La Sportiva Fireblade - REVIEW
CHAD’S REVIEW: Originally a mountaineering boot and rock climbing shoe company, La Sportiva has been stepping up to the plate with it’s mountain running division over the past few years. The latest installment, The Fireblade, is no exception.
When I first received my pair you can’t help but notice the color. Bright orange. (You Longhorn and UT fans are in for a treat!) Once on, the Fireblades feel super light (12.1oz) and fit a narrow to medium width foot very well. The mesh sides let your feet breath on those hot and humid days, while the stretchy mesh tongue guard does a great job of keeping dirt and trail debris out.
The only thing I found about these shoes that I didn’t like was the insole. I switched mine out for my Superfeet and didn’t have any problems afterward.
Hands down this is one of the lightest and most comfortable trail running shoes I have run in. Come by one of our shops and give’em a try, you won’t be disappointed.
$90
CHUCK’S REVIEW: The FIREBLADE is a terrific trail running shoe. I began running in La Sportiva on March 12 at this year’s Umstead Trail Marathon. Last time I wore a pair of La Sportiva I was climbing in the Tetons. What these folks learned from technical climbing shoes has been applied with precision to their trail running collection.
I literally opened the box on Friday and ran the 26.2 the next day. Not exactly what I’d normally recommend but in this specific case, the La Sportiva shoes were so comfortable, it worked out. Race day was very comfortable on both Umstead’s single track and bridal trails. The midsole construction of the FIREBLADE will remind you of your favorite road shoes. The well constructed footbed is thin, compared to other trail runners, but I found the protection more than adequate. I prefer a minimalist, low to the ground shoe and yet my 45+ muscle/joints do have expectations. La Sportiva met those expectations. Particularly the sticky rubber outsole that saved me from several face plants as I scrambled up thru the switchbacks on the Sycamore section. Reminded me as to why I picked La Sportiva when climbing in the Tetons.
May 22nd, 2007 at 11:44 am
here’s a great review from customer Gary Galloway:
The FIREBLADE is the best fitting shoe I have ever put on my feet.
Perhaps my foot is EXACTLY a European size 46. Whatever the case I knew I had a winner as soon as my foot went into the shoe bed in the Great Outdoor Provision Co. Store at Cameron Village. I showed up for my normal Saturday morning routine, a mid to long run with my weekend trail running group, The Trailheads. I managed to get grief from six
fellow Trailheads. The shoe passed test # 1. The shoe creates envy in others. The run started with nothing out of the ordinary. The sticky rubber performed better than any other trail shoe I’ve worn. You can actually run on top of the rocks instead of around them. The support in the shoe was perfect and the ride was a bit softer yet more responsive than previous shoes if that makes any sense. I look forward to seeing how the shoe holds up through the summer months.