La Sportiva

Helios III Trail Running Shoe - Men's

Eliminates knee pain

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

Size Bought:

44.5

Height:

5' 9"

Weight:

236

I am on my second pair of these. The La Sportiva Mountain running shoes helped stop my knee pain. I am not a runner. I use these for walking. They are my go to shoe that is used every day. They fit like a glove which feels good. I am going to purchase a half size larger for a little more toe room. Highly recommended.

Sturdy, comfortable, and lightweight

These shoes are lightweight, sturdy, and fast. I've had two pairs of these shoes and just ordered my third due to how good they are. These shoes have a smaller drop, which I personally like for trail running, but they still have plenty of cushion, especially on long downhill stretches. It would be cool if Sportiva made a newer version of these shoes though, with maybe a slightly stronger rubber compound, or thicker lugs. That being said, I'm still wearing my first pair of these shoes, which have survived two high school XC seasons, and countless miles of trail running, hiking, and bushwhacking while I've been in college for 2 years. As per most Sportiva shoes, they run about half a size too small.

My kid loves these shoes.

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

However, we had to order 1/2 size larger than normal.

Excellent!

Size Bought:

46.5

Height:

6' 2"

Weight:

220

Initial review is outstanding comfort and nice low heel to toe drop. Will have to reevaluate after more use. 46.5?s fit perfect in these La Sportiva?s. I have narrow, low-volume feet and 12.5?s fit me well in most anything.

Very comfortable but...

I got these Shoes 3 weeks ago, and they alredy starting to fall apart. I only wor them for everyday use, and i didn't run or hiked with them. In the ankle region the soft material, what makes the shoes more comfortable, looks like i have woren these shoes for 2 years. The overall quality is also not good at all. But still, the shoes are very comfortable

Excellent Upgrade

I never used the Helios 2 but have been using the Helios 1.The Helios 3 is an excellent upgrade. Perfect out of the box. Sizing is the same as Helios 1. Upper and lacing is dialed in better. Better cushioning but still firm. If the sole is more durable, I'll be 100% happy.

Best rugged terrain shoe - Helios is back!

The original Helios is my all time favorite trail running shoe. Bought 6 pair when they went on close out and still have 1 pair left. Also have 3 pair of Helios SR and just 1 pair of Helios 2. In it's third generation it feels like La Sportiva melded the fit and excellent laces from the SR with the breathable upper and medium flex of the original Helios. The original Helios was near perfect. The only issue for me is that my heels were not fully locked down and the laces were not my favorite. The Helios 2 had a more narrow fit, good heel lock down, and fixed the lacing system, which all helped, but the show was made more flexible and too soft and minimalist for my liking. Since the Vertical K was discontinued at that time maybe La Sportive intended the Helios 2 to appeal to fans of the VK. I run on rutted, rough, rocky trails, and that is where Helios has always shined. High stack height shoes reduce ground feel and lead to ankle rolls in this type of terrain. Helios 3 gives the perfect amount of feel underfoot and enough protection. Gravel was felt too sharply with the Helios 2 but the Helios 3 has been firmed up again underfoot and is fine for running and scrambling over rocks. I run a lot of hills with uneven terrain and I need to have shoes that keep me stable on uneven ground, and are lightweight. Durability so far seems on par with Helios SR which I still use in colder weather. Thank you La Sportiva for making the perfect shoe for technical mountain running. Fit does run a little small and like all of my La Sportiva shoes I size up 1/2.

Love it for hot and dry trails

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

Size Bought:

43.5

Weight:

160

My new favorite shoe for hot and dry trails. It's super light, breathable and cushy underfoot. You really feel the rebound from the sole and it's joyful to run on hard packed trails that aren't too rocky. This is my door to trail shoe and what I grab when i want to run fast. It's also comfortable to wear around town because of the mesh upper and comfortably fit. I bought this in a 43.5 and my standard size is a 43.0. I could have gone with the 43.0 if I wanted a precise fit, but I like it in the 43.5 for a little extra width and room for my toes on downhills.

Super lightweight, nice road to trail option!

I've been using the Helios IIIs for training runs around my neighborhood and have found them to be a great option. They're light, breathable and really flexible. The strong energy return on each foot-strike has made them an efficient option for runs that include pavement before or after the trail. Happy to add them to the arsenal. Also loving the new black/red color!

Lightweight and Comfy!

I've had all three versions of the Helios and have liked every iteration including the SR "sticky rubber" model from a few seasons ago. I mainly use these for training runs, approaching, scrambling and everyday wear. The upper is super breathable and flexible while the cushioning minimal, responsive and comfortable. The outsole is sticky and low profile which makes it a great front range scrambler. The only downside is that without a rock guard, you feel everything underfoot. This can be tough on long miles. However, ground feel is unrivaled because of the minimal construction and the 4mm drop does seem to give it more protection than a zero drop barefoot style runner. Size up a half to full size from US street shoe.