La Sportiva Bushido II Review

The La Sportiva Bushido II ratchets up the sensitivity factor without sacrificing too much protection, making it a great choice for runners who often find themselves jogging over smooth slabs, hopping from boulder to boulder, or navigating scree fields. Like many other models in the La Sportiva line-up, the Bushido II runs narrow, keeping the heel locked solidly in place but leaving little room for swelling in the toe box. Those with narrow feet will find these shoes comfortable, stable, and plenty protective for long rocky ridge runs.

Performance Comparison

These shoes offer a decent balance of sensitivity and protection.

Photo: Matt Bento

Foot Protection

Compared to many top-scoring shoes for long-distance trail running, the Bushido II has a lot going on up top. The uppers have a busy appearance, balancing a breathable mesh with TPU reinforcement around the sides of the toe box. This translates into good protection from side impacts and from rocks and sticks.

Turning our attention to the bottom of the shoes, we noticed the 13mm of FriXion XT V-Groove2 rubber and compressed and molded foams under the forefoot (19mm under the heel). This is more cushioning than previous versions of the Bushido, but it's still on the low end of thickness compared to much of the competition. Despite the "sparse" cushioning, the midsole is adequately stiff, and while we could feel the general contours of the terrain under our feet, we didn't take much of a beating from sharp rocks.

A padded tongue and TPU overlay for increased structure protects the foot from side and front impacts.

Photo: Matt Bento

Traction

We've used shoes with larger, deeper lugs than those on the Bushido II, but they still perform respectively on mud and loose gravel. We really enjoyed them in muddy conditions since the shallow lugs provided traction, but not so much that we ended up with a pound of earth caked on each foot.

No stranger to high friction rubber, Sportiva opted to use FriXion XT-Groove2 rubber, which really shines on smooth granite slabs and rock hopping while crossing streams.

Though the rubber outsole is hard and durable, it remains surprisingly sticky on rocks.

Photo: Matt Bento

Sensitivity

Sensitivity is the strong suit of the Bushido II. Without a lot of cushioning, we could easily feel the contours of the trail and rapidly adapt to changing angles, roots, and rocks — we moved along blissfully over uneven terrain. A minimalist shoe might offer better sensitivity but can't provide the foot protection needed for endless miles on rugged terrain.

The Bushido II performed well in our traction test over smooth rocks and scree.

Photo: Matt Bento

Stability

Since the Bushido II doesn't have a thick, cushioned platform, it feels very stable underfoot. Additionally, the narrow fit and locker heel allowed us to quickly adjust to the feel of the shoe, making it more of an extension of our foot. Our lead tester pronates ever so slightly with his left foot, and the Bushido II is a good option for him since the pronation causes the cushioning on the inside edge of his running shoes to wear faster than the outside. Without a thick cushioned platform, the shoe wears more evenly, even with some pronation, causing it to feel more stable throughout the life of the shoe.

We found this model quite stable for uneven terrain and great for bombing down hills.

Photo: Matt Bento

Comfort

We've said it before (and we're going to say it again): comfort is subjective. If the shoe doesn't fit, it's not going to be comfortable. The Bushido II is narrow, and it feels especially so when compared to offerings from Salomon or Inov-8. The advantages of a narrow shoe are increased stability and sensitivity, but if the shoes are too narrow, they'll be restrictive as your feet swell over longer runs.

Aside from their shape, the Bushido II has a few comfort-enhancing design features. The tongue is heavily padded where it meets the ankle, and the heel collar sits low around the ankle, so you can crank down the laces without causing uncomfortable pressure around the ankle or your Achilles. Because there isn't a ton of cushioning, we recommend limiting the amount of time you run on pavement with these shoes.

The lacing system is tight and secure, but the laces are almost too short for higher volume feet.

Photo: Matt Bento

Weight

While these are no minimalist featherweights, the Bushido II are well in line with the competition weight-wise. At 21.9 oz for a US 9.5, they still feel fairly light on foot, even with the extra tongue padding and TPU on the uppers.

These shoes weigh 21.9 oz per pair according to our scale.

Photo: Matt Bento

Value

The price on these puppies isn't likely to raise any eyebrows, and we mean that in a good way, as there are trail running shoes out there inching their way towards a two hundred dollar price point. The Bushido II is an affordable shoe, and while the less than fully mesh upper reduces breathability, it makes for a more durable, longer-lasting option.

These shoes have a narrow fit, so if you have a wider foot, there is no room for your feet to swell as the miles rack up.

Photo: Matt Bento

Conclusion

"Bushido" refers to the Ancient Japanese Samurai honor code. They valued things like justice, courage, and mercy. Through our research, we didn't see anything about stability, sensitivity, or TPU reinforced toe protection but had the Samurai needed to run long distances through the forest, the Bushido II would be a good choice. In all seriousness, these shoes are an excellent option for the dedicated trail runner who likes to mix things up with a little ridge scrambling, and if you have narrow feet, they're definitely worth checking out.

If they fit, the Bushido II is a great tool for exploring your backyard.

Photo: Matt Bento