Price: $140

Specs:
 9mm heel-toe drop; 11.3 oz. (men’s size 9.0); 9.8 oz. (women’s 7.0)

The Scoop: This new technical mountain running shoe blends plenty of trail-specific features for running on rugged terrain with long-haul comfort, an easy flexing demeanor and a good amount of breathability. La Sportiva found inspiration in the structural concepts of the Japanese art of origami and built an aggressive, structured and stable shoe around it.

Who’s it best for? Trail runners who frequently run very technical mountain and trail terrain with a lot of rocks, talus and possibly wet, slippery or uneven surfaces. It’s heavier that most trail running shoes we’ve reviewed, but that’s not an issue at all on rugged terrain. It starts to feel a bit like overkill on more moderate terrain and it’s definitely too much shoe for smooth dirt paths or basic gravel roads, but this shoe was made for running in the mountains.

Plus: This is certainly one of the best technical mountain running shoes La Sportiva has ever produced. It has a burly, sticky rubber outsole, a good amount of midsole cushioning (including a thin, sturdier layer of injected foam that serves as flexible rock plate) and a solid, well-balanced base that offers plenty of protection and stability while crossing over jagged rocks, uneven terrain, loose talus, tree roots, and sloppy, wet or snowy terrain.

Minus: Like a lot of La Sportiva mountain running shoes, the Akyra will fit a bit snug for your normal size. All of our testers preferred a half-size larger for wear-test purposes.