Latest revision as of 14:33, 17 October 2018

The Altra Lone Peak 3.5 is remarkably close to my overall favorite trail shoe, the Altra Timp. I've used it as both a trail running shoe, and as a hiking shoe. Like the Timp, I've used the Lone Peak on a wide variety of surfaces and distances, and found it to be an outstanding trail shoe. The Timp is almost exactly the same weight as the Lone Peak, but slightly better cushioned. The 2 shoes have visually different lug patterns, but I've not noticed any difference in traction. Like all Altra shoes, the Lone Peak is designed to fit a healthy human foot, and while the toe box lacks sufficient height, it's vastly better than most shoes. I rated the Lone Peak 3.5 as "Highly Recommended". (I'll review the Lone Peak 4.0 once I've finished my reviews of other Altra trail shoes and worn the 3.5 out a bit.) These reviews are not being maintained. If you want trustworthy and detailed reviews, check out Run Repeat Shoe Reviews. If I'd continued doing running shoe reviews, I'd want to produce a site like run repeat. I used The Science of Running Shoes as the basis of how I tested running shoes and what you should look for in a running shoe.

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  Altra Lone Peak 3.5 top

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  Altra Lone Peak 3.5 outside

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  Altra Lone Peak 3.5 bottom

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  Altra Lone Peak 3.5 inside

1 Characteristics

• Cushioning . Altra consider the Lone Peak "moderate cushioning", which is below their "high cushioning" for the Timp and "maximalist cushioning" of the Altra Olympus. That seems odd to me given how little difference there is between the Lone Peak and the Timp. The Timp is certainly a little better cushioned, but it's only a little and nothing like the difference between the Timp and the Olympus. I've found the Lone Peak to have a good balance between cushioning, protection, and ground feel. It's far from minimalist, but it still feels somewhat connected to the ground. On the road, the Lone Peak feels rather heavy for its cushioning, but I've found it works fine for moderate stretches of asphalt.
• Drop. The Lone Peak has a little bit of drop unloaded and a little bit of negative drop (forefoot thicker than the heel), but it's small enough that I doubt many runners will be able to detect it.
• Structure. The Lone Peak uses just one density of foam and doesn't attempt to manipulate or interfere with your natural biomechanics.
• Flexibility. The thickness of the Lone Peak makes it rather inflexible, though I found it loosened up with the miles (again, just like the Timp).
• Outsole. There's harder rubber over the entire sole. I can't work out if the red patches in the shape of a small foot are a different material of outsole or just a different color. I've found the outsole to be hard wearing, though I've not been tracking my mileage in them. I've not seen any wear over an estimated 200 miles. The 4mm lugs are a reasonable compromise for traction on different surfaces. Interestingly I've not found any difference in traction between the Timp and Lone Peak even though they have quite different shaped lugs.
• Shape. Altra shoes are some of the few that attempt to actually fit the human foot. The Lone Peak does a great job of fitting the outline of the human foot, and so far, I've not cut open the toe box.
• Upper. The upper of the Lone Peak has soften far more than I've seen in other shoes as the miles have built up, and now feels rather like old, soft leather. I like this transformation from what started off as a good but unremarkable upper to something that feels unusually comfortable. I've had no abrasion problems after plenty of rugged miles. The padding on the ankle opening works well to protect the ankle during minor twists and to keep the shoe feeling properly attached to your foot.
• Tongue. The Lone Peak has a traditional tongue with a gaiter down most of both sides, and is padded towards the top end. It stayed in place and remained comfortable when worn, though I found it didn't open quite wide enough when putting on or taking off. It's a minor quibble, but when you're exhausted and footsore it's a little annoying.
• Lacing. The flat laces stayed tied without problems or needing double knotting.
• Heel Counter. The Lone Peak has a soft heel counter that I've never noticed until I probed the area for this review.

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2 A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes

If you're looking for "the best of the best" running shoe, here are my top picks. Of course, the answer will depend a little on what you're looking for, so I have recommendations for various categories. Best All Round Shoe. The Altra Escalante is my current all-round favorite. It has plenty of cushioning for its weight, it has a very springy midsole, it lasts well, and it has a shape that's closer to the shape of a human foot than most shoes. It's a great shoe for any runner, including those Starting to run. It's also a fairly easy shoe to find due to its popularity. Best Maximalist Shoe: If you want something massively cushioned, then I'd recommend the Saucony Kinvara 8. It's remarkably light and remarkably cushioned, beating Hoka at their own game. Best Optimal Shoe: For those looking to trade cushioning for speed, the Nike Zoom Streak LT 3 was my top pick, but the latest version (LT 4) falls short of it's predecessor. There are lots of great optimal running shoes, which provide just enough cushioning with light weight and minimal frills, but all have their weak spots. Probably the best option at the moment is the Altra Vanish-R, which offers great cushioning for just over 5oz/150g. Fastest Shoe: If you really want speed, then check out the Nike Vaporfly 4%. It's light, massively cushioned, and has a carbon fiber plate. Nothing comes close, not even the now defunct New Balance RC5000‏‎ or New Balance RC5000v2‏‎. There are a number of caveats; it's really expensive, it's really hard to find, and there's a significant injury risk. Best Minimalist Shoe: Merrell Trail Glove. I recommend the trail glove for road running in spite of the 'trail' moniker. It's not a fast shoe by any means, but it's comfortable and will last well. All Terrain Shoe. For trail running, I've become a fan of Altra, and I think their best shoe is the the Altra Timp, though the Altra Lone Peak is really close. Honorable Mention: It's not really a running shoe, but the Vivobarefoot Ra is comfortable, minimalist and can more or less pass as a dress shoe. I've worn mine to weddings with a suit and they've not looked out of place. You can run in the Ra, but the leather means it doesn't breathe well.

For a more detailed on running shoes see the Recommendations for Best Running Shoes. This table lists the key attributes of What to Look for in Running Shoes. For more detailed information, on the shoes see detailed shoe comparison.

It's not a running shoe, but I love the Hoka Tor Ultra hiking boot and I've tested the Altra Lone Peak Boot, the Hoka Tor Speed 2, and the Inov-8 Roclite 325 hiking boots
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