Despite its legendary status I’d always avoided the Bushido due to its lower volume of padding. I moved from hiking boots to trail runners for the padding and a stack height of 19mm in the heel. I was wrong. These are fantastic trail shoes. Great grip, stability when the going gets rugged and just the right amount of protection make this a contender for my favorite shoe of the season.

The La Sportiva Bushido 3 Review

Upper: AirMesh / Thermal Adhesive Microfiber / High frequency welded ripstop overlays with Mono-burr mesh inlays / TPU toe cap
Midsole: 4mm LaSpEVA / Compression molded MEMlex / 1.5 mm Dual-density compressed EVA rock-guard in forefoot / TPU STB inserts
Outsole: Bi-Compound FriXion® XT 2.0 V-Groove3™ / FLEX inserts
Lug Depth: 4mm
Drop: 6mm, 19mm heel, 13mm forefoot
Size Tested: EU 44.5
Weight: 325 grams per shoe
Origin: China
Tester: 187cm, 92kg

What even is a Bushido?

The LaSportiva Bushido has been around since 2014. It’s nice when a fan favorite shoe can live in a somewhat similar form to the original which made it famous. There’s no gimmicks being thrown at the shoe with yearly updates save for a few new colorways. The legend of the Bushido evolved slowly, unlike the way these shoes perform on the trail.

Now, what does Bushido actually mean? The Way of the Warrior. Do you need to be a warrior to wear these shoes? Certainly not. If the way for said warrior is moving confidently over rugged trails, then the Bushido is the right shoe.

FriXion or friction?

The Bushido is intended to carry their wearer over technical terrain with confidence. Nowhere is that more evident than the outsole. The Bushido 3 uses LaSportiva’s FriXion Red bi-compound outsole. This is a dual-compound rubber outsole by La Sportiva engineered to balance maximum grip, shock absorption, and long-lasting durability by using softer, stickier rubber in the center for traction and harder rubber on the edges to enhance durability.

The Bushido 3 has what is called the Impact brake system, or unfortunately, IBS for short. These are slanted and opposing angled lugs that deform upon impact to absorb 20% of the shock.

Crocodilian Teeth

U-shaped lugs on the edges of the outsole are oriented opposite to the direction of travel. These lugs grip the ground during steep descents, acting as brakes to prevent slipping. They also wrap around the edge of the outsole and make it look like the shoes have crocodile teeth. I rarely use the sides of my shoes for traction so cannot vouch for the efficacy but they do look pretty darn cool.

Grip in gravel and the wood has been great. On large granite slabs they are not as grippy as some other shoes but they have outlasted a lot of them. After 400km on these shoes they still have decent lug depth to them, up to 2mm for some that started with 4mm depth. As a larger wearer of trail shoes I am often lucky to get 400km on a pair of shoes so I will take the slight lack of perceived grip for noticeable longevity.

Each lug is quite open with enough room for plenty of muds shedding when the trail gets wet. There are some cracks in the rubber but nothing that makes me think I could not eke out another 150-200.

Midsole

The Bushido 3 has a very modest stack height of 6mm. The 19mm heel and 13mm forefoot offer just enough cushioning to take on moderately long days. I would normally expect ground feel to basically be sharp rocks with just a 13mm . Not so the case with the Bushido 3 thanks to its 1.5mm thick EVA rockguard.

The Bushido 3 is not a springy shoe. That’s not its design and purpose. They are firm and stable. There is just enough midsole to take the bite off of rough trails while remaining very reactive. Thanks to their low height and firmness, stability is great. If you are used to softer more cushioned shoes the Bushido could be a little stiff.

Upper

The core of the LaSportiva Bushido 3 upper is a breathable mesh. Using the dirty toes index as a marker for how well a shoe breathes, my hobbit looking toes suggest they breathe very well.

Backing up the mesh for durability are thermoplastic film reinforcements. They have done such a good job that they have outlasted some of the mesh they are designed to protect and may have actually been the reason for some of the wear as they are relatively stiff.

The toe has a fantastic bumper that shows no wear at all. Bear in mind, this bumper is meant for light protection. Do not try to kick steps in snow with these shoes.

The tongue is thin and protrudes just barely above the height of the shoe.There is no padding but the tongue does a good job of spreading the pressure of the laces. Rounding out the upper is a heel loop that you can use to put the shoes on or attach via carabiner should you use the Bushido 3 as an approach shoe. Thanks LaSportiva!

The Bushido 3 on the Trail

Definitely some serious wear but the shows not over

The La Sportiva Bushido 3 are fantastic trail shoes and deserve their well-earned reputation. I should have embraced their ruggedness earlier and I am glad I finally did.

The combination of minimal cushioning, a great rock plate, and excellent stability leads to a high degree of on-trail confidence, especially when the going gets rough. It is worth noting that they do fit a little narrow, so you may need to go half a size up to gain some needed width.

If you find yourself on rugged trails, hopping from root to rock all nimbly-bimbly, then these are the shoes for you. The Bushido 3 are designed with rocky scrambles in mind and do an excellent job of keeping you moving fast and with confidence in that terrain.

If you are interested in a pair of LaSportiva Bushido 3 in Canada you can head to MEC Alternatively, visit LaSportiva North America.

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BlackSheep was provided with a free sample of the LaSportiva Bushido 3 for this review. This in no way affected our editorial stance. This post also contains affiliate links; if you choose to purchase gear through these links, we may earn a small commission which supports our independent testing at no extra cost to you.