La Sportiva adds another line to their “Short Distance” category of shoes (similar to the Vertical K and Helios) – the Anakonda (Sorry Ladies, No Women’s Version).
INITIAL IMPRESSION
As with the La Sportiva’s “Short Distance” line of shoes, the Anakonda fits snug and is designed for fell-running and orienteering (i.e., mountain running and hill running). Feels very light on the feet and comes in at slightly above 10 oz (~292 g). The Anakonda has a 4 mm differential. The upper is made with a nice blend of overlay material to shed water quickly. You will notice the external TPU heel cup adding durability and the “EZ-In” heel pocket. The outsole is made of the sticky FriXion XF Rubber with plenty of lug power to tackle the toughest of terrain. See pictures below.
TRAIL TESTING
What can I say – it’s light and fast. It’s not as “cushioned” as the Vertical K, but enough to keep the sharp objects from hurting my feet. The Anakonda worked well in wet and muddy conditions (as designed). The shoe shed water quickly. The traction was excellent in the muddiest of conditions that I could put it through. They worked well on short to long distance training runs. I had no issues with blisters. However, one of our testers had an issue with their left heel blistering. This could have been caused by the “EZ-In” Heel design (notice the grooved material in the heel) or the stiffer heel cup designed with the rigid TPU material. Thus, a thorough fitting may be required prior to hitting the trails for some runners. In my experience with trail testing the Anakonda, it is all thumbs up.
TECH SPECS
- Forefoot Height -14 mm
- Heel Height – 18 mm
- Drop – 4 mm
- Gusseted tongue (Well, it’s an External Gusset)
- Neutral Shoe
- Rock Plate(forefoot)
- Midsole – EVA
- Upper – Synthetic
- Made In – China
- No Women’s Version
Weight Breakdown
CONCLUSION
Light, fast, designed to shed water, superior traction, a great new shoe in the La Sportiva line of “Short Distance” shoes. One note would be to get a proper fit prior to running due to the new heel design. Happy mountain running!
