La Sportiva, Italian masters of everything footwear for the mountains from Everest boots to hikers to climbing slippers to outstanding trail running shoes, rolled out three new trail runners at Outdoor Retailer for their 90th year making mountain footwear in 2018.
Leading the charge Unika ($190), available July 2019, a premium all trails shoe which they say is the first mountain running shoe to be completely made in Europe. We gave it our Best New All Trails Shoe of OR award.
Update: Read our full Unika review here
It features:
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| La Sportiva Unika |
- a beautiful supportive upper with compression and differentiated stretch zones with integrated non removable sock liner.
- an elaborate Lace-Up Harness which integrates upper to the midsole. Like the Mutant, complex, different and should be effective.
- A PU Infinitoo midsole instead of EVA. Infinitoo is claimed to have high energy return and be more compression resistant for long term cushion durability and consistency. Salomon also is using a PU insert under at the forefoot in its new S-Lab Sense Ultra 2.
- PU tends to be heavier than EVA so the Unika comes in at 11.6 oz./380 g (M9), 9.28 oz./264 g (W8).
- 31mm heel/23 mm forefoot, 8 mm drop so a substantial well cushioned platform
La Sportiva's Product Manager presented the Unika to RoadTrailRun in the YouTube video below
Stability Lugs and Frixion XF 2.0 outsole with 8 mm lugs.
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| La Sportiva Unika |
The Lace-Up Harness with alternating yellow and black cords locks the foot to the midsole
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| La Sportiva Unika Lace-Up Harness Photo: La Sportiva |
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| La Sportiva Unika Lace-Up Harness Photo: La Sportiva |
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| La Sportiva Unika |
Women's color way
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| Women's La Sportiva Unika |
Lycan ($115) is a mid distance, reasonably priced trail shoe coming in at a comparatively svelte 9.5 oz/268 g (M9), 7.9 oz./225 g (W8). It has a 23mm heel./17mm forefoot stack, 6mm drop. Available February 2018.
Update: Read our full Lycan review here
The outsole has 5mm lugs in a softer high durability Frixion AT 2.0 outsole.
Coming in at an incredible 6.9 oz./198 g (M9) and 5.9 oz./168 g the fast VK ($135) was designed in collaboration with the Vertical K world record holder Urban Zemmer. A vertical K is 1000 meters of climbing in the shortest trail possible to gain the elevation and the even is hotly contested in Europe.
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| La Sportiva VK |
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| La Sportiva VK |
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| La Sportiva VK |
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| Women's La Sportiva VK |
VK is available February 2018.
Comments and Questions Welcome Below!
For over 60 of in depth 2017 shoe and gear reviews visit our index page here
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1 comment:
Any chance for a Unika review? Scarce info out there right now and it looks like an interesting shoe
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