Lowa Amplux

It is a mountain shoe, when unpacking is the first thing that transmits. They are relatively discreet despite the combination of bright colors, perhaps because its design is quite conservative. The design is neo, without great stridency or material changes, with reinforcements at key points; toe and heel. The sole is also classic with a normal size and a 6mmdrop, which gives us clues about its era orientation and draws attention to its imposing tread, close to 5mm.

Before putting them on, it is inevitable to be prejudiced about their 300g, which are nevertheless reasonable for a shoe that aims to protect us in hostile terrain; honestly, they do not feel heavy because their construction is really balanced. They are easy to put on, they are kind to the foot.

Tightening the laces requires some work, and although the tongue is fantastically padded and protects a lot, on narrow feet a crease is generated in the area of the first eyelets (on the back of the metatarsals) which is somewhat uncomfortable. This is a direct consequence of the hardness of the fabric and the unergonomic design of the upper. Otherwise, the quality as usual in this range of footwear and prices, is extraordinary, Lowa is a prestigious brand in the world of trekking and mountaineering and could not be less in this case.

Type of ideal runner

For its construction it is a shoe aimed at all types of public, being more important the type of use that will be given. Regardless of the weight or biomechanics of the user, its DNA is all-terrain. They admit all types of tread and seem really stable, due to the configuration of their reinforcements and their drop. Their last is wide and as we have already mentioned, those with narrow feet, at first may feel some discomfort due to the post knotting folds, although when walking the sensations change for the better.

In terms of sizing, for a typical 27.5cm foot, I would recommend the 27.3cm (43.5EUR).

Type of terrain where they perform best

Mountain. Trail, technical trail, soft ground, loose rock... Everything we can think of with two extremes that we begin to differentiate; on the one hand they work very well on muddy ground thanks to their prominent lugging and however this feature in combination with their hard compound, make them less reliable on wet rock where they tend to slide. You can't have everything. Their low profile and great construction make them generally very, very stable and for their comfort, we can say that they cover the entire traditional long-distance mileage range, from 20 to 40km, from 4 to 5 hours 2 to 4 or 5h. They are also suitable for shorter distances. For ultras they will be a bit "hard" and we will notice the fatigue. The main test took place on mixed terrain, with steep slopes on grass and rock (with the morning dew, they skidded a little), running on dirt and mud trails where they behaved deluxe and finally they had to go out on the asphalt with a decent behavior, they do not fly but they make good company.

Their rivals

They move in the range of multipurpose footwear, both for technical races and for light trekking if we do not want boots, but we need the same protection. The holy grail of this specialty (personal opinion) are the La Sportiva Mutant to which they win in comfort and also admit the confrontation with the multipurpose Salomon Thundercross to which they win in stability. In any case, we are talking about "rocker" shoes that demand wild mountain, well differentiated from the "poppers"Nike, NB, Asics...) that feel better in the more civilized mountain.

The Lowa Amplux is a technical shoe ideal for mountain running, with good protection and excellent stability. It has very prominent lugs that work well on all terrains, although they penalize on wet rock. In the times of the "200g", its 300 grams may seem excessive and yet the shoe never feels heavy, with an intermediate fit and comfortable feel, they are very comfortable. With all these features, they are the ideal shoes for running in hilly places at medium paces, making transitions between forest trails, loose material and rocky sections or muddy ground, paying special attention when we perceive wet rock. They will not excite the most radical runners, but they are highly recommended for those looking for a guaranteed all-terrain shoe. The quality of the materials is excellent and I would make two suggestions to the brand; review the construction of the upper to avoid puckering and look for a rubber that improves its response in the treacherous wet rock.