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I bought a pair of shoes from Altra they were consider no drop/ barefoot trail shoes. I wore them for two caminos close to 300km of hiking. Also for hiking at home here in the USA Midwest. I just picked up my second pair. They are not exactly the same but I’m breaking them in only had them for a week. They are a wide toe box as well which gave my toes lots of room to move with no blisters either trip. I included a link for the shoe I just bought. [shoe link](https://www.altrarunning.com/en-us/trail/mens-lone-peak-9%2B/AL0A85RG.html)I’m 6foot6inches tall weigh roughly 285lbs (2metes 130kg).
And to be clear I meant the 9+ with the vibrant soles, they are superb.
My altra lone peak 9’s have a few hundred rounds in them and going strong. Might not be minimalist enough for you though.
I am far fatter and LOVE my lone peaks. First hiking shoes with literal no discomfort.
One more YES for Lone Peak. Are you used to shoes with a bigger toe box? If so, they'll be great and you should be fine on rocky terrain. I find the Topo more smurf-like than the Lone Peaks. Too marshmallow-ey for my taste. I think the switch to 0 drop is minimal. I wouldn't over think it, but you'll know.
In California Sierras where it's rocky and dry I exclusively wear trail runners - Altra Lone Peak. In the Alps where even steep peaks are covered by thick grass and dirt, I prefer to have boots with a rigid sole if going at all off trail. If you're on trail it won't matter, but off trail, you need to be able to toe in and edge in. Marshmallowy shoes like Hoka will work on trail, wouldn't use them off at all.
I made the switch the opposite way. I hated the Ultraventure. They felt like marshmallows on the bottom of my feet. Soft, sloppy, and too high - like wearing platforms. That said, I'm on trail only during approaches mostly. I love the Lone Peaks and just bought another pair. It's true, though, that you can blow through soles quickly. Have you considered the new Lone Peaks with the Vibram sole? I was going to buy them, but took advantage of an Altra sale and got Lone Peak 8s for $80. Just my 2 cents.
Doing alpine stuff with rocky scrambles - Topo Pursuits Doing groomed trails - Lone Peak+
Been out for a few years. Very durable, I wear them for off trail routes and scrambling. Slightly more cushion than a lone peak
Altra Lone Peak+ for trail hiking, Topo Pursuits for off trail and scrambling 🤘
I'm using Altra Lone Peak 9+. The most comfortable shoe I've ever had. The feet don't get as tired as when using boots (I've used Keen Targhees before) and they breath much better. Also the wide toebox is very comfortable. Of course, there's not much ankle support and they're zero drop. If you decide to get them, I would recommend the Vibram sole ones (+). I've found them much grippier than regular rubber soles.
I wear LP9+ as my daily shoe...school run, shopping, trips to wildlife park! Worn since release and not found anything comfier to replace with! I wear the Wide version with 11cm wide feet, with room to spare (had to down size for length too). At 10cm the regular version should be good for you IMO.
True, good points. I think I will be fine in my Altra Lone Peak 9+. They feel rough on the feet conpared to my cushioned road shoes lile Altra Paradigm/Torin, but I can run a trail marathon with vert in them without issues the day after. I rather have knee issues, thus it would probably not help to have more cushioning. I might give it a try nontheless. Thanks for chiming in!
I have trouble finding the right zero drop/wide toe box shoe. I am happy with my Altras on the road, like Paradigm 6 and Torin 8. I currently run on Lone Peak 9+, which fits perfectly fine, but I just wish it had more cushioning. I tried Timps, Mont Blancs, Olympus 6, Opympus 275…either issues with heels or too narrow. Then again I wonder if I would be happy with more cushioning at all on technical trails. I just finished my first self sustained marathon (43km/1500m vert) and it didn‘t feel bad, there is just the little voice that tells me that I might be wrecking my joints too much in the long run (pun intended).
Yes, first run with my 9+ was in darkness during rain in technical terrain with rocks and leaves. I was only afraid of getting too careless because the grip was so good that I didn‘t really need to bother.
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