Altra - Superior 3.0

Altra Superior 3 back in 2019. Pretty minimalist but I used them for all my hikes back home too (W coast Canada) and was used to them in all conditions. The Three Passes is a well- established trail and not hard or technical (unless you get caught weather-wise). The biggest challenge is the altitude, and the need for a sensible pace, abiding by the advice not to ascend more than 5-600m par night (even though during the day you can go higher, you mustn’t sleep higher). This means shorter days than usual for experienced hikers. But this is also allows for more time to immerse yourself in the culture, do some side trails etc.

My Superiors and Lone Peaks would start to fall apart at 200 miles. The outsole was ok, but the uppers get shredded. I see mixed reviews on Topo. The most durable of theirs I’ve found is the Terraventure 4. It’s low stack and uses traditional EVA instead of their Zipfoam proprietary midsole blend. Zipfoam feels soft but wears strangely as if the foam directly underfoot compacts a lot after a couple hundred miles, but the foam in front of your toes doesn’t compress creating this sort of steep slope directly in front of toes that almost make the shoes feel too small. The EVA in the Terraventures has worn consistently without these symptoms. I just wish they sold that model in a wide. Nothing has matched the width of the Altra Superior 3 and 3.5. Even the latest superiors have been slimmed down and are lower volume.

I had 3 pairs of superiors shred apart on the upper on both inside and outside just above where it connects to the base of the shoe. Same for 3 pairs of outroads. I've never had a non altra showle do this. They all died at under 250km. I have ~1800 km on a pair of nordas right now, and ~700 and 400 on a couple pairs of Topo mt5s. Ive put over 1000km on each of the last 3 pairs of topo phantoms I have had. I have a pair of timps and they have held up well, and the paradigm 4 was an amazing altra shoe. Altra is absolutely hit and miss and this topic comes up a ton. It isnt and OP thing. Its an altra thing.

Altra Lone Peak and Superior both feel wider to me than Experience

Exactly the same set up here. ✌️

I've also done it in Altra Superiors, the first time I ever wore the v4 shoe was Kearsarge to Piute.

Rock shoe: Outdoor: Evolve Kronos, may be replacing with LaSpo TC pros Indoor: no real preference yet. Boots: 3/4 season General Uninsulated mid boot: Scarpa Zodiac Tech GTX Winter/ice/mixed: Scarpa Mont Blanc Pro GTX Full winter double: Ski Boots -> Scarpa TX Pro Trail shoes: Trail runner: Altra Loan Peak Race/technical runner: Altra Superior, may be replaced with King Peaks. Camp shoe/sandal: Xero Z-Trail. The shoes that get the most use: Scarpa Zodiac and indoor rock shoe. I don’t use approach shoes, the Zodiacs kinda pull double duty with that.

I've worn the Altra Superior (Altra's standard fit), Timp (same), Escalante (same) and Lone Peaks (Altra's original fit, which is wider). In my experience the toe box on Topo shoes is about the same width as Altra, but the Topos are a bit more snug in the midfoot than Altra's standard fit shoes, which I like.

Altra still has the superiors, they just suck now.

My bad I misread your comment. Are the King mountains similar to the older superiors? The new superiors are way too tight around the mid foot area. I like everything else about them but they are really uncomfortable because of how tight they made them.

I’m a barefoot shoes for everything else except running. I wear Altra Escalantes for road running and Altra Lone Peaks or Superiors for trail running.

Is this because the kjerags are very lightly cushioned? I've mostly used Altra Superiors in the past with pretty light cushioning but recently bought some Topo Pursuit 2's. Debating buying the kjerag's while on sale right now. How is sizing compared to Altra (I wear a 10 in altra which is a pretty perfect fit)

Thanks, sounds like it's kind of close to my minimal Altra superior shoes vs somethign more cushioned. Maybe best for day hikes or shorter trips and not 7-8 day backpacks.

