Having owned a dozen or so pairs of La Sportiva Running shoes over the last 6 years, I was pretty excited and hyped about the release of the La Sportiva Cyklon in late spring of 2021. On paper, all the stats seemed great, and having similar attributes to my beloved and revered La Sportiva Mutants the bar was set high. For reference, I have a narrow and low volume foot (size US men’s 9, 96mm last) and found the toe box to be roomy for my foot went up to US 10 or Euro size 43 and that has been true for all my other La Sportiva’s shoes.
Much like my experience with BOA in ski boots, the BOA lacing system in the Cyklon operates smooth and efficient and combined with the Dynamic Cage Closure System on the upper is nearly superior in all ways for equal pressure along the instep of the foot. After having taken the shoes out for several easy runs around Alta and Little Cottonwood Canyon, I was curious how the Frixion XF 2.0 (white) outsole would perform on more technical terrain and moving through 3rd-4th class scrambling. While the outsole was unsurprisingly sticky, the midsole being fairly more flexible than I am used to wasn’t the most confidence-inspiring on some more exposed sections while scrambling. While the lack of confidence was also associated with my narrow feet sliding around a bit too much in the forefoot, I also believe coming from the experience with the fairly stiff midsole of the tried-and-true Mutant, trying to compare them to the Cyklon isn’t the fairest measurement. Sort of like comparing Topo Chico to La Croix, both are great-tasting sparkling water but one just hits a bit differently than the other. On slightly less technical terrain covering a lot of vertical gain and descending is where I have found the Cyklon wants to shine.
For folks looking for a fairly light, yet aggressive shoe, with the ability to make easy fit adjustments I think the Cyklon is a great option. While potentially not the most ideal higher mileage shoe for the lack of cushion I do think that if the Cyklon fits your foot well, it’s a great shoe and I am excited to still be putting the Cyklon into the running shoe rotation hopefully for many more days out on the trails.
La Sportiva Cyklon Shoe
Welcome to the future! The La Sportiva Cyklon feels like a glimpse into the crystal ball of skyrunning shoes. A brain child collaboration between La Sportiva and BOA, the Cyklon is an impressive end result that provides everything you need for skyraces and off road running. It balances precision, stability, and on-trail feel. By incorporating a BOA into their Dynamic Cage closure system, you’re able to literally dial in your exact fit by tweaking the amount of volume. The Spyral Tongue EVO ensures that the BOA’s tightening is homogenous and doesn’t unevenly apply pressure in certain spots. The rest of the upper is highly breathable, abrasion-resistant 4-way stretch mesh for ultimate comfort. The outsole features Frixion XF 2.0 Mudguard rubber which offers a sticky grip on any terrain, but especially great on soft trails. Other features, such as protective toe cap and TPU stabilizing inserts, round out the Cyklon. You don’t need a fortune teller to inform you that this shoe is fully capable and ready to give you a race day boost.
SkyRun Fit Tip - Fits true to European shoe size. If you don't know your Euro size, size up by one-half US size.
- BOA with Dynamic Cage closure system guarantees a perfect, comfortable race fit.
- Spyral Tongue EVO disperses pressure to prevent any bothersome spots.
- Multi-layer side panels and TPU inserts increase stability and protection.
- Highly breathable, abrasion-resistant 4-way stretch mesh upper for ultimate comfort.
- Frixion XF 2.0 Mudguard rubber outsole grips on all sorts of technical terrain.
| Specifications | |
|
Weight |
335g [44.0] |
| Weight (pair) | 670g [44.0] |
|
Lug |
7.0mm |
| Drop | 8mm |
| Stack Height | 28 |
| Specs Verified | Yes |
| Design | |
| Outsole | FriXion® XF 2.0 “Mudguard” |
| Fit | Medium Volume |
| Last | Medium |
| Cushion | Medium |
| Protection | Medium |
| Lacing System | BOA |
| SkyRun Says | |
| Usage | Racing, technical terrain |
| Notes | BOA allows for a perfect fit |
| Bottom Line | Innovative race-ready shoe on technical terrain at short to medium distances |
| Compare to other Race Shoes | |
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Questions & Reviews
Comment on this review:
BLUF: Would recommend this shoe to my "friends" (in the same way I recommend huge suffer-fests to them) but expect it to fail at a lower mileage than a laced shoe.
Recent purchase with about 50mi. use. I like to mountain run, so rocky and steep constitutes maybe 40 of these miles and probably 80% overall of what these shoes will do. These are replacing Sportiva TX3 and Sportiva TX Guide Pro shoes (decided an actual running shoe might feel better), so this is the basis of comparison.
Pros:
- Lightweight. My feet feel so fast and nimble.
- Grip. 130% on trails and 80% on pure rock.
- Gaiter! It really works and is comfortable. Only dust gets in.
- Comfort. Turns out a running shoe ventilates, cushions, and supports better than an approach shoe.
Cons:
- Complexity. Overall there aren't too many failure points on this shoe (high wear zones seem nicely considered) but, of course, the BOA is there. While I do enjoy "dialing" the fit (which is a little faster and precise than fussing with laces), I really am nervous about its lifespan. I have already sheared the BOA tower off the shoe (it snaps back on, seemingly undamaged). The cable and eyelets seem feeble, as well. I'm sure this feature will be the root-cause failure of the shoe and is the reason for the 4/5 star review (I can already envision jogging down from the Wes Slabs or Superior with an un-tensioned broken shoe).
Overall, a better shoe for what I enjoy doing. It will be 5/5 if its robustness is proven. I will come back and update at the 300 mile-post.
