La Sportiva Akasha

Imprinting the trails in La Sportiva Akasha

Akasha- a direct translation of the Sanscrit for ‘space’ or ‘upper sky,’ I thank these sturdy La Sportiva Akasha trail shoes for three consecutive trail race wins!

Weighing in at 430 grams, they’re not as light as I would usually go for but have proved worthy and after several trail races and training runs in all sorts of meteorological conditions and geographical test surprises and few wash-scrubbing mud-offs, they are still looking good.

The 6mm drop gives you a chance to feel in good contact with the ground while working well with the Trail Rocker.

Main features

• Their Trail Rocker™ Outsole Technology allows an efficient rolling through heel-to-toe landing for smooth performance on the trail whilst also gripping well on dirt, mud and rock thanks to its outsole technology
• The STB™ Technology provides excellent support and flexy underfoot
• ProTechTion™ HF reinforcements provide lightweight, flexible protection

Size and fit

At last, a trail shoe I’m not swimming in! The Akasha is true to its size. As a narrow footed runner, they fit well given their low-volume midfoot, narrow heel and forefoot.

The shoe is offered in standard D width for men and B width for women. They also stayed firmly and comfortably on while running through sticky mud and kept my feet secure while hurtling down steep earthy banks.

The toe box is comfortable and protective, and I have not yet ( touch a few trees) bashed my toes on any rocks or sneaky tree roots.

Outsole

I have to admit that when my local running shop recommended trying the Akasha on I was hesitant as they looked rather cumbersome and heavier than what I am used to. But after a couple of laps around the car park, I felt sorry for having been rude about their look.

The Akasha features the Trail Rocker™ outsole technology that encourages the rolling heel-to-toe movement that running scholars love and which are great for trail running.

The grippy FriXion XT compound on the outsole provides a fantastic grip on muddy, rocky and dusty technical surfaces I’ve run on. The Impact Brake lugged system gives good traction intended both for scrambling uphill or galloping down steep or gentler descents.

I managed not to fall over today in the pouring rain - thanks to Akasha. As you can see in the picture, the black grippy material covers most of the sole, the purple lugs frame the more wear and tear impact areas at the top (inside) and bottom (outside).

Midsole

Having suffered a couple of stress fractures in the past, impact cushioning on hard surfaces matters to me. I like the Akasha’s underfoot protection and ample shock absorption of the shoe, which uses the dual-injection MEMlex EVA midsole.

Upper

At first glance, I wasn’t sure about the purple air mesh material upper of the La Sportiva Akasha. But it does deliver a lightweight and breathable foot coverage.

In hot weather, it keeps the foot cool and well ventilated, but in the wet and cold day, I got cold feet. However, the water drained well out of them compared to other shoes, and they’re nearly dry after only a few hours stuffed with newspaper.

The STB technology which stretches from the upper to midsole fits snuggly yet not constructively. The ProTechTion HF reinforcements in the Akasha make the shoe flexible and sturdy.

Although not so beautiful (but who cares about aesthetics when you just need to run up and down mountains?),  the rubber toe caps also protect the toes while running on the stony, unpredictable ground.

What’s not to like?

I found the heel/Achilles cup a little stiff at first, and they still feel heavier than I’d like, but have served me well, so the pros outweigh the cons.

To conclude

The Akasha is a great shoe for tough terrain, and long trail runs. They are well built, strong and though quite expensive, worth the investment for the secure ride and feeling of freedom with the safety you get galloping up and down stony paths!