Superior is pretty firm and not very good grip tbh, but probably one of the better ones for gnarly terrain due to the low stack. But if you want more of an orienteering shoe then Altra King MT or something by Inov8 is probably the way to go

I wore altra superiors with no socks changes (darn tough... good socks) for my 100. Mountains. Stream crossings. Rock gardens. Took it all like a champ.

I switched to altra superiors almost a decade ago and never looked back

Super big feet here. My problem is super wide, but also size 15. I am on my third pair of Freet Flex. Used to use Altra Superior but newer models got thicker and narrower. I do have a pair of older Lone Peaks I use without the inner sole to give me more space.

I can manage almost any drop, even though I run and train in 0, I can adapt to whatever when needed. The stack height is what is killing me. I dont want to ride upon a 35mm wave of ankle-rolling fear. For that, I typically now only stick to the Altra Superiors and a couple others to cycle once in a while.

I've only worn Altras for about a dozen years, including multiple road (Escalante Racer, Rivera) and trail styles (King MT2, Superior, Lone Peak, Mont Blanc BOA). I weigh 170 lbs and always get 500-600 miles on a pair before I feel the cushion is shot. That's the industry standard and I've never had a single concern with tread or upper durability. Looks to me like you may be dragging your feet a bit on highly abrasive terrain.

Altra Superiors! I am F FWIW with a small foot (size 6 US)

This is what I do too. Altra Superiors on trails and Saucony Endorphin Pros on road. I feel like this combo helps to keep me uninjured, it works for me.

Second this. I only use trail runners outside of winter and I favour the regular Lone Peaks (although the Altra Superior is also a good shoe). They dry easily, and you can always use some waterproof socks for wetter trails. I'll use hiking boots in winter but I really notice the extra weight compared to trail runners. 

I love the Xero Scrambler Low. I use them for anything under 18 miles and then switch to an Altra Superior for longer.

So I ran for 5 year almost exclusively in Altra and other 0 drop/very minimal shoes. Currently in a walking boot for an exploded posterior tibial tendon with surgery scheduled for next month. The pop happened on a leg press, but my ortho said it really shouldn't have. That it's a very rare injury in younger people and something not usually even considered unless the person is 65+. He said I'm the 3rd ultra runner under 45 he's had to fix in the same way. I know one of the others and she's an Altra fan too. Like doesn't wear anything else. Not 100% on the 3rd, but if its who I think then we were both wearing Altra superiors a couple years ago at a 50k. Seems like a lot of us who joined the cult have started seeing issues and the market is responding. When I'm able to run again I'll probably go 4-6mm drop for everything. I'm getting too old to keep catching injuries like this.

I did it in Altra Superiors, and have done hundreds more miles in King Mountains. Then I got mad at Altra for discontinuing those, and I switched to Topo Runventures. You'll be fine

Altra Superior, with Lone Peak also a great shoe.

Altra Superior is great but suffers from the same issues that many Altra shoes do, the outsole doesn't have amazing traction and the uppers can wear prematurely for a lot of people. I like the topo Terraventure as well for more technical and rocky runs, the traction is great and the rock plate helps with rocky terrain, at the cost of some ground feel. I use both of these shoes in my rotation.

Best trail shoe out there. When a rep had me try a pair on in 2012 they were the first pair of shoes I've ever immediately stood up in and said I'll take a pair. I've been wearing them ever since. The Lone Peaks mainly, but the superiors and a couple other different models as well. I still have not had any issues with durability that wouldn't be normal wear and tear from most other trail shoes, except if you wear them all the time on concrete, the rubber will wear out quicker. I even use their Lone Peak all-weather ones in the snow. Hope that helps! r/TheBackpackingList

I've tried others, Altra Superior, Lone Peak, but the Kigers just seem to fit better. I keep coming back! I've been wearing Kigers since the Kiger 2. Just checked strava, most I've swapped out at ~500 miles. I'm on my third pair of Kiger 9s at the moment and they still feel good at 700 miles. Maybe the snow doesn't wear them out as fast! The 9s have pretty decent traction, but if I recall the 7s or maybe the 8s were really poor in wet conditions. Definitely excited about the Vibrams coming in the 10s!

