The Lafuma Sky Race OT shoes are competent trail runners featuring the OutDry waterproof/breathable membrane. Lafuma is a lesser known outdoor company here in America, but they are huge in Europe and have recently made inroads into the U.S. market. They make everything from footwear, jackets, packs, sleeping bags and even camp chairs.
I got to try out a pair of the Lafuma Sky Race OT Trail Running Shoes for most of late spring and put them through the wringer as trail runners, hikers and even rock climbing approach shoes.
As soon as I took them out of the box, I was struck by the bright yellow and black color scheme. It seems outdoor shoes are trending toward the garish these days, and Lafuma didn’t disappoint as they looked like I was wearing honey bees on my feet.
But in the outdoors, function trumps fashion, and the Sky Race OT shoes function admirably. Here’s how they stack up:
I brought the shoes along on a rock climbing trip to Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas, and as approach shoes, they rocked. They’re lightweight and the Vibram soles were stable on uneven ground and had plenty of sticky tread for steep slickrock sections on the walk-off descents. The only downside was they lack loops to hang them from carabiners, so into the pack they went.
But the Lafuma Sky Race OT shoes aren’t built for use as approach shoes, so after properly breaking them in, they hit the trails in the Wasatch Mountains. As trail runners, they shine. Lightweight, breathable and snug, the Sky Race OT shoes were comfortable and quick.
Much of the comfort is due to the Twin Lace System. It’s a very cool way to lace up shoes as you pull up on the rubber tab and cinch down the toes and upper foot separately. You then roll up the excess and tuck it under the elastic/mesh tongue. However, I foresee after many uses the laces breaking over time and being next to impossible to replace since you can’t just run to the corner store for replacements. After only a few days the laces showed some fraying where the toggles slide up and down. Not good.
Fortunately, the “look at me” colors and questionable laces are the only downsides on the Lafuma Sky Race OT shoes. At every other level, they stood up to the test, including how waterproof they are. Other reviewers have complained that water leaks into the shoes between the sole and uppers. I did not find this to be true. Even after standing in a creek for well over a minute, my socks never even got damp.
In fact, I found the OutDry membrane to be totally waterproof and very breathable. I usually don’t like to wear waterproof shoes in the warmer months because I have an old pair of Gore Tex shoes that feel like I’m wearing plastic bags on my feet. But the OutDry felt like it released plenty of moisture while never letting water in.
That being said, these are not summer trail running shoes as they don’t ventilate that well.
In a nutshell, the Lafuma Sky Race OT Trail Running Shoes are bad style (for my taste) and have a lacing system that wears out quick. However the good side stands up and sings when you run or hike in them, especially in wet or muddy conditions.
The Lafuma Sky Race OT shoes are available at Backcountry.com.
Here are the company specs:
Footbed: Removable PES/EVA. Sole: VIBRAM® XRUN rubber/ Phylon tri-density midsole.
Twin Lace System: dual toggles made to secure the lower and upper foot separately
Size 8.5= 430g
Twice you said these are lightweight. I’d say they are heavy. Do you have any experience with, or looked at stats of trail running shoes?
They are light compare to army boots, but they are tanks compared to lightweight running shoes.
Of course there are lighter weight trail running shoes out there, but for the type of shoe the Lafuma Sky Race OT shoes are (with a waterproof layer and rugged sole that is meant for all-weather runs) at 14.8 ounces, to me, that’s light weight. Most of the shoes I’ve worn that are similar are in the 20 ounce range.