moderate cushion that protects the foot from impact without muting the proprioceptive feedback you need to hike over and around obstacles and debris. They have nylon shanks that give the shoes a stiff feel out of the box with good EVA midsole padding for comfort. They also have a nylon liner that provides some added warmth when it is cool, as it will be in Scotland in May, without a noticeable loss in breathability, especially in the top of the toe box which is not lined.

One less fashionable aspect of the Wildcats is their drop, which is 12mm. This makes them wearable out of the box if you haven’t yet adapted to zero-drop shoes previously and the added conditioning required for your leg muscles and tendons to adapt to them. In my case, I’ve been wearing Oboz Bridger 10″ Insulated Boots all winter which have a 12mm drop, so the Wildcat’s are very easy for me to use without any adaption time.

Similarly, the Wildcats lack the large lugs you find on many trail runners which provide better traction in very soft ground or mud. I honestly prefer the soft and sticky lugs on the Wildcat for the added traction and control they provide for smearing up rock ledge and descending wet slopes.

Recommendation

La Sportiva Wildcat Trail Runners are a stable, relatively stiff, and moderately cushioned trail runner that provides great grip, traction, and support for hiking and trail running on rocky trails. Highly breathable, their mesh uppers drain water and dry quickly after stream crossings while sticky lugs provide excellent traction over wet or dry rock ledge. If you’re looking for a trail runner that excels in wet and mountainous terrain, the La Sportiva Wildcat is hard to beat.

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