La Sportiva re-visited

We tried a few models from La Sportiva a few years back with minimal success so when I had the opportunity to try out the Fireblade I wasn't overly optimistic. In the interest of an open mind, I gave it a shot and put several runs on it. It fit great but was a little clunky from heel to midfoot and plenty stiff. I didn't order them at the time and went back to running in other shoes. However, over the next several months I found myself wearing the Fireblade more and more for everything from walking to the grocery store to climbing Black Butte with the family. I had to admit that I loved this shoe even if it wasn't my favorite running shoe. Now you can find both the men's and women's versions here at the FootZone. In the meantime, I've put a few more miles on it. It still isn't my favorite running shoe, but it feels pretty good now that it's broken in, and it is my choice for climbing one of the Sisters or just spending time on my feet. It's low profile but suprisingly substantial underfoot and the upper is very secure through the heel and midfoot while allowing for toe room (unlike some of our previous attempts with La Sportiva). So who would run in it? A midfoot striker who wants a lower profile, solid feeling, durable trail shoe with a substantial and great fitting upper. But a lot of runners might find this is the perfect shoe for not your everyday run. Cheers-Teague