Gear Review: La Sportiva Exum Pro Shoe
As I’ve said before, I’m fairly new to hiking, so I was looking for a good ‘all-around’ shoe. Since I’m not exactly sure what I like, and wanted a shoe that would be suited for most things. One of the best sources in my opinion that I’ve found for researching gear is Backpacker Magazine. Conveniently enough, the La Sportiva Exum Pro was rated best all-around shoe.
The Exum Pro is light & comfortable, which helps you stay on the trail longer. My previous boots were fairly heavy and caused my legs to get tired much quicker than the Exum Pro shoe. Since it is a meld between a running shoe and a climbing approach shoe, the traction is awesome. I was able to climb a short, steep incline of clay and gravel on mainly my toes, without feeling like I’d loose my footing at all. One draw back I noticed though is that since the treads aren’t very deep, traction can be affected when out in wet conditions, specifically in mud. I almost slipped and fell the other weekend, when it was wet out, I stepped on a rock after walking in the dirt, partially because my treads were full of mud, and partially because I was being clumsy.
I haven’t had a chance to wear them out in heavy rain yet, or where I had to walk through any puddles, so as for keeping you feet dry, I’ll have to update when I’ve had a chance to test them out. They are not Gore-tex though, and they are not water proof. Kind of curious how long it would take rain to soak through though. Maybe I’ll have to do a test with the garden hose. The breath very well though, and I haven’t had any trouble with sweaty feet.
Overall, they are an excellent shoe in my opinion. While I wouldn’t wear them hiking in the snow, and they may not be the best selection if you’re going to be in heavy rain, all-around, they are well worth the money. I bought mine for $95 from Backcountry.com, there customer service is excellent aswell. I orginally ordered the wrong size, and they helped me exchange them and made sure I recieved the new ones by the date I needed them.
