Tom's review of the Altra Olympus 5's for hiking

[@RadDadisRad]

I’ve been wearing Olympus 5 Hike and Run shoes for a little over a year now. The run shoes are much thinner/lighter and hold up to moderate use and the hike shoes hold up much better to trail use. The wide heel base provides a lot of stability. Have yet to delaminate the sole so I cannot comment on that. I personally love how much foot room the shoe has. No more sore toes.

[@acasualhikersguide667]

I didn't mention the wide heel but totally agree and my toes really do appreciate the space!

[@ShanOutdoors]

Great review, Tom! I loved my Altras so much! I had the Lone Peaks and they were so comfortable. Love that wide toe box! And I agree with you 100% on the vibram soles. They are tough and last forever.

[@acasualhikersguide667]

Thank you Shan! I nearly picked up a pair of Lone Peaks to try out but we have a big hike planned for next year so I've picked a pair I know well!

[@markorop]

how do you find Olympus 5 vs. Lone Peaks?

[@stephenwharrior5835]

The only thing I had to change was the laces I found them a little short

[@acasualhikersguide667]

I've heard people aren't keen on the laces before, totally understand where you're coming from

[@mistersmith3986]

I changed the laces on mine and the difference was like night and day. They strap down better from top to bottom and don't backslip.

[@JJ-mf8ru]

For hiking I’ve had two LP mids and now the Olympus 5 low. While the LP have a lower stack height, I compensated by adding an Altra insole. Before, Altra would supply the Torin with an extra flat rubberized foam insole in the original “footshape”. Not one with a cupped heel, but flat. I used this to add more cushioning to my LP hikers and also added the Altra stone guard, and these have been perfect. As for my Olympus, I feel that the thickness of the sole has made the shoe less flexible, and therefore takes a bit more effort in walking. This inflexibility has also caused heel slip, forcing me to further tighten the laces to a point where the shoe feels constricting. I also feel they are less nimble compared to my LP and that they don’t feel broken in after 100km, whereas my LP are supple and seem to conform to my foot right out of the box. The only downside of the LP is that the MaxTrac outsole does not last. Mine have worn down even as the uppers keep looking new. The Olympus outsole, on the other hand, being a chunky Vibram, looks like they will outlast the uppers.

[@acasualhikersguide667]

That's really good feedback! I did find a heel lock lacing helped with my feet slipping, though I haven't really had that much of an issue in that regard!

[@HikingWithMartin]

Hi, great review, does the speedgoat or the olympus have the most cushioning? thanks

[@acasualhikersguide667]

The cushioning felt very similar to me but if I had to pick one from feel alone I'd go with the speedgoat!

[@HikingWithMartin]

@@acasualhikersguide667 thanks for the info!

[@acasualhikersguide667]

@HikingWithMartin you're very welcome, when we walked the Camino a lot of people were wearing SG's. The Altra was a popular shoe too, saw some lone peaks and some olympus. I'd definitely recommend trying the speedgoat on before committing!

[@markorop]

I was doing all kinds of research what shoes to buy for hiking and just ordered a highly discounted version of these. I used to wear Lone Peak 6 for around a year or so and I really like to wear them, but I don´t like how slippery they get on wet surfaces, so I really hope this one will feel a bit like an updated Lone Peak. :)

[@acasualhikersguide667]

They still do the lone peak, which version were you on? This have a thicker sole so the ground feel might be a bit different. Both have vibram grip and I've found the grip to be quite good on them!