What is now one of the most well-reputed brands in the mountaineering industry all started at a small shop in Italy. In 1928, Narciso Delladio started making wooden clogs and leather boots for lumberjacks and farmers. It wasn’t for another twenty to thirty years that the company started making ski boots and more technical footwear.
Today, La Sportive makes some of the most technologically advanced footwear that can be found on the feet of serious and amateur mountaineers alike. From the Dolomites of Italy, these shoes and boots make it to over 70 countries worldwide. They’ve seen the peaks of the tallest mountain and taken thousands across some of the most dangerous terrain you can find. In short, they’re quite reliable.
Links to buy La Sportiva Gear
Is La Sportiva a good brand?
La Sportiva is a “good brand” in all sense of the term. For starters, they are driven to continue producing footwear and apparel that breaks the industry standard through the use of new technology developed to perform better with a lower environmental footprint.
The entire company started in a valley situated at the base of the Dolomites. The gear has been tested in the most extreme conditions since day one and they have been striving to be an environmentally friendly company the entire way. They team up with multiple environmental initiatives to donate money, as well as research new technologies that can be put into effect in their gear.
Where is La Sportiva made?
La Sportiva has about six factories worldwide with the majority of production happening in Italy, where it all started. About 30% of their production comes from factories in China, and the remaining 10% in Vietnam. So, while it’s hard to know if the quality fluctuates with the production source, it’s a good bet to look for the Italian-made products.
Who owns La Sportiva?
To this day, the Delladio family still owns La Sportiva. It’s where the brand started, and it seems that it will continue to stay in the family. Even with continuing expansion, the brand has yet to sell out to a bigger company that would most likely sacrifice quality for quantity.
How much is La Sportiva worth?
In 2019, La Sportiva sold around 127 million euros (143.3 million USD, or 184.1 million CAD) worth of retail. That number had been increased by about 30 million euros over the course of three years. It’s obvious that it is a growing business, but when Covid hit, the company was forced to shut down production for a length of time. Even with that little road bump, the company is thriving as more and more people look to get outside with the top quality gear that La Sportiva makes.
Is La Sportiva Italian?
At its roots, La Sportiva is purely Italian. It’s where the entire brand was born and got its footing. The Italian Dolomites provide a magnificent testing ground where their products have been shown to be the best of the best.
Today, most of their gear is still made in the valley it started in, but some production has been outsourced to meet the high demands and numbers in the world.
Is La Sportiva Canada legit?
Unfortunately, there’s a huge number of counterfeiting operations going on across the world. That means getting poorly made products at a discounted price that still sports the La Sportiva logo. Many people may look and find www.lasportivacanadas.com, and quickly wonder if it’s legit.
The sad answer, is no. This site is far from an authorized retailer and are most likely shipping you counterfeit goods at a cheap price that will get shredded in a few short months. The best way to make sure you’re getting the best of the best, only buy from authorized retailers. Sportiva.com is the official North American source for all of La Sportiva’s goods, with a headquarters in Boulder, Colorado. Never trust the deals that seem too good to be true. This review also shows that Lasportivacanada.com it is a scam. Sportiva.com is legit.
Do all La Sportiva fit the same?
Over the years, La Sportiva has stayed consistent to their sizing system. All La Sportiva footwear fits just about the same, aside from the specific designs on climbing shoes to adjust for different strengths of the shape of the shoe. The sizing in general is accurate across the board.
People that have been climbing in the same style of shoes that are modified as the years progress report that they still wear the exact same size that they did twenty years ago. This points to a good system to keep measurements accurate and consistent.
How is La Sportiva sizing?
La Sportiva has a great guide for sizing your shoes depending on the style of shoe you are buying. For example, they recommend buying a half size up from your European size after converting from US for mountaineering boots. Their sizing guide is the best way to get the best fit for your shoes.
Does La Sportiva run narrow?
In general, La Sportivas do run quite narrow. They aren’t made for high-volume feet like other competing brands. They offer some wide options, but not on all boots. Because of this, you may want to look into buying a size up in climbing shoes, otherwise you’ll find your toes will be squished and competing for any amount of space inside the toe box.
For the wide-footed folk out there, La Sportiva may not be the best option. It’s unfortunate, but sometimes it’s necessary to abandon a certain brand just based off their “average” foot size that was probably determined years and years ago.
Do the La Sportiva Finales stretch?
La Sportiva’s Finales are a popular climbing shoe that is designed for novice climbers as an all-around shoe, neither too aggressive or flat soled. In general, La Sportiva recommends that you go down a half size for the Finales due to the air space in the heel. This will result in a pretty uncomfortable fit, but climbing shoes aren’t really supposed to be that comfortable anyways, right?
We can expect most shoes that we buy to have a small level of stretch in them. The Finales have a minimal level of stretch, especially as they are climbing shoes that are typically taken off between climbs. If you wear them consistently, you may find more stretch in the shoe, but not too much that will drastically change the size, nor should the stretch be relied on when sizing.
How long do La Sportiva hiking boots last?
La Sportiva hiking boots can potentially last a lifetime. All footwear is covered by a warranty that helps ensure you don’t get a lemon in a huge batch of shoes. La Sportiva will make repairs if needed, but don’t cover general wear and tear. A lot of the leather boots can last forever if you give them the proper care they need. La Sportiva also makes the best ice climbing boots!
One of the best ways to keep a pair of hiking boots alive is to get them resoled rather than replacing them entirely. This is a great way to keep a boot broken in and have the comfortable fit without losing all of the traction that will disappear naturally over time.
How do you break in La Sportiva boots?
Just like any other hiking boots, you’ll need to break your new pair of La Sportiva boots in properly before embarking on an expedition across hundreds of miles of rugged terrain. In general, take it slow and steady. Wear your boots around the house, then on short walks, and slowly amp up the distance and difficulty of hikes.
Make sure you’re paying attention and listening to your feet as you need to watch out for any potential blistering areas. These could represent a poor fit or just improper use. In general, it’s the best practice to just give your feet time to adjust and not jump the gun. Don’t try to use any of the shortcuts the internet can easily provide you with. They don’t really work. Most of all, treat your new hiking boots with love and care, so they can give the same back to you.
