Could La Sportiva’s Mutant trail running shoe suit your love of the mountains? Rob Slade puts the vibrant design to the test.

By Rob Slade

Published: Tuesday, 02 January 2024 at 15:43 PM

Our review: Not the lightest or most rapid, but an extremely solid and dependable shoe for rough terrain

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When it comes to footwear, La Sportiva regularly hits the mark and I’ve been impressed by each pair of walking shoes and hiking boots I’ve tested from the brand in the past.

Does the Mutant, a trail running shoe built for the mountains, hit the same level?

First impressions

The Mutant comes with classic La Sportiva styling with bright colours and jazzy patterns to help you stand out on the trail.

Our black and yellow colourway is well suited to the hills, while there are also green/blue and grey/orange options.

On first look, they look rugged and well built, with certain features well-suited to rugged terrain.

For example, there’s a large loop on the heel to help you get them on or off if they’re covered in mud, while there’s a solid toe bumper to protect your feet from errant rocks.

Meanwhile, the SpyralTongue tech does its job well, sitting closely around the ankle and acting as an integrated gaiter to keep debris out of the shoe.

Will they fit me?

I went up a half-size from a UK 11 to 11.5, which worked out well for me.

Those with wide or high volume feet may find the middle of the shoe a little restrained, while the instep also felt a little more pronounced than I’m used to. However, it didn’t cause me any issues during my test runs.

As ever, it’s best to try before you buy.

One thing I will note, though, is that the lacing is very good here, as you can tweak how tight it us along the length of the shoe to ensure an optimum fit for yourself, while it remained in place throughout testing.

What’s the grip like?

In a word, excellent. The 6.5mm multidirectional lugs cling onto the ground with impressive skill, even in super muddy conditions (though no shoe is entirely infallible in such scenarios).

That traction is on par with the Inov-8 TrailFly Ultra G 280 that I also tested recently, which proved to be class leading.

I also found the Mutant more than capable on rocky, scree-like tracks, though the aggressive lugs mean it’s perhaps less suited to trails punctuated with large slabs of rock or sections of pavement.

How’s the ride?

Stability and support is the name of the game here, and that’s exactly what you get.

The shoe cradles the foot well, with a significant amount of support around the ankle and underfoot to help keep you upright and avoid any issues on uneven ground.

That, and the weight (394g, UK11.5) doesn’t make for the most sprightly of rides, so don’t expect to feel particularly nimble underfoot.

There’s not a huge amount of propulsion or bounce either, but that’s not always a bad thing.

What this shoe gives you is a dependable ride with solid foot placement and adequate comfort and cushioning for a wide range of distances.

Best suited for…

… proper rough stuff. The Mutant’s supportive nature and incredible traction makes it a fantastic option if you take much of your running onto mountain terrain, though it’ll be just as accomplished on muddy countryside trails.

That being said, it’s not a lightweight, propulsive racer to propel you to new PBs.

Facts at a glance: La Sportiva Mutant Trail Running Shoes

RRP: £155
Uppers: Mesh with integrated gaiter
Outsole: FriXion White ultra grippy
Lug depth: 6.5mm
Midsole: Injected MEMlex EVA with stabiliser
Drop: 10mm
Weight: 394g per shoe (UK11.5)

Ready to buy?