La Sportiva Mutant Review (New Version for 2023)
Did you know the La Sportiva Mutant got an update? This week is our review of the new 2023 La Sportiva Mutant. The La Sportiva Mutant has been on the market for several years and has become established as a durable mountain terrain shoe that offers a good level of foot protection for shorter to medium distances. Saying that, Sabrina Verjee used the La Sportiva Mutant when she broke the Wainwrights record in the Lake District in 2021, using the Mutant for a little longer than the designers anticipated as she covered the 325mile route in just under 6 days!
The La Sportiva Mutant has become the go to shoe for many mountain runners. It was developed from the La Sportiva Crosslight, which was La Sportiva’s first mountain running shoe designed to grip on softer ground. The Mutant kept the 6.5mm lugs of the Crosslight and uses the same ‘White Cross’ sticky rubber but has a more durable injection moulded EVA midsole. This makes the shoes more flexible with more underfoot protection.
The new Spring Summer 2023 Mutant is very similar to the version you already know. The outsole and midsole are made from the same materials. Although the SS23 Mutant does feel more flexible than my old heavily worn pair, the main changes are in the upper. The new Mutant upper has an integrated gaiter. The soft top part of the upper pulls in around the ankle to prevent any debris from getting inside and to help protect the foot from scree, heather etc. There is a mesh pocket to the outside of the upper that is designed to be used to cover the bow when the laces are tied. You tie the laces to the side and then pop any excess lace under the mesh pocket.
The ability to tie your laces around to the side allows you to keep pressure off the top of the foot and ankle ligaments. The mesh pocked means you don’t have to worry about your laces becoming undone when you are running through the heather and other undergrowth.
The upper wraps around the foot and feels very secure. This feeling of security is helped by the lace loops that are attached at the base of the upper and when the shoes and laces pull the upper around the foot.
On the previous Mutant the upper was stiffer and not as flexible. This made it quite difficult to get your foot into the shoes. Once in and the shoes were laced up though, the fit felt great. The 2023 version of the Mutant has a much softer, more pliable upper. It’s still slightly padded to give that bit of protection but the pliability much easier to get your foot in!
The other difference in the upper is in the toe box. The older Mutant was quite low volume at the end of the toe box. This made the shoes feel quite snug around the toes and on long descents or long days out could put pressure on the end of them. The new Mutant toe box has a little bit more height at the end. The toe bumper extends back into the toe box slightly more and is a softer, more pliable rubber. This makes the toes box of the new Mutant much roomier and has taken away any issues I was having.
The midsole is 16mm in the forefoot and 26mm in the heel for a heel to forefoot drop of 10mm. I am a midfoot striker and do notice the heel height on steep descents and harder packed tracks, but the Mutant is such a comfortable shoe to wear for long days trotting about in the hills I have continued to wear them. They offer a good level of protection so my feet don’t get scratched or battered while running on single tracks and heather covered paths over the moors. Even in the more flexible latest Mutant there is enough stiffness to give me a good platform to run up over tussocky grass or up steep climbs where you don’t want the shoe to collapse under your foot.
They weigh 320g in a men’s UK8. That might sound heavy compared to more minimal fell shoes or other shoes designed for use in the mountains but the extended upper that forms the gaiter will add a bit of weight and the upper has a bit of padding to protect the feet. They aren’t designed to be a super-light fell racing shoe, but a comfortable protective mountain shoe. They certainly don’t feel heavy when they are on your feet. You feel well protected and supported.
If you’re looking for a short distance fell racing shoe then there are lighter faster shoes. If you’re looking for a shoe for some of the longer races like Borrowdale, Wasdale or Duddon Valley then the Mutant would be worth considering.
The midsole is cushioned and thick enough to give you some protection on hard packed trails, but they aren’t designed to roll over the hardest ground as nicely as a La Sportiva Akasha or a La Sportiva Jackal and aren’t best used as a road-to-trail running shoe.
I mainly use my Mutants for running in the forests and copses that litter the countryside of County Durham and are linked together by public footpaths over farmers fields. I find La Sportiva shoes to be very durable and although my old pair don’t have quite the same underfoot protection as they once did, the grit and mud hasn’t worn any holes in the upper yet. La Sportiva is a narrower fitting brand and the Mutant isn’t one of the wider models. I have quite narrow feet but enjoy room for my feet to spread out. To get an idea; I find New Balance a bit too narrow in standard width, Brooks is fine, Scott is fine and Hoka used to leave my toes a bit cramped but have more room in recent editions.
In summary, if you are running off the beaten track, in the mountains or through the countryside then the La Sportiva Mutant is well worth considering. It’s comfortable and has trusted grip for short to mid-length runs off-road, although records have been broken over much, much longer!
Other Considerations
Scott Supertrac 3.0: A similar level of grip on soft ground. Feels more comfortable on tarmac. Not a flexible so doesn’t contour to the ground as well. Link to our review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/scott-supertrac-3-review/
Icebug Capra: A very similar shoe. Doesn’t feel quite a protected around the foot, feels better on the tarmac. link to our review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/icebug-capra-review/
Saucony Peregrine ST: Softer cushioning. Doesn’t offer the same underfoot support as it’s softer. So, it doesn’t help you over the tussocks or on steep rocky hillsides. Softer on the tarmac. Link to our review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/saucony-peregrine-12-st-review/
Link to the latest Saucony Peregrine ST here: https://www.northernrunner.com/search/peregrine-13-st
Inov-8 Roclite 275v2: A lighter shoe that doesn’t offer the same underfoot support. Softer on harder packed trails. The upper doesn’t offer the same protection. link to our review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/inov-8-roclite-275-graphene-review/
latest model: https://www.northernrunner.com/search/roclite-275-v2
Comments are closed here.