Lone Peak 1.5

I’ve worn LPs of various models since the LP1.5. They are quite different shoes and it’s very individual whether they work at all for people, and whether a particular model works at all for people. I liked the 1.5 and the 2.0 but could not even get the 3.0 and 3.5 to fit comfortably in the store (let alone on trail)! My favourites since have been the 4.5, the 6 and the 9. In general, they all have zero drop and a moderate (but not barefoot) stack height. As a result they give reasonable ground feel and reasonable protection. Generally speaking, they also all have a relatively wide forefoot and midfoot and an average heel width. But these have all varied a little between models, to the extent that 2 models wouldn’t even fit me in the store let alone after a foot-swelling, long day on trail. In the last few years (with my advancing age!) I have found that for day and week long hikes I still prefer LPs, but for multi-week, on-trail, hikes I now prefer Timps for more cushion and less foot fatigue. If the trip is going to involve more off-trail then I still prefer LPs for better ankle stability. Ultimately, only *your* feet can tell you if they are a good fit for you. No review or hiker-survey or Reddit post can tell you that! The same with Topos or Hokas etc. I’ve yet to try any pair of Topos that was even comfortable in the store *for me*. Same with La Sportiva, Hoka and others. That doesn’t make those terrible shoes - they are just terrible *for me!* Likewise, the fact that some of the LPs over the years have suited me well doesn’t make them the best shoes ever for everyone - they are just good (and sometimes ideal) *for me!*

Fellow wide Lone Peak wearer (though in women’s) and I made the mistake of switching to Olympus 275s for my first 100 attempt since I thought more cushion would help me. Olympus and Olympus 275 are known for being roomy, but by mile 30 there was no room for my little toes and by mile 40 my arches were screaming. I DNF’ed at mile 54 and could barely get the shoes off. I’m sticking with the Lone Peaks from now on, no matter the terrain.

Right? Everything else with a wide toe box (including Topos) feels like it’s crushing my midfoot. Lone Peaks wide forever.

I'm coming from a barefoot shoe background, I still run in Xero HFS on less technical terrain (granted, only got into trail running half a year ago). So far we couldn't find any other trail shoe than the Altra lone peak that has a zero drop heal with wide toe box. The lone peak 9+ is my first Altra and so far it proved to be pretty nice, however a bit too cushioned for my taste. My boyfriend started out using altras with a lone peak 6 and recently got a 9+. He feels like the 9 is way stiffer. If someone knows about a good trail shoe with zero drop, gove me a shout (we are in Denmark but gonna live in Spain for half a year)

I have no idea what it is about the way I walk, but when I switched to lone peaks my legs and feet got much less sore on hikes.

I'd second this recommendation. I have both the regular Lone Peaks and the water resistant version. No heel lift, plenty of space for my toes but not sloppy. Good traction on rocks too. I hike 8-18 miles most Saturdays and these shoes are comfortable right out of the box. I don't ever worry about "breaking in" a new pair. When the old pair reaches about 300 miles, I buy new and start wearing those.