Recent purchase with about 50mi. use. I like to mountain run, so rocky and steep constitutes maybe 40 of these miles and probably 80% overall of what these shoes will do. These are replacing Sportiva TX3 and Sportiva TX Guide Pro shoes (decided an actual running shoe might feel better), so this is the basis of comparison.
Pros:
- Lightweight. My feet feel so fast and nimble.
- Grip. 130% on trails and 80% on pure rock.
- Gaiter! It really works and is comfortable. Only dust gets in.
- Comfort. Turns out a running shoe ventilates, cushions, and supports better than an approach shoe.
Cons:
- Complexity. Overall there aren't too many failure points on this shoe (high wear zones seem nicely considered) but, of course, the BOA is there. While I do enjoy "dialing" the fit (which is a little faster and precise than fussing with laces), I really am nervous about its lifespan. I have already sheared the BOA tower off the shoe (it snaps back on, seemingly undamaged). The cable and eyelets seem feeble, as well. I'm sure this feature will be the root-cause failure of the shoe and is the reason for the 4/5 star review (I can already envision jogging down from the Wes Slabs or Superior with an un-tensioned broken shoe).
Overall, a better shoe for what I enjoy doing. It will be 5/5 if its robustness is proven. I will come back and update at the 300 mile-post.
7/21/2021
Hey Jarrod, thanks so much for the detailed review. We would love to hear an update when you get to the 300-mile range on the shoes as well.
Sorry to hear about the initial failure with the BOA dial, but glad you got it sorted out by popping it back in. After having fairly detailed talks with BOA and La Sportiva, it seems like while the BOA dial may be the weak point in the shoe the actual dial is designed to pop out instead of breaking. While it is obviously possible to have a catastrophic failure of the dial, it was very reassuring the amount of testing that goes into the dial and is meant to outlast the intended life of the shoe by a large margin.
Sorry to hear about the initial failure with the BOA dial, but glad you got it sorted out by popping it back in. After having fairly detailed talks with BOA and La Sportiva, it seems like while the BOA dial may be the weak point in the shoe the actual dial is designed to pop out instead of breaking. While it is obviously possible to have a catastrophic failure of the dial, it was very reassuring the amount of testing that goes into the dial and is meant to outlast the intended life of the shoe by a large margin.
4/5/2022
Just hit the 300mi marker (thanks for keeping track, Strava).
The shoes made it this far and with only typical wear and tear, too. The tread has been smoothed (big lugs still present), the red threads are fraying, and the mesh has torn in a few places.
There has been more than one BOA "failure", but nothing irreparable (the dial snaps back into place, so far). A few incidents scattered the internal components and required a scavenger hunt. One dial seems weaker than the other and dislocates more frequently. All-in-all dials have popped maybe a dozen times total.
So, not dead yet and still comfy and fully-functional.
The shoes made it this far and with only typical wear and tear, too. The tread has been smoothed (big lugs still present), the red threads are fraying, and the mesh has torn in a few places.
There has been more than one BOA "failure", but nothing irreparable (the dial snaps back into place, so far). A few incidents scattered the internal components and required a scavenger hunt. One dial seems weaker than the other and dislocates more frequently. All-in-all dials have popped maybe a dozen times total.
So, not dead yet and still comfy and fully-functional.
Comment on this review:
6/7/2021
Hi Skimo/SkyRun, I usually wear a 44 in the Sportiva Ultra Raptor and am interested in the new Cyklon. Any insight on sizing?
6/8/2021
Hey Alex, I would say to just stick with the same size that you have for the Ultra Raptor. Let us know if you have any more questions!
Answer this question:
5/4/2021
Équipe Course du Ciel,
Are you planning on bringing in any Cyklons in a size 46.5-47? I see on La Spo's site that they will be making those sizes for us big-feet.
Semi-related, where does the Frixion XF outsole rubber fall in terms of sticky-ness and durometer relative to the rest of the Frixion line? I'm guessing b/w the Red and the Green?
Danke schein!
Are you planning on bringing in any Cyklons in a size 46.5-47? I see on La Spo's site that they will be making those sizes for us big-feet.
Semi-related, where does the Frixion XF outsole rubber fall in terms of sticky-ness and durometer relative to the rest of the Frixion line? I'm guessing b/w the Red and the Green?
Danke schein!
5/4/2021
Hey Scott, feel free to shoot us an email at help@skimo.co and we could look into what La Sportiva will have available! To answer your second question Frixion XF Rubber is the stickiest compound they use for their running shoes. Also based on Spotivas chart it falls short on durability between both Frixion AT 2.0 (blue) and Frixion XT 2.0 (red). So in short Frixion XF has excellent grip and stickiness but will be slightly less durable than other shoes in La Sportiva's line.
5/5/2021
Thank you Zak! Chapeau on your recent Ciochetti's descent
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4/13/2021
How does the cyklon compare to the mutant in terms of fit and security on technical trails? Will the cyklon eventually replace/displace the mutant?
4/13/2021
Hey Kyle, since we haven't gotten a chance to fully try out the new Cyklon it's hard to say exactly how the fit compares to the Mutant. We do know that La Sportiva states that the fit should be slightly narrower than the Mutants medium/wide toe box though. With the BOA® lacing system and aggressive lug pattern if you are looking for a super technical and precise shoe then the new Cyklon should fit the bill quite nicely. For longer days with a mixture of both technical and tricky terrain combined with lots of miles I would tend to lean a bit more towards the Mutant for its superior cushion.
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