La Sportiva Akasha 2

Summary

Average Weight: Men's 310g / Women's 260g
Offset / Heel-to-toe drop: 6 mm
Stack height: 31mm-25mm

Excellent trail running shoe with good cushioning for long days on trails and hills with a mix of road, trail and mud. The Akasha's construction keeps you safe when you encounter more difficult and uneven terrain.

Men's La Sportiva Akasha 2
Men's Trail Running Shoes
£140.00

Women's La Sportiva Akasha 2
Women's Trail Running Shoes
£140.00

Features

Outsole

Deep 4.5mm multi-directional lugs
Forefoot lugs point forward and rear foot lugs point backwards
FriXion Red sticky rubber compound for excellent traction on variety of surfaces

Midsole

Dual injected EVA
Upper: Rubber toe box for great protection
Air mesh for breathability and Polyurethane strips give extra strength
Solid yet well-padded heel collar for stability and comfort
Lacing: Traditional.

Pros

The Frixion XT Red sticky rubber compound provides excellent traction on a wide variety of surfaces wet and dry.
Rear and forward facing 4.5mm lugs offer good grip for a variety of surfaces.
The lugs are well spaced and the design allows any collected mud to be released.
Excellent stride roll-through thanks to good flexibility whilst still supporting your feet.
Padded but supportive heel collar feels stable but not bulky.
Snug but not constricting mid foot, holds the foot in place on uneven surfaces and cambers.
Durable upper.
The combination of supportive heel collar and strong mid foot overlays make it a stable trail option, whilst equally good for a neutral foot strike.
Quality Ortholite breathable insole which keeps securely in place, even when sodden with water.
2% of La Sportiva profits go to support environment projects.

Cons

Some would say a tad heavy at 310g (men) 260g (women) but it feels light thanks to the smooth roll-through your stride, plus it’s durable to last all sorts of adventures.
La Sportiva are supporting environmental projects but they’ve yet to use much recycled plastic in this shoe – so far just the laces and innersole.

In Testing

I tested the Akasha on long runs in the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales (plus Thames Towpath and London’s Richmond Park). This has involved some road miles before hitting the trails, flat and hardpacked towpaths, steep ascents and descents, a fair amount of mud, wet grass and stony paths, and ice and snow. I’ve also used them for hiking – straight out the box – and they were amazingly comfortable (not that I would recommend hours of hiking/running in a new shoe, this is a case of me failing to follow my own advice!)

Verdict

La Sportiva has a long and respected heritage in hiking footwear and although this is a running shoe we benefit from some of this expertise; La Sportiva brings a slightly different approach to trail running shoes and I consider this beneficial. Firstly, these shoes are durable! Secondly, they support your feet so well through the arch that whether you over-pronate or supinate or anything in between, these shoes will hold and support you beautifully.

Out of the box, when walking they feel firm underfoot, this might lead you to fear they won’t offer you enough cushioning. However, as soon as you start to run, the flow through the stride is so smooth (La Sportiva has got the shoe’s flexibility perfect) that they feel soft and responsive all at once. You feel confident in foot-placement on uneven terrain because the cushioning isn’t masking the ground. Equally you can go hours without sore feet or extra fatigue because the cushioning is working really well.

The uppers hold your feet securely, the fit is standard – not wide or narrow - and the extra padding on the tongue and heel collar enhance the fit. The toe box is wide and protected enough to keep your toes happy.

The footbed cradles your feet to support over long hours but without compromising on flexibility. I struggle with shoes that have torsional stiffness through the midfoot, I’ll feel restricted in movement, but I love support under my arch. These satisfy on both counts.

The only time they didn’t perform 100% was on sloping ground with lots of sticky mud – I found myself slipping slightly and paying more attention to the terrain. To be fair, in these conditions you need a fell shoe and the La Sportiva Mutant is designed exactly for this.

Men's La Sportiva Akasha 2
Men's Trail Running Shoes
£140.00