A hiking shoe can be a hiker’s best friend or worst enemy. If it can provide a comfortable, sure-footed, and waterproof experience, it can make the hike 1000x better. If it can’t do all of those things, it could make for a long, miserable time on the trail. Enter the La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX hiker. A shoe that is designed for the mid level hiking and backpacking trips. The Nucleo incorporates a lot of technology and experience into its design with the goal to make you comfortable and able to conquer any terrain. I was sent a pair and I put them to the test. Here is my review of the La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX Hiker.
As a disclaimer I would like to mention that I was sent this product so that I could write this review.All opinions on this page are my own and based on my own experiences with this product. I am not compensated for the opinions on this review. Your experience with the shoes may be different. This site uses affiliate marketing links. If you click on a button or link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
From La Sportiva
Before I get into my review of the La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX, I like to share what the brand is saying about their product. Directly from the website La Sportiva says this about the Nucleo, “The Nucleo High II GTX offers best-in class breathability in a mid-duty waterproof hiker/backpacking boot. Featuring award-winning Gore-Tex® Surround™ technology with a traditional Nubuck leather look, this hiking boot is the ultimate combination of durability, protection and comfort. Also available in WIDE sizes.”
Here are some more specs before I get into my review:
Carbon/Forest (Shown) is the only color available per this writing..
Hiking in La Sportiva High II GTX.
What I liked
La Sportiva Hiking shoes and boots are quickly climbing my list of the top quality shoes out there. The Nucleo High II GTX is no different. There are so many nice features with this hiker. The fit, the traction, the waterproofing are all done really well and incorporate a ton of extra technology. Here are more details about all that I liked with the La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX hiking shoe.
Fit
With all of the technology built into the shoe I was a bit concerned that it might sacrifice some of the comfort. However, the La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX is one of the more comfortable hikers I have worn. I have done a lot of hiking on really rocky trails that had a lot of elevation and they have felt great.
One of the main things to help the fit is that these shoes come in a wide. The wide is a game changer for those of us who have a bit of a wider foot. The toe box gives plenty of room for my foot without feeling cramped. Even coming down steep grades, my feet don’t feel cramped and I haven’t had any issues.
I also really enjoy that the Nucleo is stiff enough to give support but has enough flex to be able to handle the elevation changes and weird angles that can come from hiking up rocks. La Sportiva also uses technology called 3D Flex™ which helps to support natural ankle movement which is also great for hiking in rocky terrain where the foot gets put in awkward positions. I also thought there was a really nice heel capture, that kept my heel in place when hiking uphill, that helped make these fit really nicely.
Hiking in La Sportiva High II GTX.
Waterproofing
To me, waterproofing has two parts. First, is how well the product can keep you dry and the second is the breathability so you don’t overheat trying to stay dry. I can say that I have stood ankle deep in water in these and didn’t have any water get in. It was on the first couple of times using the Nucleo before any degradation to the waterproofing but I was really impressed with it for a mid to light weight hiking shoe.
For the water properties, La Sportiva uses GORE-TEX® Surround®. This is what they say that it does because it is way too technical for me to understand: Waterproof membrane that channels heat and moisture away from feet for 360° of breathability and all day comfort.
What I can say about the Gore-Tex Surround is that I was very pleased with the waterproofing. Like I said I have walked across creeks and stepped into the shallows of some lakes and have never had a problem with moisture getting into the shoes. What I didn’t notice, that I should have, was the breathability factor. I have been using these shoes mostly in summer and on days that reached 85-100 degrees in Colorado and really have felt comfortable without overheating. I think breathability in shoes is one of those things that you only notice when it isn’t working and your feet get really hot. It must have always been working because my feet have felt dry in these shoes for two reasons, the waterproofing and the breathability.
Stepping in a creek in the La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX.
The Pad
With all of the hiking that I do, it is very important to me to have a comfortable shoe with plenty of padding to hike on. I also hike mostly in Colorado that has a lot of really rocky trails that I need to protect my feet from. The La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX has a ton of technology built in to ensure that the walk is comfortable and my feet are happy at the end of each hike.
First some of the tech. The midsoles are made from a compression molded EVA that gives the shoe a lot of cushion and has a bit of a bounce to it. The insoles are an Ortholite hybrid removable and washable. They are made with 5% recycled rubber and 15% production waste foam. I love to see them incorporating recycled materials into the build!! The outsoles are made with a Vibram® Nano XS-Trek Compound. Vibram is a high performance rubber that helps with grip and traction.
So that is the tech side of the Nucleo but that doesn’t tell the whole story. For me, as a heavier hiker, I need to have plenty of support and I am tough on my shoes. These shoes are probably around mile 40-45 and they still feel just like when I took them out of the box. My feet feel fully supported and protected against all the sharp and jagged rocks I hike out here in the mountains. This is just my experience, but my knees actually feel better when I am hiking in the Nucleo. I think it is because my feet have such good support that helps me align the rest of my legs. It is nice to have a pair of shoes that I can really put the miles on and not see any degradation and still feel so good on my feet!
