Altra Lone Peak 8

Summary

Average Weight: Men's 303g / Women's 259g
Stack height: 25mm
Heel-to-toe drop: Zero

A levelled cushioning running shoe for muddy or hard-packed trails. FootShape toe box allows your toes to spread in comfort and helps keep feet stable. Suitable for running or hiking.

Men's Altra Lone Peak 8
Men's Trail Running Shoes
£130.00

Women's Altra Lone Peak 8
Women's Trail Running Shoes
£130.00

Features

Upper: There are some minor updates to the upper design, but it still retains its sturdy almost traditional appearance. Pretty much all companies have gone seamless or apply heat bonded seals on the uppers ; Altra have also updated their uppers for completely seamless; manufactured with durable components and toe box reinforcement to enhances durability.

The upper is made of a durable mesh with a rip-stop finish.
It maintains the trademark wide FootShape™ toe box that allows the toes to spread out naturally.
There are enhanced overlays in the midfoot and through to the heel to hold the foot securely.
There is a slightly taller heel collar, which helps improve a snug rearfoot fit and subtle changes to the mid-foot overlays.
The shoe also includes gaiter straps at the heel and below each side of the ankle. Together with the loop at the foot of the laces, gaiters will help keep dirt out on dry trails.

Midsole: The midsole has also seen an upgrade, as it now features Altra's higher-rebounding Altra EGO compound. This is slightly softer and more responsive than previously. It also features a revamped engineered rock-plate, which as well as helping protect the foot from jagged stones and the like, also helps engender a smoother transition through the forefoot phase of the gait cycle.

Outsole: Altra's MaxTrac™ rubber compound gives great grip, traction, and durability with 4mm deep lugs. The Trail Claw grip has been updated. The hexagonal lugs, which were used along with the chevron shaped lugs, have been ditched.

Pros

The zero-drop of all Altra shoes ensures your heel and forefoot are the same height from the ground. This has been shown to encourage more mid- and forefoot landing that reduces impact forces.
Although zero-drop, it is far from a minimal shoe. With a 25mm stack height it has plenty of cushioning for miles of trails. The stack height, simply put, is the amount of cushioning under your feet. In this case 25mm.
Excellent grip on grass and hard-packed trails.
Altra's wide Footshape™ toe box really does allow the toes to splay and spread naturally. As well as obvious advantages for runners with bunions and neuroma issues, Altra totally believe this allows for better forefoot stability though toe-off.
Although wide in the toe box it is not essentially a wide-fitting shoe and the mid-foot and ankle fit is snugger and similar to other brands.

Cons

While many Altra lovers love the wide high-volume toe box, some runners will struggle on first feel if they have been used to having their toes compacted and squashed for several years of running.
If you are considering Altra for the first time, the zero-drop may take some getting used to. If you have worn 4/5mm drop shoes before it will not feel too different. If most of your recent shoes have been on a higher drop like 8-10 mm they can take a few miles to get used to. Calves and achilles can feel a little tight, but as long as you stretch these areas well post-run, and build up the mileage slowly, all will be well.

Verdict

Altra's Lone Peak has become somewhat a classic shoe for many trail lovers. I personally didn't find the zero-drop an issue at all. As mentioned in the Cons above, if you haven't had a low-drop shoe before, a transition period is needed, maybe alternating with your existing shoes for a while to enable you to adjust.

Despite the wide toe-box, they are snug around the midfoot and ankle making for an incredibly good fit. Although it is not a stiff heel collar, the strategic placing of the heel overlays gives you the feeling of control that some softer heel tabs don't give you.

We all know that there is no perfect trail or fell shoe for every run or race, but the lugs of the Lone Peak seem totally adequate on hard-packed and muddy trails. I would probably opt for deeper fell-shoe grip of the Inov-8 X Talon 260 Ultra V2 or similar for open hill and moorland runs, which have serious mud and more technical sections.

If you loved previous editions of the Lone Peak, the latest update won't disappoint. If you are a runner who likes to feel the trail in a low profile shoe, while still feeling protected for many miles of impact, the latest Lone Peak is well worth taking a closer look at.

Men's Altra Lone Peak 8
Men's Trail Running Shoes
£130.00