Fast Hiking is the most contemporary interpretation of hiking, but we shouldn’t think of it as just speeding along trails. It’s the product of the current lifestyle of active people, who often manage to carve out a few hours from work and daily commitments to escape to the mountains or even just to explore a park trail. This is the context in which the Ultra Raptor evolved, now in its third generation (coming in February 2026). This La Sportiva model, created about fifteen years ago for the needs of trail runners, has been completely redesigned while retaining its key features of versatility, reliability, and comfort, but reinterpreting them in terms of lightweight, to appeal to a wide audience of enthusiasts who see time as the most precious resource.
Tobias Gramajo, Product Manager Footwear – Mountain Running and Hiking, tells us how they transformed an icon.
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Tobias Gramajo interview
Hi Tobias, hiking footwear has traditionally been a boot, but looking at your catalog, it’s been a while since you’ve found any “traditional” footwear. Instead, we’re seeing a push toward lighter, faster products. You’ve just launched the Prodigio Hike GTX and developed the evolution of the Ultra Raptor. What’s the common thread between these two, albeit different, models?
We consider hiking an activity open to different interpretations, ranging from mountain running to classic hiking to approach hiking, and throughout this space, the time factor has been carved out with great importance. Time is not only linked to the performance of the practitioner but also to the time available to practice. In this context, we develop products in the fast hiking category, which, while diverse, share a modern approach that emphasizes lightness, minimalism, and freedom of movement, without sacrificing the reliability and durability typical of La Sportiva footwear.
If Prodigio Hike GTX was developed starting from the Prodigio models for Mountain Running, and strongly reflects their DNA, with Ultra Raptor 3 it is the evolution of a historic model (once categorized as: Mountain Running) that has always had strong characteristics of protection and robustness.
“Ultra Raptor 3: functional, modern, versatile”
Tobias Gramajo
What general considerations prompted you to further renew Ultra Raptor, which had already undergone two restylings over the years?
The shift away from the Hiking category over the last five years has undoubtedly been crucial, as the mindset of hikers has evolved profoundly: the age of hikers has decreased, the objectives have changed, and the locations where they hike have changed (from hiking exclusively in the mountains to hiking in parks or dirt roads). It was therefore necessary to offer an Ultra Raptor capable of engaging with both those already familiar with the model and the new generations.
At first glance, Ultra Raptor 3 seems to have lost many of its superstructures, gaining in simplicity and lightness. Is it just a feeling?
We’ve made significant engineering advances. For example, we’ve moved from a highly reinforced upper to a 100% recycled Rip-Stop Nylon upper, which is minimal yet durable and ultra-breathable. Pure technology, lab tests have demonstrated exceptional durability and performance.
Tale evoluzione ingegneristica tuttavia ha riguardato ogni area di intervento.
For example, the midsole has been stripped of any thermoplastic support (typical of 2000s constructions but definitely out of date) to maximize the fluidity of movement required today. It features a double external TPU buttress to ensure heel and ankle stability. The tread uses a highly grippy La Sportiva FriXion White compound with an Impact Brake System design that ensures grip during both traction and braking, flex grooves, and external studs to increase stability.
The redesigned toe cap and rubber band maintain protection from rocks and branches, while the lightweight collar ensures that dirt and gravel are kept away from entering the shoe.
In short, what is Ultra Raptor 3’s greatest strength?
Undoubtedly its versatility. The Ultra Raptor 3 is equally at home on dirt roads along a path as it is on rocky paths in medium-high mountains. It is the answer to the needs of the modern walker but does not forget the essence of hiking, the oldest way of experiencing the mountains.
