Altra - Olympus 5 Trail Running Shoe
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Dec 25, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
292
59
"the splay in the toes is naturally better with that wide toe box"
"the splay in the toes is naturally better with that wide toe box"
"Even after mountain backpacking a dozen miles over very steep rocky trails my toes are never sore or cramped feeling."
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"they are extremely durable. ... I’ve got well over 1000 miles out of a pair and they still have grip and the uppers are in great shape"
"they are extremely durable. ... I’ve got well over 1000 miles out of a pair and they still have grip and the uppers are in great shape"
"As far as grip goes, all three are excellent. It's truly amazing how good they are at gripping scree, sand, and unstable terrain."
480
156
"Ran a 50k and never once bothered my feet."
"They have a normal heel and midfoot, but the forefoot is very roomy. ... My feet haven't felt so good in years."
"They have a normal heel and midfoot, but the forefoot is very roomy. ... My feet haven't felt so good in years."
19
7
"Every blue moon I roll an ankle but that’s because of tough terrain, not boots, and I’ve never injured my ankles in the process."
"way more support than the lone peaks"
"Switched from the Lone Peaks to the Olympus’ and they’re killer. ... Really great for rough terrain. ... Can affirm they worked well for me on rough gravel/boulder strewn terrain."
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"I ran in Altra Olympuses and they felt great! ... My feet were about the only part of me that didn’t hurt after, haha."
"They will help with the plantar fasciitis as they are quite padded. ... I swear by them and they're all I wore on my '22 hike."
"The Altra Olympus left me in happy tears last weekend. ... After years and years of horrible blisters due to bunions and aching sore feet due to badly shaped feet, these shoes are it for me. ... for the first time in my life I’m not dreading hiking more than 10 miles. ... I feel like I have finally cracked the code for my feet!!!"
Disliked most:
1
33
"they break down incredibly fast ... each time it feels like they last for a shorter number of miles ... For me, they've started breaking down after about 200 miles ... my current pair has holes in the front of the sole ... My other 2 pairs got a hole near the heel part of the sole; rocks would get in and while running they would hit my heel which was quite painful"
"All cushioning felt gone to me."
"Mine lasted me 50km before they became gardening shoes."
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28
"The toe box seemed nice but even with a solid heel lock, my toenails are falling off for the first time from downhills."
"The Olympus 5 was a no go for me and I bought up multiple pairs of the 4s. Haven't tried the 6, but I heard they did a better job with the heel lock, which was a huge problem in the 5s."
"The Olympus 5 was a no go for me ... the heel lock, which was a huge problem in the 5s."
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"the change was very noticeable on trail running. ... Calf and Achilles soreness galore."
"Altra brand shoes are 'zero drop', so your calf muscles will need to stretch by a quarter inch or so. Do this WELL before your hike by putting 100 miles or so on them, or you will massively, tearfully regret it."
"Altra brand shoes are 'zero drop', so your calf muscles will need to stretch by a quarter inch or so. Do this WELL before your hike by putting 100 miles or so on them, or you will massively, tearfully regret it."
30
37
"I always roll my ankles ony Altra Olympus, doesn't really happen with anything that has a lower stack."
"the new mid height are total garbage. ... My favorite part of the speed goat 5 was the ankle support, the new 6 has no ankle support, and simply a water resistant gasket that provides no support. ... So my big gripe is the 6 only comes in 'low' and 'water resistant gasket' and there is no longer a 'mid' option ... 6 only has the weird high sock option."
"I did the first half in Topos and got terrible Achilles tendinitis and planter fasciitis. ... Made the switch to speedgoats at Shasta per the recommendation of the shoe guy and all symptoms started to get better."
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63
"they are not sturdy. ... Actually, I think I’m on my 5th pair in 2 years and I am a weekend overnight backpacker. ... I’ve had the treads come loose less than 15 miles out of the box. ... Their durability is crap to the point it’s hard to believe a legit company accepts this as their product."
"I had a tendency to lose some outsole chunks in the Rifts, Xodus, and Endorphin Edge. ... The Rifts have 250 miles and it's falling apart with pieces of outsole lugs/treads missing and pieces of midsole chunks gone around the toe bumper and forefoot where the outsole is. ... I'm not sure it'll last to 300 miles before I need to soft retire it to easier trails. ... much less durable"
"I had a tendency to lose some outsole chunks in the Rifts, Xodus, and Endorphin Edge. ... The Rifts have 250 miles and it's falling apart with pieces of outsole lugs/treads missing and pieces of midsole chunks gone around the toe bumper and forefoot where the outsole is. ... I'm not sure it'll last to 300 miles before I need to soft retire it to easier trails. ... much less durable"
I've put over 2000 miles into a couple pairs of Altra runners. I have boots I use for more rugged adventures with lots of ankle rolling risks, but for 90% of trails, runners are too comfortable and light to not wear.
r/hiking • Can trail runners really be used for hiking ->Go to REI and let them Guide you. I ended up with Altra trail runners. They’re great
r/hiking • What are some GOOD quality hiking shoes ->2 pairs of the Superior 5, terrible traction when wet on limestone. 1 pair of the Olympus 5, much better traction but the midsole packed out around 200 miles in and that’s probably because of the inner flex thing because there’s less foam there. I’ve got some topo pursuits with 400+ miles that are great and Nnormal tomirs with 400+ miles that’s are also still great. I just don’t think altra makes a great shoe for me, especially because I have a narrow foot and would lose multiple toenails after marathon+ distances.
r/trailrunning • Best shoes for grip/feedback ->personally, altra lone peaks for only trail and olympus 5s when mixed (on pavement for part of the run). altra customer for life!
r/trailrunning • What’s the best trail running shoe you’ve ever owned and why? ->Altra Olympus. They will help with the plantar fasciitis as they are quite padded. I swear by them and they're all I wore on my '22 hike.
r/PacificCrestTrail • Trail Running Shoes Opinion ->Good Luck!! I run in provision and paradigm on roads - and honestly, i tihnk either of those would also work on pea gravel. My trail shoes are the Olympus, and I just bought the Experience Wild, but haven't run on them enough to have an opinion. The Olympus is heavy and grippy, but I live in Appalachia.
r/ultrarunning • Shoes Suggestions for Ultra on Gravel? ->Have you tried the Timp? To me they have a little more squish than Lone Peak, but not quite as much as my moon shoes (Olympus, lol) I’ve also become interested in trying the MtC shoes but just haven’t branched out yet.
r/ultrarunning • Running shoe ->I would maybe recommend the Altra Timp or Olympus series over the Lone Peak for your use case. They are certainly comfier for walking in (especially Olympus for a wider foot), but great for running too.
r/trailrunning • Trail shoes focused on comfort for long walks and hikes but with good grip and stability. ->I’ve been using Altra Olympus as my daily shoe and hiking shoe for years. Love them.
r/hiking • Can trail runners really be used for hiking ->im 6'3 250 with big, wide feet. right now the only things i can really wear are lone peak 14 wides and the olympus 14 do these have wide options that dont suck?
r/trailrunning • 220 lb. + club? The Trabuco Max 4 may be for you. ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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