Black and red La Sportiva running shoe with white sole, featuring yellow and red details and "Prodigio Pro" text on the side.

Trail-tested over 200 miles

The La Sportiva Prodigio Pros are built for trail runners chasing their fastest times over any distance, from short efforts to ultra marathons. Charlie from our team recently put them to the ultimate test at the 200-mile Wild Horse 200 through South Wales. Our Kendal store supervisor, Amelia, also laced them up for a 7k trail run up Kendal Fell and Scout Scar.

Our testers

Image of Charlie

Charlie

I'm Charlie and I have a passion for ultra-distance events, most recently running the Wild Horse 200 where I ran in the Prodigio Pro for the entire race. Whilst I enjoy the challenge of longer runs, I also get competitive in shorter distances.

Image of Amelia

Amelia

My name is Amelia, and I’m a Supervisor at the new store in Keswick. I love bouldering and getting out for a trail run or a nice long hike. 

First impressions

A person in a green shirt and black shorts runs on a mountain trail, with snowy peaks and a clear blue sky in the background.

Amelia: Over the Christmas period, I took the La Sportiva Prodigio Pros out for a test drive. Living in the Lakes, there’s no shortage of places to run, but I chose to stick closer to home and head up Kendal Fell and Scout Scar for a 7km trail run.

Typically, I’m a fair-weather runner; my test run was cold and dry but fairly muddy and wet underfoot. When I first put the shoes on, I immediately noticed the cushioning around the ankle. The padding really holds your heel in place.

Fit

Runner's legs in motion on a forest trail, surrounded by ferns and foliage. Black and white image capturing dynamic movement.

Performance

Charlie: The Wild Horse 200 route traverses across South Wales, encountering fields, gravel trails, rock gardens, bogs, roads and everything in between. The Prodigio Pros handled all of this in their stride with their FriXion White outsole. I ended up with zero blisters. I put this down to the shoes (and socks). With higher stack shoes, they can sometimes bring a feeling of tipping or being on stilts, but these feel really well-planted and inspire confidence.

Amelia: I really liked the cushioning of the sole under my heel, and the shoes as a whole felt really responsive. They were super lightweight, and the lugs provided decent grip on light mud and forest paths (though they struggled for grip in the fresh deep mud). For me, the ankle padding would take a bit of getting used to. I loved the supportive feel and comfort, but on longer runs, it’ll take a few goes to adjust to. 

Overall verdict

Charlie: The Prodigio Pros have quickly become my favourite. I could wear them running 200 miles through South Wales, blasting some fast single track, or up in the mountains. Regardless of where I am running, this is the shoe I would choose because I know I can rely on it to be comfy and perform in a vast range of conditions.

Amelia: Though its main purpose is for running, I’d happily use the Prodigio Pros on faster-moving hikes in the summer. The abrasion-resistant upper would hold up great on rocky walks in the lakes, and I appreciate the additional support on my heel compared to other trail shoes.

The La Sportiva Prodigio Pros would be great for those wanting precision and support on runs of any distance, including those steep, off-camber routes.

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