La Sportiva Prodigio Pro Review: Cushion + Grip + Agility = Awesome!

These new trail runners by La Sportiva intrigued our staff right out of the box when they first showed up at our store. The upper material looks very unique and intriguing, the sole bouncy and the cuffs like hopefully no rocks can enter.

But do they hold up? And what about that glaring white color of the mid sole? Does that turn ugly after the first mile?

There's only one way to find out: use them! So I ran a pair through some test hikes to see if they live up to their promise.

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What We Tested

The new La Sportiva Prodigio Pro Trailrunning Shoes. 

Men's version, size 42.5. Of course, there is also a women's Prodigio Pro.

How and Where We Tested the Shoe

In this test case, I used the Prodigio Pro mainly as hiking and scrambling shoe, across the Eastern Sierra, Lake Tahoe and Death Valley National Park.

Long hikes.

On trail and off-trail use were combined, pushing the shoe to its limit.

Disclaimer: I can't run due to a bad knee, but have unlimited scrambling and hiking mileage. There'll be a runner's review later in the spring, so stay tuned!

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Desert Testing (no feet or cacti were harmed)

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The Performance

According to La Sportiva's description, the Prodigio Pro Running Shoe is built for "ultrarunners, trail enthusiasts, and competitive athletes striving for excellence". Counting myself into the category "trail enthusiasts", I feel like the description is spot on. 

The mid sole is where the magic of these trail running shoes happens: the "dual-Super Critical nitrogen-infused TPU and EVA" foam is definitely super bouncy and returns energy in ways we haven't seen from other runners with a thick mid sole yet. 

This lead to two notable results: 

1. The feet never feel tired! Even after a long day, they're still happy as a clam.
2. You can go longer miles, because you expend less energy per step.

Also notable at this point is that I usually twist my ankles in shoes with thick mid soles. Going into the test, I felt a little doubtful, because due to the ankle-rolling issue, I usually love less-cushioned shoes like the La Sportiva Bushido or Akyra.

However, somehow I never twisted my ankles (...yet)! The sole does flare a bit around the heel, and that seems to be what keeps the ankle and foot straight. Even on dry creek beds full of rounded rocks, I still didn't roll my ankles! 

The product description by La Sportiva never mentions taking the Prodigio Pro off trail. Fair, they want to sell their hiking and approach shoes, I guess.

However, living between the Sierra Nevada and Death Valley, going cross-country is a non-negotiable for any type of shoe. So I did what La Sportiva didn't want me to - I took this shoe through canyons and across the desert. Some rules are made to be broken.

And actually, there was no problem. The FriXion® XF 2.0 rubber on the sole is sticky. I can scramble down dry falls on slippery polished limestone without losing traction. 

As mentioned before, the slight flare in the mid sole also prevented twisting my ankles and I never had the feeling that the thick mid sole got in the way of feeling the terrain underneath my feet. 

The only downside of the soft mid sole is the inability to step on small toe holds. Once you get into 3rd class terrain, you can't just step with the toes onto a 1" small hold. It takes about 2" or these shoes will bend too much. But then, a runner was never meant to be an approach shoe and at this point we need to discuss the correct match of footwear and terrain.

Okay, another small downside: it does sound a bit squeaky. You don't really notice it outdoors, but if you cross a rock slab or walk indoors, you hear a notable creak coming out of the cushion.

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Desert Canyons - even polished limestone didn't make these shoes slip!

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The Upper Mesh

What even is that stuff? None of us had ever seen such a design - it looks like a very long strand of filament was somehow used to cover the shoe.

La Sportiva calls this the "Power Wire mesh". 

Initially, we weren't so sure about the durability. Is this something extra sturdy or will it get a hole very soon, and then just unravel like grandma's old knit sweaters after the moths got into them?

Now, having stumbled on many rocks, roots and other obstacles (yes, trail enthusiasts can be really clumsy, too), I think the Power Wire is really durable. There is still no hole anywhere to be seen!

There is one downside though: The mesh is very inviting to sand and grass seeds. During foxtail season, I'll switch to my Akyra II, which won't collect every single grass seed I touch -  just every other. I still have nightmares of endlessly plucking foxtail seeds out of shoes and socks from last spring... IYKYK

The upside though: There is essentially a built-in gaiter! The Prodigio Pro doesn't need a gaiter trap in the back, because its top fits very snugly even on skinny legs. Nothing gets in there from the top!

As far as the breathability goes, I'm very happy so far, but only have tested this shoe in the fall and winter. The final verdict will come once it's hot outside.

I couldn't test the shoes in mud - this is the desert. If you live in a place that has mud and own a pair of these trail runners, please let us know!

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That White Mid Sole

First Thought: What were the designers thinking?

Second Thought: Well, let's get it dirty!

The Test Result: It takes some real effort to make this white color less shiny. The best stain so far is a green one from a desert shrub I stumbled over, but otherwise, it's just a few gray streaks here and there. You have to look closely to detect them. I do have the odd bike-tire-meets-shoe encounter, but those stains usually disappear the next time I hike somewhere. It almost seems like these runners self-clean with sand and gravel from the trails.

Comparing the Prodigio Pro to Other Trail Runners?

This shoe has a fairly wide toe box for the La Sportiva brand. 

It fits wider than the Bushido III. Slightly less agile on small steps, because of the cushion.

It fits narrower than the Topo Athletic Vista, and is slightly less cushioned, but the energy return feels about the same, and it is more agile in rocky terrain. 

It has more cushion and reactivity than the Topo Athletic Mountain Racer 4. 

It is extremely similar to the Prodigio Max, but with a higher reactivity. However, both the Prodigio Pro and Max are much more agile and cushioned than the regular Prodigio.

The upper mesh can't be compared to anything we know, it's unique, but we love it!

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The Specs

• Weight: 255 g / 8.9 oz
• Upper: PES Power Wire w/ TPU Coating & TPU & Nylon Reinforcement / Recycled laces
• Lining: Recycled 3D Mesh
• Insole: 5mm XFlow Speed w/ 100% Recycled TPU+NITRO
• Midsole: TPU+NITRO XFlow Speed Inner Core / PU Coated XFlow SpeedFilm™ / EVA+NITRO XFlow Outer Cage = BOUNCE!
• Sole: FriXion® XF 2.0 w/ Protective FriXion Fabric / 4mm Lugs = Sturdy Lugs with lots of traction
• Cushioning: 26A
• Last & Fit: Tempo Ultra • Wide = Yes, for a La Sportiva Shoe this one has a fairly wide toe box. Much wider than a Bushido for example
• Cushioning: 10/10
• Traction: 9/10
• Protection: 8/10
• Stability: 8/10
• Drop: 6mm (Heel: 34mm; Toe: 28mm)

The Verdict

• Comfort: 5/5
• Cushion: 5/5
• Anti Ankle Rolling Stability: 5/5
• Grip: 5/5
• Agility: 4/5 (FWIW, 5/5 only goes to approach shoes)
• Can you keep that white mid sole clean 😂? 4/5 
• Upper Mesh: 4/5
• Squeakyness: 3/5

--> Would I buy these again? Absolutely! Can't wait to take these into the Sierra Nevada in summer.

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If the La Sportiva Prodigio Pro has caught your attention, stop by the store to test them out or click here to see if we have your size in stock and get your own pair shipped today!

As always, don't hesitate to call us at the store (760-873-7520) if you have questions about the best trail running shoes for you!

(And if you need any gear to prepare for your own Eastern Sierra adventure, we got you covered with free shipping if you meet the criteria! All you have to do is join our email list and place your order of a certain amount with us online.)