Trail running shoes have to do a little bit of everything. They need to be lightweight, but also heavy-duty enough to stand up to rough terrain or weather. A popular model on market, the La Sportiva Ultra Raptor just got an upgrade. An Italian shoemaker through and through, La Sportiva is known for their high-quality craftsmanship and durable construction. The Ultra Raptor is no exception, with a premium build quality that is known to withstand hundreds of miles of trail abuse. Compared to other synthetic running and hiking shoes, it offers exceptional durability thanks to the generous TPU overlays and beefy rubber components. Perfect volume adjustment and foot hold thanks to the dedicated lacing elements: the eye-stay webbings are sewn on the inside of the upper and reinforced on the outside with a high frequency TPU skeleton, allowing the lace pull-force to be distributed equally over all areas of the upper

When putting the Ultra Raptor II shoes up against my previous trail runners — the Danner Trail 2650 Campo GTX trail shoes — they are similar in many respects, but the Raptors are much beefier.

The entire shoe is built very solidly with the standout being aggressive lugs combined with FriXion rubber and a Trail Bite heel. The combination provides all-terrain traction and maximum grip. There are no additional costs or duties on products marketed in countries within the European Union. Customers will not have to pay anything on delivery.

I tested the Ultra Raptor II in a women’s 8.5 (EU 40), my standard size in most shoes. As is the case with many La Sportiva models, the shoe was a bit snug around the forefoot and not as long as I had hoped (despite being one of their most high-volume designs). Surprisingly, it still ended up being very comfortable on the trail, despite warm temperatures and swelling feet. That said, most users will want to consider sizing up a half size. They both are lightweight and fit snugly. The Danners weigh in at one pound, 8 ounces per pair. Each of the shoe soles is grippy, however, the lugs on the La Sportiva are bigger than the Campo’s Vibram 460 Megagrips. Completely at home on mountain terrain, whether you’re hiking, mountain running, or approaching a climb.

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The 9mm heel drop on the Raptor II is in the sweet spot, and the Ortholite Hybrid foam insole provides a plush footbed. (Photo/David Young) If you’re headed into the mountains on foot, you won’t get too far without a comfortable shoe. The La Sportiva Ultra Raptor II delivers, with a nice balance of stiffness and stability where you need it and plush mesh and cushioning everywhere else. Unlike leather, the synthetic build requires very little break-in period: I took the new II straight out of the box for a 17-mile overnight hike and experienced no hot spots or rubbing. What’s more, with a relatively low weight (1 lb. 7.7 oz. for my women’s size 8.5), the shoes felt nimble while hiking, and a large assortment of sizes (including half sizes and a wide version) makes it easy to nail a good fit no matter your foot shape. Berghaus’ new VC22 GTX (external link) might also be worth a look. Just bear in mind that although there are even lighter mid boots than the Ultra Raptor II Mid, they tend to sacrifice overall protection and durability. On balance, we think the La Sportiva is the best all-around lightweight mid-boot we’ve tested. In all, I would say that while both are great trail running shoes, the Danner Trail 2650 Campo GTXs are more akin to running shoes, while the Ultra Raptor IIs veer more toward a hiking boot build. Mid-cut version of the Ultra Raptor II Mountain Running icon, ideal for fast hiking and light load excursions. Waterproof and breathable thanks to the Gore-Tex Extended Comfort membrane.