Lone Peak 9 Women's

I have stupidly high arches and a wider forefoot. I love Altras for hiking, but I put the green Superfeet insoles in them. Voila. All the hiking shoes are a little overkill for walking, but that's my perspective as someone who has done a lot of hiking and backpacking and winces at the idea of taking the Fancy Trail Shoes out and wearing away the sole on pavement miles. You also need more cushioning on hard concrete versus dirt (trails), so they aren't built for the same purpose. But should you want to commit to the trail vibe, here is my second hot take: goretex and waterproofing are the opposite of what you want. They make your feet hot and sweaty, and when they inevitably do wet out, they take forever to dry. Also, they are more expensive. No. What you want is non-waterproofed with drainage and merino wool socks. Your feet will get wet, the socks will keep your feet warm, and then - most importantly - the shoes will dry out quite quickly. Signed, former PNW resident. For toddling around cities for extended periods, I actually like my Allbirds. I forget the name - mizzles? Grey high tops. Lots of arch support. Plenty of toe room. If I am trying to appear fancier I pack a pair of Vionic loafers. I have also walked eight hour days in those and my feet have been fine. For the average trail that most people go on while on vacation, you don't need a fancy hiking shoe or boot. Unless it is something like Hawaii (tons of mud) or, idk, clambering around on glaciers, you can do a lot in a basic sneaker. Heck, most long distance hikers are wearing trail runners anyway.

😂 Not sure why I'd get downvoted for that! They work great for me, in my actual experience, for the same types of urban & gentle outdoors environments the OP listed. Of course, for more serious hiking on longer or rougher trails, I wear Altra trail runners. Oh, hey look, Altra has started offering more neutral colors! https://www.rei.com/product/242066/altra-lone-peak-9-trail-running-shoes-womens

Another vote for Lone Peaks + Darn Toughs. I'll also say that the "9+" with the Vibram soles last MUCH much longer than the non-Vibram versions - none of my non-Vibram versions lasted more than 500miles whereas my Vibram soles are still pretty good after doing 700miles (obvs not all miles are equal, but still, would highly recommend going for the Vibram soles). ETA ultimately you're gonna have to try on a bunch of different shoes to find one made from a last that fits your feet. I tried other wide-foot shoes, even other Altras, and they all caused issues.

I have Fred flintstone feet and approve this message, except my lone peaks only last like 200 miles 😬 I also recently tried Lems shoes and am obsessed with the primal zen for daily use but haven’t tried their trail shoes yet (waiting till I need a new pair next season). I wear women’s wide Lone Peaks on trail and Men’s Wide Torrins for road/treadmill walking and running.

So I tried this in the Lone Peaks with a pair of orthotics (which caused more issues than they solved and I wish I’d never used them but that’s an aside). An issue for me was the increased heel height moved my heel up in heel pocket and that just didn’t work well for either the shoe (premature wear at the top of the heel counter) or my achilles. If you’re in the regular, non-wide Lone Peak 9, Topo is definitely worth a look. I’m in the wide Lone Peak 9+, and it’s unfortunately wider than all of the Topo offerings. I just got some Vista wides that seem alright, although not quite as roomy across my tailor’s bunion. The max cushion/stack is definitely a different experience than the Lone Peak, but I can see the appeal at the end of a very long race/run. I know a lot of folks in the non-wide Lone Peak who have success with the Topo Mtn Racer 3, although I’m told the Mtn Racer 4 isn’t nearly as good. New Balance Hierro 9 comes in a double wide (4E) width, but I found them kind of sloppy and not really foot shaped. Also soft with a lot of stack. Too bad NB doesn’t make something like the Rebel v4 as a trail shoe. I really really wish Altra would just make a lone peak 9+ with some drop. Keep everything else the same: original footshape last, wide sizing, etc. Something like 25/30 toe/heel instead of 25/25 would be perfect for so many people. Or made the Experience 3 with the “original” footshape instead of “standard” and offered a wide size. There’s a reason why the Lone Peak is Altra’s most popular shoe. Just some thoughts.

I’m tried the speedgoat wide and it’s not very wide at all. The Topo Mtn Racer 4 wide is wider. (Narrowest) Speedgoat wide <<< Mtn Racer 4 wide <= Altra LP normal < Ultraventure wide <= Altra LP wide (widest) Somewhere in there is the Hierro 4E, but that is so high volume without being all that wide in the forefoot.