I usually wait until I’ve put at least 50-100 miles on a shoe before I write a review post detailing my experience. My opinions on the La Sportiva Mutant can’t wait that long, and I wanted to do a shoe preview now, with a longer more detailed review coming in 100 miles. Simply put, I love these shoes! I took them for a 13 mile test hike this Sunday that climbed 3500 feet over fire roads, single track, shale, snow, and ice…and they ate it all up. Anyone who reads this blog knows how much I love gear, especially footwear. I can honestly say, I don’t remember the last time I was this excited and satisfied with my first impressions of a lightweight hiking shoe. I knew I was going to like this shoe before ordering, as it’s largely the same as the Crossover 2.0 GTX. The major difference between the two is the upper, and all of the differences are very positive in my eyes. Like all La Sportiva shoes, I purchased this model in a size 13 (47), which is a half size larger than my standard shoe size. The size 13 comes in at 12.7 oz per shoe, or 360 grams.
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La Sportiva Mutant Men’s
Upper:
To start, this shoe is beautiful to look at. Like most La Sportiva products, this shoe just looks fast and aggressive. The black, yellow, and red work perfectly together to make for what I find to be a very attractive design. Speaking of design, this shoe gets the name Mutant for a reason, with it’s SpiralTongue bootie that wraps the foot like a sock. The SpiralTongue works in two ways. First, it gives the shoe a seamless, rub free fit, that instantly makes your foot feel “at one” with the shoe. Second, the SpiralTongue acts as a debree gaiter to keep out any dust, rocks, or pebbles.
One of my favorite features of the upper is the FusionGate lacing system. There is a lace cord that is heat molded to the upper of this shoe for each section of the FusionGate to work as lace grommets. I found this to be the ideal lacing system to customize the perfect fit without having any pressure points or bunching. I also really liked the asymmetrical lace grommet on the toe. One big teller for me is that I didn’t have to adjust or tighten the laces over the 13 miles and 3500 ft first hike. The shoe felt just as comfortable on my first step as it did on my last.
The upper material is a tightly woven mesh that kept my feet breathing and cool despite the very warm temperatures. Much like the SpiralToungue, the mesh kept out all dirt and debris, and my feet were as clean as they’ve been in a while after this hike. The one question I have to be answered in the coming months about the upper, is the drainability. Although the upper fabric is light and comfortable, it is also substantial. I love this for the sake of durability, but I’ll have to wait and see how it handles stream crossings. If it passes this test, it will beat out the La Sportiva Ultra Raptor to be on my feet for John Muir Trail this summer. The front of this shoe is protected by a sturdy rubber toe cap, and a solid heel counter keeps the rear end from moving around. I’ll talk more about this in the midsole section, but the stability of this shoe is superb. The final detail is the larger pull loop attached to the heel which is something I like while pulling on a shoes to keep from collapsing the heel counter prematurely.
Midsole:
I’ll start with the midsole by covering the last. For those not familiar, the last of a shoe is the general shape in relation to a foot. The last on the Mutant fit my feet perfectly, which is why my initial opinion on this shoe is so high. Starting in the heel, the last has a secure fit, with no slip. This fit works it’s way through to the midfoot that felt perfectly dialed in due to the FusionGate. Just like the Crossover 2.0, the mutant has a Stabilizer instert that runs through the midsole of the shoe (black bar towards the heel). I found this stabilizer to work very well as I traversed uneven terrain without impacting ground feel or making my foot feel constricted. As for the feel in this section, there is a slightly raised arch, just a little more than the Raptor, but nowhere near as pronounced as the Salomon XA Pro 3D. The toebox has a great anatomical shape that allows for toe splay and comfort without any sloppiness. I experienced no rubbing or toe bumping on the descent. The cushioning of this midsole is what makes this shoe a real shining star. The injected EVA strikes the perfect balance of cushion, without being spongy or unstable. Like the Crossover 2.0, there is no forefoot rockplate or dual density EVA to protect against serious bruising, but I’ve found the single density EVA to be proficient thus far as I’ve rode the identical Crossover 2.0 midsole over some serious stuff this winter. Another great feature of this midsole that adds to the overall great stability of the Mutant is the flared heel. This is something Salomon does with their mountain running shoes as well, and I’ve found it adds a lot of balance when carrying a pack while moving fast through the mountains.
Outsole:
The outsole tread pattern on the Mutant is the same as the Crossover 2.0, but employs the Frixion XF Green compound and not the Frixion AT Blue. In my experience, the Green is a stickier and softer compound that sticks to everything, but wears down a little quicker. The friction blue has great grip as well, but a little less than the Green. The Blue is a harder rubber compound which makes it last a little longer and makes the ride a little less bouncy underfoot. The Frixion Blue on my Crossover 2.0s have seen 5 months of constant abuse this winter and show almost no signs of wear. I know the Mutants have the softer Frixion Green, but I’m hoping they are equally durable. Enough about the compounds, the actual tread pattern is really nice for multipurpose use.
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La Sportiva Mutant Men’s
The wide spaced lugs shed mud, snow, and anything else you throw at them. The lugs themselves offer a lot of surface area, much more than the Salomon Speedcross outsole, and this allows you to feel like you’re wearing approach shoes while on boulders. These shoes feel equally good soaking up the shock on a fire road or asphalt, as they do tearing down scree covered single track on a ridge line. You can tell these were probably developed and tested in the Dolomites!
(Learn more about the La Sportiva lineup from their winter catalog. The Mutant is on page 19)
Final Thoughts:
I hope I don’t sound too exited or too much like a La Sportiva fanboy in writing this shoe preview, but I’ve just been waiting for a shoe like this for a while and couldn’t contain my excitement. I look forward to putting these through the full test cycle over the coming months, and plan to give a throughout review once I’ve logged enough miles. As always, share and leave a comment if you’ve enjoyed this preview, and always feel free to recommend gear that makes you excited.