I fully transitioned marathon training from hoka (4mm) to altra within 6 months, progressively increasing mileage with altras. In my case, zero drop shoes helped having a natural stride and removed some pains in the back and on the shoulders I could experience before. 7 years and counting, never got injured. No harm in trying for yourself and see what feels right as long as you proceed carefully.

For at least a couple of year now, I've been using my zero drop Altras once a week, for a short to mid-distance easy run. Having a shoe rotation and switching it up is a great idea--including with the drop.

It really varies person to person and there is the transition period from 4-12mm drop to 0mm drop. If you take the time to acclimate to 0 drop, you'll generally be find for most distances. This could mean starting with walks around the neighborhood or doing errands in 0 drops and progressively working them into your runs. That said, some individuals might not ever fully acclimate to 0 drops. I wore Altras exclusively for years and while I did 100 milers in them, my calves consistently felt a bit more sore compared to my friends who were in similar shape but ran in 4-8mm drop shoes. How my calves feel at mile 20 for example would be how they felt at mile 30. I still wear 0 drop shoes, but it would be nice to decouple wide toeboxes from drop, which is the space Topo is in.

Having run in Hokas (which only have a 4 or 5mm drop, depending on the shoe) I got some Altras earlier in the year. I just switch between the two brands randomly at the moment, partly because I have a few pairs of Hokas to wear out, partly to gently encourage my Achilles to get used to the zero drop and minimal stack. I’m looking forward to the day I’ve worn through all my Hokas and can go Altra all the time, but in the meantime my Achilles are happier with me for changing slowly.

I switched from an 8mm shoe to zero drop Altras for trail running and my Achilles have never been happier. But, I don’t do road running.

I had the opposite experience re plantar fasciitis with zero drop shoes. Developed PF from tennis, and struggled through a year of stretching, squats, rest, insoles and Naprosyn. Switching to Altras fixed the issue almost immediately.

This is so fascinating to me because I had the opposite experience. Developed PF from tennis, tried literally everything else and then gave zero drop a try as a last ditch effort. Issues resolved quickly and now I don’t even have to stretch or foam roll or anything.

This is so fascinating to me because I had the opposite experience. Developed PF from tennis, tried literally everything else and then gave zero drop a try as a last ditch effort. Issues resolved quickly and now I don’t even have to stretch or foam roll or anything.

Hey OP, hijacking this high-level comment in the hopes that people see this... Here are two excellent podcasts about the purpose and benefits of barefoot shoes by very credible professionals: [Irene Davis and Peter Attia](https://open.spotify.com/episode/5MQ4EQau0kFHN6nZDZDAxk?si=C9GZInbdR9G1jrDGtxzsRw) [Courtney Conley and Peter Attia](https://open.spotify.com/episode/5iVi3arAK9aUyCcFQqBFsL?si=gy8W6COZR6-_0Kxm4u4ifw) There are so many effectively uneducated people trying to speak in this topic, from bro-science YouTubers to people like your friend. Experience doesn't replace a proper science-based understanding of not only the biomechanics involved, but also the data on injury occurrence in practice. I only hike and run in Altras and Xeros. The fact that you need to train to wear them just demonstrates that all other shoes are coddling your feet and legs. In that sense, it is *non*-zero-drop shoes that are posing the injury risk, because it is *those* shoes that create the deficit of strength in the first place. Not the other way around.

I love Altra's zero drop, I have two pairs. I also have Saucony Peregrine 13s though with a 4mm drop, that may work better for you.

Any chance I get, I'm barefoot. If I'm at home, I'm not wearing shoes, and I exercise shoeless in the house, too. I *cautiously* think this is why I made the switch to Altra zero-drop shoes without ever even knowing that it presents problems for so many people to do so. Might also be why I immediately felt more comfortable with Altras and will suffer no other shoe anymore.

