April
22
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LA SPORTIVA AKASHA 2: CUSHIONING AND DURABILITY
LA SPORTIVA AKASHA 2: CUSHIONING AND DURABILITY. Today our TRAIL RUNNING SHOES section bring us the review of this brand new La Sportiva Akasha II. The classic ultra running shoes from the Italian brand, redesigned for this 2022.
These La Sportiva Akasha 2 arrived with an official price of € 170, 6 mm drop, for a height to the ground of 31mm / 25mm and a weight of 310 grams. Lets go with the video analysis by Jonathan Wyatt ( R&D La Sportiva Team)
LA SPORTIVA AKASHA 2:
CUSHIONING AND DURABILITY
155 €| 310 G. | 6 MM DROP
La Sportiva, an Italian brand born in Alto Trentino in 1928 by Narciso Delladio, a footwear artist dedicated to clogs and shoes for lumberjacks. After imposing itself as a leader in the world of climbing shoes from the 1990s onwards, it continues in this 21st century to progressively expand presence in mountain shoes, trail running and skimo material while maintaining the essence of a family business that has gone so well in almost 100 years of history.
La Sportiva Trail Running: As you can see in the official diagram below, the Italian brand for Mountain Running, as they called this sport (“Mountain Running”) is structured on two mayor axes or less volume, both long, short or medium distance.
At more volume, more relaxed and popular use. At less volume, more racing and elite.
Today, the italian brand offer shoes from the VK Boa for short distance in vertical kilometers, passing through the Mutant, Bushido2 and UltaRaptor for any kind of mountain races.
The range of the Sportiva 2021-22 is structured according to short, medium and long distance, according to its chasis/fit for narrow feet, width or regular, depending on its midsole in more and less reactive and according to its sole in soft terrain, ice, stone or all terrain and depending on duration and grip.
But in addition, we must also take into account its sole on soft ground, ice, stone or off-road and depending on the duration and grip. Above, the graph of soles with varied friction and durability.
The FriXion range consists of 5 types of compounds used in mountain running and climbing footwear.
LA SPORTIVA AKASHA II: DATA SHEET.
- Price: 155€
- Weight: 310 gr
- Drop: 6 mm (31 mm – 25 mm)
- Upper: Perforated AirMesh + PU Leather on the back and Dynamic ProTechTion™ on the toe
- Lining: Non-slip mesh
- Footbed: Ortholite® Hybrid Mountain Running®
- Midsole: Injection EVA and Cushion Platform™
- Sole: FriXion® Red dual-compound with Trail Rocker™
- Colors: as you can see in the image below, ther are multiple color options for men (above three) and women (below 4)
LA SPORTIVA AKASHA 2: HIGHLIGHTS
- New Look, inspired by the Bushido II aesthetic with external Skelethon TPU and geometric aesthetics
- Soft, enveloping and super breathable slip-on upper with sock construction that avoids compression points for maximum comfort of fit
- Large volumes designed for prolonged use in endurance competitions
- Dynamic ProTechTion ™ active front reinforcements: provide protection and structure following the movement of the foot in a dynamic way and without constrictions
- Extra cushioning thanks to the Cushion Platform™ footbed insert
UPPER
Soft, enveloping and super breathable slip-on upper with sock construction that avoids compression points for maximum comfort of fit.
- Large volumes designed for extended use in endurance competitions
- Dynamic ProTechTion active front reinforcements: provide protection and structure following the movement of the foot dynamically and without constrictions
MIDSOLE
EVA – INJECTED: High degree of cushoning and high elasticity of the fabric. These features assist “push off” during the propulsion phase while running, making these models who use injected midsoles, ideal for use on off-road trails.
Furthermore, EVA Injected midsole drastically reduce the “squash” effect of the EVA over time, allowing the product to mantain the same features for its entire duration.
OUTSOLE
La Sportiva FriXion® sole compounds are born with the aim of creating a contact zone with different parameters of tightness and durability depending on the type of use and land in which La Sportiva footwear is used.
Two sections: The black part more traction, the red one more durability.
LA SPORTIVA AKASHA 2: CONCLUSION
It is perhaps the most popular ultra running shoe today of the Italian brand. If it has become a modern classic it is because of the balance of its performance, long life and comfort.
Now a days its clear that all trail running shoes are going to have at least one or two shoes in their catalogue with at least 30 mm of stack height.
Having a very cushioned shoe its now a days synonym of confort and in majority of the cases long durability which is the case in these Akasha 2.
It is located halfway in volume between its sisters the Jackal and the Karacal. And it’s by far lighter and more flexible for running than the brand’s tank-shoes, Ultra Raptor.
The evolution made for very logical, so we hope that this Akasha II already has many points to become one of the favorite shoes of most of the brand’s fan riders among the ultrero peloton around the world. Although, we can miss that its weight is still above 300 grams.
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