I’ll start right off by saying I am a big fan of Altra shoes. After several years of searching for the right shoe for me, I ended up landing on Altra. I’ve tried everything from minimalist, high cushion, zero drop, and the traditional running shoes I was used to from high school.
I found through trial and error that: 1) Minimalist shoes and higher mileage did not mix well with my body (not the case for everyone though), 2) I really enjoyed the zero drop from heel to toe concept/feel, 3) My body appreciated more-than-traditional cushioning – especially during & after long runs, and 4) More than anything, my feet LOVED the extra toe room – reducing a lot of blister/toe nail issues I was having.
That is exactly how my shoe search landed on the Altra brand – they check off every aspect I found I enjoyed in a shoe…zero drop, lots of toe room, and plenty of cushion.
I have been running in Altra trail and road shoes for the past 3 years or so, working my way through a couple different styles of road shoes and only one style of trail…the Lone Peak!
Their newest version is the Altra Lone Peak 4.5 (men/women). Let’s jump into the details!
Traction
As with all shoes, they are the best right out of the box. Putting them on and walking around the house feels like there’s sticky velcro on the bottom, kind of freaky 🙂 I’m a huge fan of Altra’s MAXTRAC™ and TRAILCLAW™ combo – they provide me with a lot of confidence on any trail around Duluth.
Heel
At first I wasn’t a fan of the new heel (at least I could tell a difference right away, maybe it’s not actually “new”), it felt too tight. But as I came to realize, the new shape provides a close, almost hugging like feel of the shoe around your heel. Now I notice it while out running, or right when I put it on, and appreciate the stable fit it provides.
Upper/Laces
I wouldn’t say there’s anything earth-shattering that I notice other than solid craftsmanship. Maybe someone else would have more to say (good or bad), but I’m certainly happy with it.
The laces do their job and keep everything in place. I’ve had some in prior shoes that felt almost slippery…not something you want when running technical single track around here.
Overall Feel
Similar to previous iterations of the Lone Peak, I’m a happy customer – I definitely keep coming back to them!
As with training, and life in general, I attempt to keep things simple. So it’s nice to finally find that shoe that make buying an easy, simple choice. It’s also nice to not worry about what’s on your feet while out on the trails, and these shoes are a comfortable way to enjoy everything northern Minnesota has to offer!
One aspect I didn’t mention above was the rock plate that comes in most Altra trail shoes. This helps keep those pointy, jagged rocks from doing damage to your feet – something that I really enjoy after giving trail running in more minimal shoes a try years ago.
Closing
If you’re interested in giving these shoes a try, stop in to Tortoise and Hare here in Duluth to pick up a pair.
You can find this and other posts on the newly created Reviews page where future Gear and Book reviews can be found – more to come!