Altra Lone Peak 5 – Super Fast and Responsive
Altra Lone Peak 5
Andrew Piotrowski
Let’s start off by setting some clear expectations; these shoes have ZERO DROP. This means that if you are like me and have been training in bulky 10mm drop shoes then this will be a big change. The debate around zero drop, barefoot, and minimalist rages online so I won’t debate that here.
However, the reason I mention this is that if you have never worn zero drop shoes before I think it’s best to take it slow with these. At first, it can feel way different as you allow your body to start running more naturally.
Altra Lone Peak 5
That being said I have long wanted to make the transition to running and hiking in Zero Drops (at least some of the time) and testing these was the perfect opportunity. Spoiler alert – I won’t be going back to the larger drops shoes after giving these a try.
Overview: The Altra Lone Peak 5 $130 are an all-around bad-ass trail shoe, turn them over and you expose the extremely aggressive but also lightweight Maxtrac grip. The wide toe box, cool variety of colors, and perfectly shaped design make this shoe an all-star on the trails.
Altra Lone Peak 5 review
Key Features:
Grip: They grip exceptionally well on any terrain or surface. I recently wore them on a 33-mile trail run in which I encountered a wide variety of terrains and they excelled in each of them.
Altra Lone Peak 5
They felt super-fast and responsive on dusty fire roads but also had a tremendous grip on steep muddy climbs. They even did well on uneven hard-packed snow. The Trailclaw lugs on the sole play a huge part in creating excellent all-around traction.
Comfort/Fit: I was drawn to the Altra’s for their reputation as being super comfortable for people with wide feet I can now confirm that this is 100% the case! However, it’s not just the wide toe box that makes them so comfortable. The balanced cushioning and shape make them very comfortable.
The cushioning basically makes the fit more balanced from front to back and helps with reducing impact. The foam used provides a comfortable platform and strikes a good balance between too much and too little. They don’t feel bulky at all but are thick enough to not feel every little rock on the trail. I even ran a few miles on icy trails with Microspikes strapped to the soles and barely even noticed them.
Altra Lone Peak 5
Durability: I have worn these on about 100 miles of varied terrain. Including the infamously sole crushing rocks of the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania. I even recently wore them on an overnight backpacking trip with a heavier than normal pack and very rocky terrain. Despite the abuse, these shoes show almost zero wear or tear. The beefy soles look new and the sides and toe box area are 100% intact with zero signs of wear. These are built to last!
Favorite Feature: I love how lightweight these are! Despite the great features mentioned above Altra was able to keep the weight at 11oz.
What would I change: Nothing!
MSRP: $130
Andrew Piotrowski
Andrew is a trail runner, climber, paddler, snowboarder, marketer, and most importantly a dog dad. Andrew grew up in suburban Philadelphia and now lives on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
Andrew Piotrowski
While he lives pretty far from the mountains, he puts a heavy focus on preparing for them and inspiring others to do the same. He first fell in love with the mountains on family trips to the White Mountains and the Adirondacks. He spent the majority of his early life competitively running and leisurely paddling, however after college he began focusing on learning to climb, snowboard, and backpack.
Andrew Piotrowski backpacking
Over the past ten years since then, he has been fortunate enough to gain some amazing experiences exploring North America. Some of the most memorable thus far are alpine climbing in the Sierra, trail running in Alberta, learning to splitboard in NH, countless days hiking in the Catskills, or a plethora of mellow days paddling the Chesapeake Bay with friends.
Andrew Piotrowski on MT Whitney
When he can’t be in the mountains Andrew is often running or hiking with his favorite training partners, his two rescue dogs Calvin and Enzo. Andrew is also a self-proclaimed gear junkie and confessed that his gear loft is the most organized place in his home.
Blog: Flatcityclimbing.com
Instagram: pack_mule_piotrowski