La Sportiva Nucleo High GTX on rocky and wet terrain.
The Look
I am definitely a function over style guy. However, I don’t want to look bad out there and I know it is important to others so I will say that I think the La Sportiva Nucleo are a pretty slick looking hiker. I have a pair in black/carbon and I would describe them as a soft metallic sheik. To be fair I don’t really know what soft metallic sheik means, but the shoes look durable and tough but also they have a softness to them like a gym shoe. The sheik comes from the green outlined La Sportiva logo across the side.
I’m sure there are people who will discuss the subtle shading of black and gray but I got them pretty dirty by the second time I took them on the trail. They look sleek, they look good covered in dirt and mud, and I like to wear them so I am going to give high marks in the style department!
The Grip
Hiking in the mountains you realize really quickly how important good traction, or grip, is in the shoes you wear. The terrain can be anything from soft grasses to boulders you have to crawl over so you need to make sure that every step is a true step. I was impressed for most parts of the Nucleo when it came to testing it in different terrains. Here is my breakdown and some details on the grip testing I did on the Nucleo.
Slip Scale
On a slip scale from worst to best of: Oh-HOLY COW–NO NO NO, Woah, Not Bad, I Got This, No Worries!
Flat Dry ground that is dirt or rock: No Worries
Flat ground that is a little damp or muddy: No Worries
Loose dirt: No Worries
Walking across rock boulders: I got this
Declining down a flat rock: No Worries
Scree: Not Attempted
When bottom of shoes are wet: No Worries
Overall Grip
The overall grip and traction on the La Sportiva Nucelo High II GTX is really good. One of the features that I really liked is something that they call the Impact Brake System™. The Impact Brake System is a way that they slant the lugs and put them on alternating angles which allow for really nice traction when heading downhill on trails and allow for excellent grip while braking. Here are my thoughts on more specific traction needs that I tested.
La Sportiva Nucleo High GTX on rocky terrain.
Bouldering and Rock Walking
This was the only concern that I had when hiking in the Nucleo. When I first got them they were almost too clean and a little slick on Bouldering. Once I got them a little scuffed up they had a lot better grip.
Snow, Slush, Ice
Not Attempted
I hiked in quite a bit of snow melt and later season creeks that were low enough to walk across. That gave me a bunch of damp tread attempts with the Nucleo. They did really well in the damp conditions and just as importantly, channeling water away to give you some grip as you step out of the creek or puddle and onto dry land. They didn’t stay damp long and didn’t slip on the dirt with a layer of thin water on them.
Dry Trail
The Nucleo did great on a dry trail. Unlike with the bouldering, the new soles didn’t have any problem with the dry ground. I really liked them, especially coming downhill on the trails. That braking system that they use is legit and helped to keep me from slipping as I descended.
Mud
While I got these shoes after the true mud season of spring, I did get to test them in some late season snow melt. Colorado had a late snow season this year so the trails still had some mud at the higher elevations and these shoes did a wonderful job in digging into that mud and giving me traction. As a caveat, mud is terrible to hike in and no shoe does great but these shoes did very well.
What I didn’t Like
There is a ton to like about the La Sportiva Nucleo Hiker but they will take away my blogger card if I don’t find something I didn’t like. This one was really hard for me and it is something that actually got a little better the more I hiked in these.
For me the only thing I didn’t really love was how the shoes handled bouldering when they were fresh out of the box. The first day I hiked in them I went on a super rocky trail that included walking up some boulders. I found the brand new Nucleo were a little slick on the bottoms. The tread was great on other terrain but didn’t do great on the flat rock where the tread couldn’t dig in. The more I hiked in them, the bottom got a bit of a scuff on it and then the grip improved. So it isn’t a big thing but something that is important to know for the first few times out in these shoes.
Video Review of the La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX
Before my final thoughts here is a quick video review of the La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX. If you enjoy the review make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel to be the first to see my new content.
Wrap Up of La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX
The La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX is my fourth pair of La Sportiva hikers that I have tested and I think they just keep getting better each one I try. The Nucleo did a great job of combining comfort, with the enhanced midsole and insole design, and functionality, with the Gore-Tex waterproofing/breathability and the traction. They really have turned these shoes into a great all around hiker.
There was a bit of an issue when I first took them on the box and hiking on boulders. That is starting to resolve itself. Otherwise, it was really hard to find anything I didn’t like about these shoes. I haven’t had them long enough for a thorough longevity test. However, based on my experience with La Sportiva in the past I think they will hold up well. Also, they are a touch pricey, but I think with all the technology built into them, they are really worth the cost.
Personally, these have become the shoes that I wear more often than not on any hikes that I am doing. I just really love the comfort and the traction on downhill hikes is really a big deal for me and the trails I like to hike so I have moved them to the front of the closet for sure. Overall, a really nice and versatile shoe.
More from the Fatman
For a list of other products that I have reviewed you can check my Product Review page here. If you have any products you would like me to review or any comments you can email me at fatmanlittletrails@gmail.com or you can follow me on any of the below social media platforms. Happy Hiking!
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