Mountain shoes
Product 2021
Woman, Man
The La Sportiva Karacal is officially a trail running shoe for long distance training. It’s also a great fast hiking shoe.
You can feel the high torsional rigidity from the very first strides, the rear 2/3 isn’t very flexible and its very precise foot envelopment some testers qualified as “firm”.
This is a shoe designed for technical terrain, well reinforced at the front, sides, and rear. In scree, paths with lots of roots, this La Sportiva Karacal brings security and serenity. With it you can attack without worrying about shocks underfoot from sharp stones. What’s the downside? As we have seen, there’s greater rigidity and less fluidity than on a less reinforced shoe, and there’s a little more weight: 290 grams in size 42.
The Sportiva Karacal provides firm support underfoot, not much cushioning that reaches the hard point quickly. While you do have high precision on the terrain, the Karacal’s poor filtration can put strain on the joints if you run in long strides for a long time. Otherwise, running/walking in the Karacal is effective. The same goes for the rebound and the “rocker” effect at the front: it’s very limited. We do like the shoe’s “direct” aspect, its foot strike precision. It lists a 7mm drop.
It is also intended for rather narrow feet, at least at the front.
The oval lacing has been described as “powerful”, nothing moves, you just need to make a double knot. Make sure that you position the top of the tongue, which drifts a little in this area. The two metal eyelets may cause slight pressure depending on the angle of the ankle (do not tighten the lace too much). The material is quite stiff because it transmits the laces’ tension.
We really appreciated the La Sportiva Karacal’s breathability and the quality of workmanship and materials. The lugs have the right shape and the right height for this type of shoe intended for technical terrain and long runs. Last but not least, this is a sustainable product that goes the miles without suddenly falling apart. At a time when shoes are to be thrown away after less than 500 kilometers, this is an important point.
The Sportiva Karacal is a long-distance training shoe. Reinforced, with not much cushioning, it is comfortable in technical terrain where grip and serenity are what count. It is also a good fast hiking shoe.
7 mm 
We used this equipment over a long period of time
These are our thoughts after intensive use:
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