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La Sportiva Men's Ultra Raptor Ii Mid GTX Hiking Boots

£87.99£175.98Clearance
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The lace-up mids cover the ankle with a collar for comfort. The upper is made from a flexible GORE-Flex nylon mesh that’s designed to enhance the breathability of the underlying GORE-TEX Extended Comfort. If you’re a fan of the original Ultra Raptors and want your ankles covered and kept dry in wet conditions, here’s the hiking boot you’ve been waiting for. Likewise, hikers who have thought about ditching traditional leather boots for lighter running shoes are met halfway here.

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. I'm no fan of waterproof linings in trail shoes, finding them hot and sweaty in summer (which, I'd argue, negates some of the benefit of wearing a shoe in the first place). On boggy ground, a low-cut shoe is easily flooded, at which point that lining becomes a bag holding water in. Stand on the A4 paper with your heel pressed firmly against the wall and your foot pointed forward with the edge of your big toe aligned with the edge of the paper.If you want similar characteristics but are prepared to sacrifice a little extra weight for the sake of even more cushioning, then you could consider the Hoka Anacapa Low GTX or Trail Code GTX, with their trademark oversized midsole. Of course, what you gain in on-trail bounce, you tend to lose in terms of precision and feel, which, in our opinion, makes the La Sportiva a better choice for mixed terrain. The advantage of the boot cuff over a low-cut shoe is twofold: providing increased ankle support on rough ground and when carrying loads; and helping to keep out water and debris. Being soft and slightly stretchy, it does not significantly limit ankle mobility, so in essencethis is a very shoe-like boot. The obvious seasonal disadvantage of a higher cuff isthat it's inevitably a bit warmer than a shoe. Membrane: A Gore-Tex Extended Comfort liner has been included in the Ultra Raptor II to ensure reliable waterproofing whilst maintaining breathability.

The integrated lacing system uses a strap sewn to an internal stretch fabric with high frequency reinforcements on the external mesh. This allows greater versatility in lace tension throughout the shoe, thereby enhancing comfort levels. The Ultra Raptor unites the performance advantages of a snug-fit construction method with those of the comfort derived from the wider shape and sole. The result is a shoe that can be used for several hours and is the ideal choice for endurance challenges and all types of off-road trails.I brought the men’s Ultra Raptor II Mid GTX to Patagonia for testing, and the boot is also sold in a women’s version for the same price. Compared to the men’s model, the women’s is a little lighter at 1 pound 11.9 ounces and sold in different colorways, but the overall construction and feature set are identical. As I touched on above, both boots are also offered in dedicated wide versions for those with higher-volume feet, and La Sportiva recently released them in a leather option for added durability and a closer fit. Zooming out, the larger Ultra Raptor collection includes several low-top variations, from non-waterproof models to Gore-Tex-equipped leather and synthetic styles (see our in-depth review of the non-waterproof women's shoe here).

The first thing to note is that the fit of the standard boot is slightly narrow, especially at the toebox. This may or may not suit you, but it’s worth noting that the Ultra Raptors also come in a wide fit, which might be worth trying even if you normally take a regular width. We’d actually say that with this boot, the regular fit feels more like a narrow fit, whereas the wide fit is more like a regular. As ever, try before you buy.Now that your boots are done up properly stand up on your tiptoes and walk on the spot on the balls of your feet as if you are walking up a steep hill. If your heels lift more than approximately 5mm from the footbed you may need to pull the laces tighter, or the boots may just be the wrong shape for you.

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