I used La Sportiva Akashas intensely for a month of hiking and scrambling in the desert on a month long trip that I led and I am very happy with them. They are extremely comfortable for my feet, the heel and ankle are stable, there is plenty of protection even when scrambling on edged rocks, and lots of toe room. Additionally, they dry “fast enough” in a desert environment and the soles are very grippy when boulder hopping and scrambling. They are not ideal super aggressive mud shoes, but they are “good enough”. A great mud shoes is never going to have enough surface contact to be a good shoe for rock. Additionally, I was very happy with them on class 3-4 rock scrambles and wet desert canyon scrambles combined with rappelling.
The Fit (Unlike Previous La Sportiva Trail Shoes)–I have always loved the design of many La Sportiva shoes and gazed enviously at the sticky soles that I knew would theoretically be great for scrambling and talus walking/rock hopping. However, I have never been able to get their trail runners to fit me. I have feet that are a little wide in the forefoot and moderately skinny ankles. This has made it so none of their shoes have worked for me until now. My measured shoe size is between 10.5-11. I have tried the raptors and ultra raptors and even though I normally wear 11 shoes, when I size up to a 12 they are still a bit too skinny in the forefoot and they begin feeling like “clown shoes” since they are so long and flex too much for my comfort up front. Two years ago I was very excited when they came out with the La Sportiva Wildcat 2.0, since it has a wider last. However, the forefoot was fine, but the heel and ankle area were very sloppy and slid in and out. The Akashas have a wide toe box like the Wildcat 2.0, but unlike the Wildcats, the Akashas perfectly lock my ankle and heel. This summer, I plan on using my Acadias in Acadia for a week long trip and I will use them on and off in for 1.5 months in the Wind River Range (in the Wind Rivers I often prefer a waterproof shoe) and then I can post an update with a little more long term review.
