La Sportiva Crosslite 2.0: Initial Impressions

Background

About a month ago I was fortunate enough to win a pair of La Sportiva Crosslite shoes in one of iRunFar.com's giveaway contests. I actually already owned a pair, so I figured I'd just stick the new pair in the closet for the time being. When the package arrived from La Sportiva, however, I discovered that what they had sent me was the Crosslite 2.0. Curious as to what the differences were, I browsed over to the La Sportiva web site. La Sportiva describes the 2.0 as essentially the original plus some cushioning for "extra protection and comfort on longer runs". At the time I did not think these differences would amount to much. However, after putting some miles on the shoes I have come to conclude otherwise, and I thought I'd share my observations. But before I get into the 2.0, I want to (briefly) describe my experience with both the original Crosslite and the La Sportiva Wildcat, since I will use these shoes as points of reference and comparison for the Crosslite 2.0.

The Wildcat and Original Crosslite

I first tried the Wildcats after an initially promising but ultimately failed experiment with another brand of shoe. And it turned out to be fortuitous, because the Wildcats are, for me, a great trail running shoe: Grippy, breathable, and comfortable enough to wear for hours on end. I just love 'em. They are my go-to shoe for anything longer than a couple hours. I used them for several trail races in 2010 as well as the Salida Trail Marathon earlier this month.

I picked up my Crosslites back in October with the hope that the large, widely-spaced lugs would make them ideal for winter trail running. They have indeed performed admirably in the muddy, sloppy, slushy, icy, and snowy conditions that constitute winter trail running in Northern NM. And as many other reviewers of this shoe have pointed out, they just feel light and fast. You can't help but want to crank things up when you're wearing these. I wore them a couple months ago in the Corrida de los Locos cross-country race and they performed great.

My trusted companions: Wildcats (left) and Crosslites (right)

I like to think of these two shoes as a sedan (the Wildcat) and a sports car (the Crosslite): one for long trips, and one for getting out and just having fun.

Quick note on sizing: My normal shoe size is 9-9.5. I prefer a 42.5 in the Wildcat but a 43 in the Crosslite since it's a little narrower through the midfoot.

The Crosslite 2.0

When I first pulled the Crosslite 2.0 out of the box, my first thought was, yikes that's a mean lookin' shoe:

La Sportiva Crosslite 2.0 after a few miles

Just holding it, the 2.0 feels like the original Crosslite on steroids. Everything from the tongue to the midsole to the heel support is more rugged. Even the upper material seems to be thicker. There's no shortage of foot protection.

The 2.0 retains the cover over the laces but a slightly larger toe bumper

Lacing them up, the same basic Crosslite fit is there, but there are also some differences that can be noticed before you ever even start running. The increased cushioning in the midsole is rather obvious, even just walking around the house. The 2.0 also has more arch support. All of this contributes to a shoe that just feels more substantial on your foot - although ironically the weights are essentially the same, something I confirmed with my kitchen scale.

Once I started putting miles on them, however, the differences really started to reveal themselves. For starters, as one might expect, the added cushioning dampens and reduces ground feedback. Some folks will like that and others won't. I appreciated the cushioning when running on rocks and packed snow/ice, as well as short pavement sections. With the original, I can very definitely feel the outsole lugs pressing through the midsole into the bottom of my feet when running on a hard surface. With the 2.0, this sensation is considerably reduced. On the other hand, there are plenty of times when more intimate contact with the running surface provides useful feedback.

The increased midsole thickness of the 2.0 also changes the ride by putting your foot a touch higher off the ground. For me this was most noticeable when cornering hard. The 2.0 never felt out of control, but I could sense more lateral motion of my foot compared to the original.

The thicker midsole of the 2.0 is readily apparent

The traction and midfoot fit are all Crosslite. On steep technical descents, the 2.0 gripped my foot and the ground just like the original. I had no qualms about bombing down rocky, twisty singletrack at high speed in these shoes. On snow and ice they also performed great and again gave me the same secure footing I get with the original. I have not tested them in hot weather yet but my suspicion is that the 2.0 will be less breathable than the original due to the heavier upper material. Even in the moderate temperatures we've had recently I can tell that my feet are warmer in the 2.0 than they are in either the original or the Wildcats.

The 2.0 features a larger and more supportive heel cup

According to the specs, the 2.0 has less heel lift than both the original and the Wildcat. I've seen some variation in the absolute numbers, but best I can tell the relative heel-to-toe drop is 8mm for the 2.0, versus 10mm for the original and 12mm for the Wildcat. Given the magnitude of the other differences between the 2.0 and the original, I didn't really notice this aspect.

Overall, I would say that the 2.0 actually rides and feels a lot like the Wildcat underfoot. I want to say that I get a bit more ground feel in the Wildcat than the 2.0. However, I'm not convinced yet that I'm actually feeling that rather than just imagining it. Otherwise it's more or less the same comfortable feeling that I love about the Wildcat just with a different fit: You don't necessarily feel like running fast, but you definitely feel like you could run all day and your feet wouldn't object.

Conclusions

So what is the role for this shoe? The original Crosslite has received significant praise for its low profile and fast feel. If that is what you are looking for in a shoe, I think the original is still the better choice. However, if you like the fit and traction of the Crosslite but want something that is more cushioned, rugged, and/or protective, the 2.0 might just be the ticket.... especially if you don't want the weight of the beefier La Sportiva shoes like the Wildcat, Raptor, or Fireblade. In that regard I think La Sportiva's description is accurate, but incomplete: yes, the 2.0 is most definitely a more cushioned Crosslite, but that comes at the expense of a modified ride.

Now none of this should be taken to imply that I have a negative opinion of this shoe, because that is definitely not the case. I like the concept of a shoe that rides like my Wildcat but saves me an ounce or two of weight on each foot, and the more I wear it the more I like it. If I do have an issue it's really the name of the shoe more than anything else. To me, the use of the designator "2.0" implies a new and improved shoe, something that keeps the characteristics of the original while addressing any flaws. I don't think that that is what La Sportiva has done here.... and to be fair I don't know if that was their intent. In the end it's a great shoe regardless of the name, but if you pick up a pair thinking it's a new and improved Crosslite you might be a little disappointed.

Followup 5/29/11

As I mentioned in one of my comments the shoes have unfortunately developed tears in the upper where the rubberized upper material meets the rest of the upper. The shoe flexes heavily at this point and I believe the seamless interface between the two materials caused the fabric to fail. I would estimate mileage at 100-150. Below are some pictures that show the issue.

Inside left shoe

Inside right shoe

Outside right shoe

And one more 28 mile run later and the shoe is basically destroyed at this point. Very disappointing.

Note the hole in the right shoe's toe box (as if it's hard to miss)

Yes it goes all the way through

Follow up 7/1/11

After contacting La Sportiva I sent them the shoes. They evaluated them and sent me a replacement pair under their warranty policy. I have not run in the new pair yet but will start working them into my rotation and we'll see what happens.