Revision as of 16:33, 25 October 2014

The Olympus has rapidly become one of my favorite running shoes. It has the soft cushioning that is like the best of the Hoka range, combined with zero drop and a nice wide toe box. It's remarkably flexible given its cushioning, with an outsole that works well on the road. Like the Hokas, the cushioning means the shoe works well on rocky trails as well. Like other Altra shoes, the tongue area is wider than most shoes, reducing the pressure on the top of your foot. The weight is similar to a Hoka, but somehow feels lighter than a Hoka when I'm running. Like the Hokas, the midsole thins at the front and back to create a rocker effect, and this is a little more noticeable than the Hokas. I felt this worked well, though I've talked to runners who have found the rocker a little disconcerting. You can see the difference in the slice through the two shoes, with the Hoka tapering in front of the ball of the foot and the Olympus starting to taper much further back.

1 Characteristics

• Why you'd buy it. You're after a Minimax shoe that fits your foot. You might be better with the lighter weight Hoka Clifton however.
• Cushioning. The midsole of the Olympus is not quite as soft as the typical Hoka foam, but it's softer than the earlier Altra shoes like the Torin were.
• Drop. Altra is known for their zero drop and the Olympus is no exception. However, while the thickness under the ball and heel is approximately the same but there some rise under the arch. This gives some medial support to the ball of the foot, but it does not push up on the arch in a way that causes problems. The Olympus tapers gently and evenly from the ball of the foot to the front, which is quite different to the Hoka which has an abrupt taper at the front of the shoe. Like many Minimax shoes, the rear of the midsole is cut away to create a bit of a rocker. However, rather unusually the outsole extends back, which may be an attempt to absorb heel strike. The midsole wraps around the lower part of the foot improve stability, reducing the stilt like instability you can get with a thick sole.
• Structure. This shoe uses single density of foam, though the wrapper that extends above the level of the liner painted a different color to make the shoe look a little less bulky.
• Flexibility. The Olympus is fairly flexible for shoe of this thickness and this flexibility tends to increase over the first few miles as the foam breaks down and softens.
• Outsole. The Olympus has harder rubber over most (but not all) of the surface of the sole. However, unlike many shoes that put the harder rubber on the contact points the Olympus has a cutout in the harder rubber that makes the outline of a foot. This is superficially attractive, but not particularly practical.
• Shape. The shoe is the classic Altra shape, which follows the outline of the human foot much better than other makes. This gives it a broader toe box, but I find there is not enough height for my toes and I still have to cut the toe box open.
• Upper. The upper is a thicker material than most road shoes, but is reasonably breathable. The weave of the material makes it quite tough and abrasion resistant. There is good padding around the ankle opening.
• Tongue. The Olympus has a classic tongue rather than a tongue-less sock style of upper. The tongue is partially attached on the inside edge to keep it positioned (see below for an image). The tongue has minimal but adequate padding.
• Lacing. The flat laces work well and remained tied. Like many Altra shoes, I find the position of the uppermost eyeholes a little old, with the top hole too high and the next hole a little too low. The shoes come from the manufacturer laced in a way that indicates they think you should do a "heel lock" style of lacing, which I hate. I find that approach is very hard to get the tension right.
• Heel counter. The Olympus has a surprisingly firm heel counter which is reinforced by the midsole foam rising up around the lower part of the heel. However, there are no strongly defined edges, so it should not cause a problem. The heel counter comes as far up the back of the heel as is normal for running shoe.

2 Olympus and Paradigm

The Olympus and Paradigm are remarkably similar shoes, so it's easiest to talk about the differences. In many ways the Paradigm could be thought of as the road version of the Olympus.

• The Paradigm is road only, where the Olympus will handle both road and mild trails.
• The Olympus is slightly thicker and slightly heavier, but the difference is fairly marginal when you're wearing them.
• The outsole on the Olympus is quite hard, and can lack traction on a treadmill at steep incline.
• The Paradigm is slightly more cut away at the base of the heel to produce more of a rocker effect.

I actually ran with an Olympus on one foot and a Paradigm on the other. It's a great way of comparing two shoes, but don't try this at home as it's also a great way of getting injured.

3 Gallery

Altra Olympus dissected.	A comparison between the Altra Olympus and Hokas. Notice the difference in the way the sole tapers towards the front of the shoe.
Here is an external comparison of the Altra Olympus and the Altra Paradigm.	The Paradigm (top) has less grip and more flexibility than the Olympus.
Altra Paradigm, Altra Olympus, Hoka Conquest, Hoka Mafate, Hoka Stinson, Hoka Bondi (From left to right).	Hoka Stinson, Hoka Bondi, Hoka Conquest, Hoka Mafate, Altra Paradigm, Altra Olympus (From top left to bottom right by row).
Hoka Stinson, Hoka Bondi, Hoka Conquest, Hoka Mafate, Altra Paradigm, Altra Olympus (From top left to bottom right by row).	Hoka Stinson, Hoka Bondi, Hoka Conquest, Hoka Mafate, Altra Paradigm, Altra Olympus (From top left to bottom right by row).
A close up of the tongue, showing how it's sown in on each side.

4 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
Older shoe reviews: Saucony Hattori Review, Mizuno Cursoris Review, Skechers GO Bionic 2 Review, Hoka Clifton Review, Saucony Virrata 2 Review, Brooks PureCadence 3 Review, Brooks PureConnect 3 Review, Brooks PureFlow 3 Review, Skechers GO Bionic 2 Review, New Balance 980 Review, Brooks Transcend 2 Review, Hoka Huaka Review, Patagonia EVERlong Review, Asics 33-DFA Review, Hoka Conquest Review, Saucony Cortana Review, Puma Faas 100 R Review, Saucony Fastwitch Review, Nike Free Review, Asics Gel Lyte 33 Review, Skechers GOmeb Speed Review, Skechers GOrun Ultra Road Review, Nike LunaRacer Review, Altra Paradigm Review.