CITUX, AMPLUX, FORTUX Review

Cyndi wears her amplux trail runnning shoes on a trail with sunlight shining behind a close up of her feet.

No, these are not new planetary names from a far away galaxy. They are LOWA Boots' newly launched ATR (All Trail Running) styles. LOWA Boots have been making premium brand mountaineering, climbing, trekking, hiking and casual footwear for 100 years! Founded in the German Alps by a Bavarian cobbler named LOrenz WAgner, hence the origin of the brandname. LOWA is still a family owned and operated business. Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Everest wore LOWAs on that epic journey contributing to US expansion. To date, over 3 million boots have been sold around the world. LOWA evolves with the ever changing consumer demands of today. Fast and light trail runners are not just for running, but can also be used in fast packing, peak bagging and everyday hiking.

As new shoes do, they arrive smelling and looking good with all of their vibrant and bold colors. It almost pained me to get them dirty. But, that’s what they were built for. I demoed the AMPLUX, in grey/mint first because, well, they looked fast. This shoe was built for the competitor or the weekend warrior. Putting my foot in for the first time was like sliding on my favorite faded jeans. AMPLUX just knew the shape of my feet without wearing or fading them first. The cushion, stability and grip performed well on the mossy, wet trails of North Carolina. The carbon-reinforced rebound plate that returns energy with every step, certainly contributed to my 4th place overall women at Black Mountain Trail race. (cough) With over 100+ miles in these, I recommend these for any occasion.

two women, one being cyndi wyatt, holding a sign of the summit of a peak, the sign reads :"San Jacinto peak 10,834 feet"

But, I had more to demo so, let’s keep it moving. The CITUX, in melon/arctic, is made for steep, fast trails, so that’s where I took them. Cactus to Clouds is the longest, highest elevation gain trail in the nation. C2C is located in Palm Springs, CA, has elevation gain of 10k+ feet, and covers 16 steep miles before reaching the summit of San Jacinto. Put this on your bucket list! The feature that stood out the most was how the collar lining hugs the ankle, similar to neoprene, to prevent small rocks from entering your shoe. The CITUX has a 4mm drop, perfect for a forefront strike runner. LOWA’s proprietary Trac Sole system, on all ATRs, is a sticky rubber compound for traction on wet or dry terrain. It proved excellent on boulders with loose sand and smooth lava rock surfaces.

showing 3 shoes, LOWA citux, amplux, and fortux in their boxes.

Last, but certainly not least, the FORTUX in arctic color. “Why did I wait so long to try these?” These were built for long distance Ultra-Runners. Notice the stack height in the sole. At the heel, it is 31.5mm (far right) compared to the CITUX (middle) with 20mm. The FORTUX rolls over rocks without notice. I wore these on a 15+ mile trail run in the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California on a hot day. They were breathable, grippy and I literally shouted, “I love these shoes!”

In summary: All these styles have excellent heel stability, toe protection and durability. Wear the AMPLUX on any trail run, the CITUX for steep race days, and the FORTUX on long mile days

Gear Philosophy: Each adventure, with varying terrain, precipitation, altitude, technicality, distance and your personal comfort level, is a special recipe only you can determine is the best. The fun is in the journey.

Thank you!

showing 3 shoes, LOWA citux, amplux, and fortux after some use.

-Cyndi Wyatt

“Peace and Strength in Mother Nature"