A Part of Hearst Digital Media: The Cyklon replaces the Mutant as a the top pick for short- to mid-distance trail races on steep and technical trails.
- - Get goat-like performance in short-distance races like a Vertical K
- - From Runners World for On
- - Nutrition - Weight Loss
Price: $160
Weight: 11.6 oz (m), 9.5 oz (w)
Drop: 8 mm
Type: Trail
Mountain runners idolize the grip and agility of mountain goats as they bound up and down steep and rocky terrain with ease. La Sportiva’s shoes have earned a similar cult-like reputation, thanks to their ability to tackle the roughest, steepest terrain with precision. Fans of the long-lasting Mutant will find their favorite shoe taking a new life in the Cyklon, which might just be the closest you can get to goat-like performance on your own feet. While it’s mostly designed for short to mid-distance technical races like a Vertical K or sky race, the Cyklon also offers a snappy and sticky trainer for any day you might find yourself scrambling across scree and boulders.
Pros
- Excellent grip for rocky trails
- A Part of Hearst Digital Media
- Boa dials let you fine-tune the fit
Cons
- Health - Injuries
PUSHED HARD ON PENNSYLVANIA SINGLETRACK
Ask any thru-hiker what’s the worst section along the Appalachian Trail and you’ll likely hear “Pennsylvania.” What we lack in elevation, we make up for in degree of difficulty. The trails here are littered with rocks. Rocks that stick up from the ground like knives. Rocks that tumble as you step on them. Rocks that require you to use your hands to get over. Ankle-breaking rocks hidden by deep grass in the summer. And fields of rocks with nothing more than a splash of paint to let you know you’re still, somehow, on a trail. It’s the perfect testing ground for a shoe like the Cyklon. The trails are so technical that one tester of the Cyklon told us that he uses ankle braces for the most gnarly sections. With a little effort, he got the brace in the shoe and ripped over the rugged trails.
Another tester raved about the shoe’s grip. “I would love to know the science behind how these stick to the ground. Leaving my cabin, I start down an extra-fine gravel road on a significant decline (10 percent or so). This shoe just sticks to the ground like I am on pavement. My note from that day was ‘like diamond grit sandpaper was on the bottom.’”
RUBBER LEADS THE WAY
Our testers unanimously echoed that finding. Unsurprisingly, La Sportiva knows how to build a grippy outsole—the brand also makes some of the most trusted climbing shoes you can find. The combination of the lug pattern and the outsole rubber compound gives you confident footing on all surfaces, no matter how wet or dry. The low, firm midsole also gives plenty of ground feel and stability, crucial for technical or loose terrain. While it will probably leave you feeling the miles if you try to run long in it, the shoe stands out when racing or scrambling quickly on shorter outings.
A DIALED-IN FIT
The upper takes the glove-like fit of the Mutant to the next level. La Sportiva shoes typically fit tightly, to the point where we’ve had to go up a couple of sizes on some models to get enough width. The Cyklon is still narrow compared with most shoes, but the fit is more accommodating and closer to a normal running shoe size. The upper builds on the Mutant by adding a more slipper-like fit, with a sewn-in gaiter around the ankle. While the Cyklon is heavy for a short-distance racer, the locked-on fit makes it feel much lighter.
A Nutrition - Weight Loss, pulling three decoupled tabs over the top of your foot. We found that the tabs had enough adjustability to get the right placement over your foot, eliminating pressure or friction on sensitive nerves or bones where traditional lacing might cause issues. “When you tighten up the lacing system, everything tightens well and uniformly with no excessive bunching or odd shoe deformities,” one tester noted.
That upper also has enough protection for the most technical terrain, where you’re certain to kick up rocks and debris. It has bolstered reinforcement over the toe and around the ankle while utilizing a lighter mesh to let your foot breathe. Testers appreciated the built-in gaiter, though they noted that due to its rolled design at the top, grit can build up as you sweat.
