Its been a long time since I was as positively surprised about a shoe as I was when I tested La Sportivas third vesion of their light and fast Helios-model. Experience why in my complete review of La Sportiva Helios 3 below.
Summary of the article
- Specifications
- An outsider in La Sportivas range
- A tight and secure fit
- Airy and incredibly durable upper
- Great traction on solid surfaces
- A fast and safe running experience in La Sportiva Helios 3
- The shoe for your short trail routes
- An underrated trail shoe
Specifications
Shoe type: Trail running shoe
Running style: Neutral
Weight: 175 gram (women, size 38)/ 219 gram (men, size. 42)
Stack height: 20/16 mm
Heeldrop: 4 mm
Favorite surface: Solid (trail, gravel)
Waterproof: No
An outside in La Sportivas range
Since La Sportivas first version of the Helios-model was released about eight years ago, it has been a bit of an outsider in La Sportivas trailshoe-lineup.
La Sportivas shoes have typically had a tendency to be somewhat stiff in the midsole and they have been designed for somewhat more technical terrain like mountain trail.
But in this case Helios 3 stands out with its minmal design, its flexibility, great touch with the surface and not least its amazing lack of weight. A great shoe for more flat terrain and less technical trail at high pace.
A tight and secure fit
Helios 3 is engineered with a relatively narrow fit to provide a secure foot hold and a much more comfortable sensation which I personally think works very well because it is designed for fast trail running where you really depend on the shoe being 100% tight around the foot.
As trail running involves many changes of direction and more uneven terrain than road running, its important that the shoe has a tight fit to minimize the risk of slipping around inside the shoe. And Helios 3 really lives up to those demands.
In spite of its tight fit, it still offers plenty of room in the toebox which makes it comfortable and prevents the tight fit from becoming uncomfortable, if your feet like mine swell up during longer and harder training sessions.
The back of Helios 3 is besides designed with a smart pulltab to make it easier to get it on and off. Great detail!
Airy and incredibly durable upper
Helios is designed with a nylon upper in HyDrain air-mesh, which ensures fast drainage and max.breathability for your feet. For this reason I also expect it to become one of my trail-favorites for the summer.
In addition the upper is designed with a reinforced rip-stop mesh to extend the life of the shoe. The special rip-stop prevents cracks from widening if you tear the upper and thereby it prevent further damage to the upper. For the same reason this fabric is also used for products like sails, military uniforms and air balloons which is testament to how strong this product is.
I think its important to include this detail as trail shoes are often exposed to tough wear and tear on the upper, which quickly may be torn due to the many challenges on the road like tearing roots and branches.
Here you will get an upper which will hold up, no matter where you run and what Helios 3 is exposed to in terms of challenging terrain.
This was also my immediate impression when I held La Sportiva Helios 3 in my hands for the first time. This shoe just oozes quality and durability.
In addition a bit more padding to the tongue has been added in this version of Helios which just makes it even more comfortable. At the same time the tongue has been attached so it wraps itself better around the foot and avoids slipping to the side during your runs.
Great traction on solid surfaces
In addition to the great upper, Helios 3 is engineered with a relatively soft midsole in EVA-foam, which makes it especially suited to more solid surfaces like hard trail and hard-packed dirt. At the same time it is engineered with a Frixion AT 2.0 rubber outsole in a powerful and corrugated pattern which takes part in providing great traction on solid surfaces like hard trail and hard-packed dirt.
I live a couple of miles from the woods and therefore I have tested it basically on all kinds of hard surfaces, sidewalks, asphalt roads, hard trail, gravel and it really provided me with a great grip on all of those surfaces. For this reason I believe that Helios would do really well in rocky terrain where I unfortunately haven´t had the chance to test it.
However, its important to be aware that its designed for more solid surfaces which means that its outsole isn´t rough enough to work in more soft and muddy terrain. For that kind of surface, you should go for another model.
A fast and safe running experience in La Sportiva Helios 3
When I received the shoebox with Helios 3, I had to check an extra time to find out if the shoes were actually in the box. Simply because they are so light! Weighing only 175 gram (in size. 38) Helios 3 is also so light that it features among the lightest trail shoes in the market.
The minimal weight creates a very rare running experience. Due to its minimal weight, you hardly sense wearing the shoe and therefore it also works especially well for your fast runs in the terrain. And you can easily up the pace as it provides a very safe sensation on your runs!
This sensation owes a lot not only to its great grip on hard surfaces but also to its flexibility and low 4 mm heeldrop making you able to speed up enjoying great touch with the surface.
I have previously tested heavier and more clumsy trail shoes, so it was really a terrific sensation to try out as light a shoe as Helios 3, which clearly provides the option for more pacy runs in the woods in the future.
The shoe for your shorter trail routes
One last thing which is worth knowing about Helios 3 is the fact that its a shoe which is designed with a minimal degree of comfort which means that this is NOT a shoe for your long trail-excursions. Helios is designed for speed on short outings and therefore you need to be a VERY experienced runner to use it for your long trail runs.
An underrated trail shoe
If you are looking for a new shoe for trail running this summer, you certainly shouldn´t miss trying out this shoe.
Helios 3 is a fast and fun trail shoe and judging by its looks, I really didn´t have great expectations for it. But as the saying goes: Never judge a book on its cover!
Actually I struggle to compare it to other trail shoes now as it is so special. La Sportiva have really designed a model that stands out in the trail market.
I only do trail a couple of times a month and therefore I used it primariy as a shoe for my faster runs on short distances. But if you are a more experienced trail runner, you can easily make it work for longer runs.
In total its superb for the trail runner, who is looking for a shoe which provides a fun and safe experience for faster runs on hard trail and hard-packed dirt
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