King MT 2

I think the Lone Peaks are too chunky.  King Mts are the goat trail runner.  Different people have different preferences.

Another vote for Topo. I still like and use the Altra King Mts for more aggressive or wet conditions. The Topos are more comfortable and much more durable, but retain a lot of water in my experience.

Check out the Altra King Mountain. The one with the Velcro strap. It's slimmer padding than the lone peak I used to run in and it's way more durable. Also the grip in mud or wet conditions is far superior to Lone Peak. I hope they keep this model around for longer. They got rid of it for a short time. Might have to buy a backup pair while I still can.

I use my Altra King MT running shoes for riding on flat pedals. I usually ride clipless, so I don't really have a need for a dedicated flat pedal shoe. I find the thin sole zero drop construction fits the bill pretty well, and the Vibram sole sticks to the pedals.

Mudtalon speed are less awful. I favour Altra King MT - not as aggressive as true fell shoes but not far off, I've done a few 2 day MMs in them.

Altra King MT, or Superior on less technical ground Inov8 Mudtalon Speed

Altra has the Superior and King Mtn, both of which have less cushioning and arch support than the Lone Peaks. The Superior 6 is my go-to right now. I train almost exclusively in Xero Prios. I also run in Mesa Trail IIs with a rock plate.

weight, gait and trails vary. have seen many f’d shoes by VVR, both directions. I get about 250 miles out of a pair around the JMT, 300 tops. though some shoes are worse than others.. like I tend to blow out the sides of King MT 2s in 150 miles. on the dirt trails near home I can probably eke out 400

Maryland living and chiming in with my altra king mt 2’s. On second pair and they’ve definitely saved me from many a slip & spill.

Altra MT King or Inov8 mudclaw. Big cleats and fast draining are what you want. Wool based socks like Hilly merino work fine when your feet are soaked. If you have the right footwear just go route one through the middle of everything with a big smile 😃 

I love the Mesa trail but on longer more technical runs I go with the Altra king mt pretty low stack but has a rock plate. It’s a pretty great shoe