If you’re not already familiar with the Altra Lone Peak, It is the number one selling shoe from altra for road and trail. The Lone peak is sort of the gateway drug for many people who have never worn an Altra before because it is so versatile and well built.
It was designed to be a moderate cushion trail shoe that could handle a wide variety of terrain from the smooth buffed out trails of northern California to the rooty, rugged hills of the Appalachian trail out here on the east coast. Even though this shoe hasn’t changed radically over the years, Altra has paid really close attention to the important details that make for a comfortable and fun trail running shoe.
Just like all of the other offerings from Altra, the lone peak has their signature Foot shaped toe box and Zero-drop balanced Cushioning system. I find the Foot shaped toe box particularly helpful for trail running because it allows my toes to splay out and help stabilize my body when I’m running across variable surfaces. The Lone Peak’s midsole is now made of Altra Ego Foam which has a nice responsive quality to it. This is the same foam that you would find on the road side in the Escalante or the new Rivera. The MaxTrac outsole has relatively aggressive lugs that are more than enough to handle most any terrain that I’ve ever encountered on a trail run. With a stack height of 25mm the shoe definitely offers quite a bit of cushioning and separation from the surface you are running on but doesn’t make me feel off balance or at risk of rolling an ankle when I’m running over roots and around corners.
The new model of the Lonepeak has a couple of subtle changes from last year’s model but maintains the fit and feel of the previous models. The most significant change to the shoe for 2021 is the addition of the Ego Foam midsole because it gives the shoe a much more poppy, responsive characteristic. As far as the upper of the shoe goes, one notable difference in the lone Peak 5 is the lazer cut drainage holes that they have added to the toebox of the shoe. Sometimes when you’re out running trails you are inevitably going to run into river crossings, puddles or wet, muddy conditions and running around with wet feet can lead to blisters and a whole array of other problems that can ruin your day of running. This updated toe box is designed to help drain out any water that gets in the shoe and keep your feet nice and dry. Another very subtle change that they’ve made is that they have sewn this little flap of the outsole to the toebox where before this piece was just glued on and sometimes people were having issues with it coming unglued and separating from the shoe. It’s little details like this that help give trail runners a bit more confidence in their gear when they are planning their next big race or adventure.
I know I, for one, am super excited to put some big miles on this shoe in the coming race season and see how they perform out in the field. I hope you are all staying safe and healthy and we will see you next time! Happy running!