Lone Peak 4.5

I did Altra LP4's and they were fine for a few seasons (two different pairs, cuz they only last 300-500 miles) backpacking, but the zero drop was a big adjustment, like 6 weeks worth of sore calves. Also, during that time I developed a bone spur on the top of the knuckle of my big toe, and I think the extra flexion in the Altras maybe made it worse? I loved how light and airy the LP4s felt; like wearing slippers that I could grip onto rocks and run downhill in. I've switched to Hoka Speedgoats (5's right now) and they're great, but the do wear down pretty quick. I might stick with Hokas but take a look at Topos. I love how soft and comfy the Hokas are; as much a game-changer as the Lone Peak's airy toebox.

Same; trailrunners 98% of the time unless I'm snowshoeing or on super wet/muddy/slushy conditions, of if I'm going to do a lot of side-hilling over loose scree where my feet/ankles/lower legs might be imperiled by moving ground/rocks. I just did 25 miles last week over granite, roots, rocks, dirt, and very happy with trailrunners (HOKA Speedgoats) w/ ankle gaiters to keep debris out. I was carrying a 30lb backpack. Sure, the trailrunners will wear out faster than boots, but my feet were completely pain, ache, and blister-free. That said, I used to hike in Altra Lone Peaks, and while they were super comfy and airy, at the end of the day, my feet/ankles ached badly. Once I switched to HOKAs, all that disappeared immediately. My first time ever wearing Speedgoats, I did 26 mile r/t backpacking trip and my feet were completely fine. Anecdotally, the only time I've significantly sprained my ankle was when I was wearing full, over-ankle leather boots (Vasque St. Elias). Just hit a rock wrong and my ankle went full over. I've done the same (hitting a rock) in trailrunners countless times, but their lower profile (lower heel/rise) means I had a lower fulcrum and could easily recover. I also think that with boots, you can become overconfident with how you're bombing down rugged terrain and while most of the time, it's okay, but if you start to turn an ankle, you're going to go way over and cause more damage than if you were going more carefully as you would need to with trailrunners. Again, that's my anecdote.

I went through this evolution 15 years ago and it's very common. I was in the hiking shoe camp for a while, but jumped from them to Altra Lone Peaks, now I'm on my fourth pair of HOKA Speedgoats. I'm in trailrunners all the time unless it's super sloppy, deep snow/snowshoeing. I don't do a lot of miles in those conditions, so I might take out my boots 1-2 times per year. During summer, I'm fine to just walk through streams vs. swapping shoes, as the trailrunners with wool socks will be warm and dry out. Downside is most trailrunners last 300-400 miles, so about half what I was getting with hiking shoes. I've had my boots for 14 years or so.

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!*

I wore the Lone Peak 4 through several countries and many hikes until I retired them and tried some other shoes that have been unfortunately not very comfortable. Are the new lone peak shoes still as good as the previous ones?

The Altras are not the most durable shoes. They work great for me, but I only put 50 to 100 miles a year on them. I would say 3 or 4 years is about the max before they start to show significant wear. The ones I wear casually are losing their tread. Trails don't wear the bottoms too much but they are a bit soft for the street. But for me the comfort and reliability is worth it. Wide toe box like a boot keeps my toes from cramping (my first runners were Adidas and my toes would ache after about three miles) The zero degree drop sole is a little odd at first, but now I don't even notice it. I recommend Moreno wool socks, my favorites are Darn Tough. They pair well with any shoe but with the Altras they make a perfect system. And have a lifetime guarantee. I wear the Altra Lone Peaks. I get them on Amazon... Buy last year's model and save 50 bucks, LOL. Honestly the Lone Peak 4.5 were my favorites. I wear the 7 now, which are fine, but there are some minor design changes that I wish they would switch back. I have a pair of ankle gaiters I wear sometimes, and the Velcro "gaiter trap" on the shoe heel keeps them in place. Altra makes them, so does Dirty Girls.

I had a very similar experience in a pair of Adidas trail shoes. Altra Lone Peaks and Darn Tough socks... I have been wearing that combo for about 5 years now. I have zero foot fatigue, not one blister. They are perfectly comfortable right out of the box. I even hiked out in soaking wet feet once and had no issues (slipped on a wet log and ended up knee deep in a creek right out of camp...) I buy last year's (or older) Altras on Amazon, half the price of new if you watch for them.

Nah, I started with 3.5s and the 5s are goated. It’s the first shoe they used the updated ego midsole. Yhey honestly felt twice as soft as the old midsole material. I still have a pair of 4s I just can’t wear because the old midsole material is so much worse.