La Sportiva

Kaptiva Trail Running Shoe - Men's

Ground Feel Scramble Monster

I've been mountain running and scrambling in Boulder's Flatirons using the Mutants for several years now. Recently I decided to give the Kaptivas a try as a lower-profile alternative. I find that they feel much lighter and more minimal, which encourages speed, but they're significantly less cushioned, requiring more precise foot placement and providing a lot of ground feel. In terms of scrambling, they seem quite similar, with a slightly better lug pattern (shorter lugs) and the same ultra-grippy material. They also have more of a slender profile, which allows for a little bit higher precision in your footwork. The forefoot is slightly less stiff right out of the box, which could be an upside (for smearing) or a downside (for what little edging these sorts of shoes can do). I like the sock-style upper, and much prefer it to La Sportiva's thin tongues on similar shoes like the Bushido II. I haven't experienced any discomfort, and the tongue can't migrate around during a run like I've experienced with the Bushidos. The final note is that the toebox allows a surprising amount of toe splay considering how slender the shoes are overall. That's a pleasant surprise. For me, these are short-distance mountain shoes for runs where I know I'll be scrambling. For a more straight-forward trail run or on a longer outing, I'm going with my Karacals for the added cushioning and comfort.

Great, but durability issue(s)…

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

Size Bought:

42/8.5

Bought this shoe 5-6 weeks ago, only wear trail running shoes for grip and stability walking (6 R knee surgeries have made me hyper-careful about slipping), they fit great, a little wonky getting them on, but the padding on the tongue of the R shoe has delaminated from the tongue/body of the sneaker. I will work w/ Backcountry to figure an amenable solution/compromise to fix/remedy because they are a great company, other than that, the shoes are solid.

Fit problem

I wear a US 9 and the fit isn’t right.when I run over 5 km my toes start hurting. I contacted la sportive to mention my problem and I was told their guaranty doesn’t cover fit problem so I’m left with a pair of shoes I can’t wear

Great friction. Runs small

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Size Bought:

46

There is a recommendation to always size up with La sportiva these were extra tight had to size up! Several times. This would be a good shoe to try on first before committing. I do enjoy running in them, and using as an approach shoe for moderate

Best straight up and down technical running shoe

This is the best straight up and down technical running shoe I've ever had. The support, grip, fit, protection, toebox room (better than the Bushido), dust and dirt rejection (add a simple gaiter and nothing will get in, you'll never have to take them off) are stellar. It is lighter than any other comparable LaSp model (including 2024 models). La Sportiva please do not take this shoe out of production, it's the best model you have! Sizing: 1/2size up as with all other LaSp models.

great shoe with some drawbacks

i love this shoe, great fit, i size up and have never had blisters. the "slip on" style tongue is comfortable and snug; the grip is great adn the lugs are the right size for year round use in the pnw. how ever there toebox always ends up blowing out, seems like an obvious weak spot on the shoe. please make other colorways, they always seem limited and are quite bad in my opinion.

Bad batch maybe?

Bought these a month ago and I hate to say I'm disappointed. I've been running in the Bushidos for a long time but wanted a rock plate for some of the fast rocky downhill races I do, figured I would try these! After reading the reviews this shoe seemed perfect for me! I either got a bad batch or the wrong shoe... The heel cup is pretty poor for my heel - a lot of friction and blisters. Blisters. Tried a different orthotic and it made it worse. When I'm running down uneven rocks I've felt my heel almost come out the side at times when my forefoot and balance feel in control.. felt weird. All the pictures in the reviews show a different shoe with a better looking heel cup, similar looking to my bushidos but look different from the Kaptivas I bought. The lace system is either too tight or too loose, which is super frustrating. Plus it already started to rip! Only after 4 weeks and maybe 50 miles on them. I also had issues with my feet cramping for the first 3 weeks when wearing these shoes. I didn't notice the cramping this week but my blisters were so painful I may not have felt it. Overall, these shoes are a huge disappointment for me. After one month they are already looking ripped and worn. I'm going to try and get a return or warranty for them because of the rips but am buying the Bushidos for my race in September because the Kaptivas are a no go for my foot. I'll upload photos if it let's me. Proper fit overall though. Unsure why these do not get along with my feet when they seem similar to the Bushidos.

#1SHOE WORST COLORWAY

BEST SHOE ON THE MARKET WORST COLORWAY PLZ JUST MAKE AN ALL BLACK AT LEAST

GREAT RACE DAY SHOE

I got this shoe and love it so far I have had no issues and feel like I am faster when I run in it!

Solid shoes

I own two pairs of these shoes. But I didn’t love them at first because I thought they felt a little snug. But after I wore them on a few hikes and they broke in they are my constant go-tos. They run a 1/2 to whole size small. For example, I wear 11.5 in new balance and I’m 12 to 12.5 in these. Most people in my circles are all about the Altra lone peaks and hoka speedgoats and those are nice and I do own those as well, but I keep going back to the kaptivas! I should let viewers of this review know that The hikes and trail runs I do are usually 12 miles or less. I’m not sure the performance these shoes beyond that mileage.