I have very weak ankles. My left one is rebuilt with titanium plates because I rolled it one too many times. I was very apprehensive about switching to trail runners, specifically zero drop Altra's. I went ahead and tried it and learned something interesting. The frequency of my ankle rolling went way down. I figure the raised heel of traditional shoes/boots were causing me to roll more than my ankles simply being weak. I feel more connected to the ground if that makes sense. Whereas if I put on an older pair of shoes with a drop, I feel wobbly again. I have been wearing altras as everyday wear for almost 3 years and have maybe rolled my ankles 3 times over that time frame. Your results may vary but I think its worth trying out a Zero drop shoe. It may help quite a bit.

I have been in zero drop shoes for about 10 years. Altras have always been the most comfortable for me, but they just don’t last very long. I’m 6’3” 215 pounds, so your results may be better. I’ve pretty much settle on Topos for their decent durability. Since you have narrow feet, you might look at something from Astral. The compound they use for their sole (G rubber) is amazing. Like walk over wet, moss covered rocks with zero shits given type of amazing. I have a wide, high volume forefoot so they just aren’t great for me overall. My Goldilocks would be Altra comfort/Topo quality and durability/Astral sole

Lone peaks have zero drop, which means when you land on your foot you should be landing more towards the balls of your feet and with your feet below your center of mass. This is a more natural running form. If you’re heel striking in zero drop shoes, especially running up or down hill, it’s going to stretch out your tendons way past your norm. I run in zero drop Altras for trail and road.

Yes I use these. I just ran 15m of trails in them this am. I hesitate to give anyone shoe advice (everyone's feet are different) but I really like these. I tend to run more difficult and rooty trails. The only thing I don't like about these is that for very rooty trails the heel height really contributed to ankle rolls. I run about 190 pounds. My go to shoe for races and medium distance is the Nike air terra kiger. My system is the wild horse for long training runs, the kiger for races and most training days (they are lighter and lower heel, less padding), then I keep a pair of altra zero drop for an occasional form check. I'll run like a 5k in them to regain more nuanced feel in my form to check myself on making sure my stride length and strike points stay where I want.

I walk and run in zero drop Altra shoes 100% and have for several years now. I spent more than a year transitioning by running in a mixture of Brooks, then Hoka, then Altras. My trail shoes were the last change I made and even though I'd been running all pavement miles for a while at that point on zero drop the change was very noticeable on trail running. Calf and Achilles soreness galore. I'd never switch back at this point, but take it very slow.

I have been told by my podiatrist that my feet are hypermobile and I run and hike (lots) in zero drop trail runners only (inov-8 and Altra). Never had boots for any of my adult-life serious long distance hiking. I agree that your PT should give you specific strengthening exercises for your particular issues but I see no advantage wearing boots … just heavy and hot and very slow drying. 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.

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.

I use Altra trail runners when traveling because they are light and comfortable and can double as normal shoes in a pinch, but for normal hiking close to home I stick to boots. Trail runners wear out too easy and are too expensive for the amount of hiking I do.

I do xero shoes for everything but backpacking. I've done trips in them for shorter times and have done okay but I'm also a fan of altras. JMT is longer so I wouldn't do xeros the whole time personally.

Durability aside, try on both shoes. If you’re not thru-hiking then durability doesn’t matter much. Yeah, it’ll be annoying if they give out sooner than you expected, but the comfort can be worth the money. For me, Altras are the most comfortable by far. I wanted to switch to Topos due to the rave reviews and the vibram sole, but I had to immediately return them due to their pronounced arch support. My feet hated them and my altra trail runners and road shoes are the most comfortable shoes for my feet I’ve ever worn. I was late to the game so I’m sure I missed out on the glory days, but until another company comes out with a wide toe box and no arch support trail runner it’s altra all the way for me.

I’ve switched almost entirely to trail runners including on a lot,of rugged terrain. I did find that when I was using Hokas that I had an increased tendency to roll my ankle after about ten miles. I like the padding, but have found lower drop shoes to be better for this. Altras are good, but I destroy them in about 300 miles. Trying Topos right now. Not as padded, but low drop with a wide toe box and they seem to be holding up better.

Trail runner will be fine. I was talking to a guy recently that said the AT requires real boots. But even by his argument, trail runners will be fine. The thing with trail runners is when you are tired, it is easier to roll your ankle. I have only found this to be a concern when I was using Hoka. Altras and Topos have less to zero drop and they don’t have this occur for me. Though Altras kind of suck for durability (expect 300 miles unless they fixed things). And Topos have less padding and are not as comfortable.

I have generally given up on durability. I use Altra trail runners and yes they begin to fall apart after 200 miles. But that's what fits me and keeps me outside so it's just the cost of my sport. I could go with something more durable but I would likely pay more and be less satisfied. Also I put in a warranty claim regularly because these shoes often don't last a year at the rate I use them. I often get my money back in that case.

Have you used trail runners for backpacking before? I like Altras because they have the widest toe box. But they are zero drop and that doesn't work for everybody. They work great for me but I know plenty of others have disliked them. A lot of people like Topos and Hokas as well. The point is that shoes are way too individual for anybody to successfully recommend one that will work for you.

I did Paintbrush Divide last July, and this was my exact experience. I wore my Altra trail runners, and they held up well for most of my hike. There was a lot of rain on Day 1, and my shoes were so wet that I they were still damp when I started on Day 2. I continued up to Holly Lake and conditions were MUCH better for that hike...until about 8000', when I started to hit packed snow on the trail. My shoes thankfully dried out and were never a problem again. Our goal on Day 3 was to go up and over the Divide and continue back through Cascade Canyon, and most of our hike that day had crampons to deal with snow/ice on the trail. Unfortunately, we had to turn back just a few hundred yards from the summit because we didn't have ice tools and just didn't want to risk it. The ranger on the trail laughed at us and said basically, "That's what you get for coming in July. See you in mid-August next year."

Topo is the correct answer. Go with Altras if you dont mind your achilles blowing up

Only time I use my Crispi boots is when I’m hunting and might have 100+lbs on my back packing out an animal. Anything else I use my Altra trail runners.

Trail runners for sure. I love my Altra's, though I have to say, I don't like the sole. The grip is pretty crappy, especially if it's wet. I love a vibram sole and wish Altra would shift to that material.

Everything you listed is a valid choice. People have different preferences. I have a few options depending on trail in the mood My default are Merrill Moab 3. I like how cool they keep me, they obviously excel in water (canyoneering, rafting, or just crossing), and I don’t usually feel the need for additional support/padding. I have even boot packed snow for six hours in them. I had wool socks on so plenty warm, even though my feet were soaked. I also have more traditional hiking boots. Columbia Newton Ridge mid WP for cold weather, if my ankles are sore, and just to mix up the pressure points on a multi day trip. Last, I have Altra trail runners. These are incredibly comfortable and I will use them if I’m on pavement, decomposed granite, or bare dry rock.

I strictly use trail runners. Like the Altras, though there are a lot of wide toe box shoes out there now. Gone through s lot of scree with them. I do go through them quickly.

I haven’t worn hiking boots in many years now. I only hike in Altras trail runners (Olympus is my favorite). When I travel for hiking, all I bring is my Altras and a pair of xero sandals.

Yes but a stiffer trail runner will be more comfortable on the rocks. La Sportiva, for example, is better for scrambling than an Altra. Both will work but for Dolomites would suggest something stiffer, with firmer lugs.

Altra makes trail runners with a wide toe box. They’re my favorite right now. La sportive has been so so but durable in the past with narrower toe box than altra

My Altra trail runners are all I ever hike in. The slim and grippy sole makes them extremely safe in scree and rocky terrain.

For overnight hiking trips I've switched to Altra trail runners and love them, used to use hiking boots and then hiking shoes but these are so much better. I usually am barefoot in a canoe, switch to a keen style sandal for portaging to protect my toes. I always bring crocs (from giant tiger) for camp shoes.