194 in Trail Running Shoes
Altra - Superior 5
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Reddit Reviews:
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Based on 1 year's data from Feb 24, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
7
1
"Mountains. Stream crossings. Rock gardens. Took it all like a champ."
"I walk in zero drop shoes (Altras because I like the cushion) and I do trail running in them as well."
"I run in zero drop Altras for trail and road."
9
4
"These shoes started my zero drop adventure."
"The frequency of my ankle rolling went way down. ... I have been wearing altras as everyday wear for almost 3 years and have maybe rolled my ankles 3 times over that time frame."
"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."
4
6
"always get 500-600 miles on a pair before I feel the cushion is shot"
"I've put over 2000 miles into a couple pairs of Altra runners."
"I've never had a single concern with tread or upper durability."
8
1
"Overall width and length fit my hobbit feet better."
"roomy toe box"
"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 had to immediately return them due to their pronounced arch support. My feet hated them"
1
1
"My shoes thankfully dried out and were never a problem again."
Disliked most:
5
4
"the change was very noticeable on trail running. ... Calf and Achilles soreness galore."
"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. ... 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. ... 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. ... Seems like a lot of us who joined the cult have started seeing issues and the market is responding. ... From what I understand its the literal stress on the back of the ankle/Achilles area. ... my body mechanics and the milage I was getting in 0 drops was just putting too much stress on the tendon."
"Go with Altras if you dont mind your achilles blowing up ... zero drop shoes work for some ppl for sure but they have blown up far more achilles than theyve helped ppl. Myself included."
3
6
"they begin to fall apart after 200 miles. ... these shoes often don't last a year at the rate I use them. ... I put in a warranty claim regularly because these shoes often don't last a year at the rate I use them."
"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. ... They all died at under 250km."
"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."
1
2
"I've mostly used Altra Superiors in the past with pretty light cushioning ... Maybe best for day hikes or shorter trips and not 7-8 day backpacks."
"Superior is pretty firm"
"Superior is pretty firm"
0
2
"2 pairs of the Superior 5, terrible traction when wet on limestone."
"not very good grip tbh"
"not very good grip tbh"
0
3
"The new superiors are way too tight around the mid foot area. ... they are really uncomfortable because of how tight they made them."
"The new superiors are way too tight around the mid foot area. ... they are really uncomfortable because of how tight they made them."
"newer models got narrower"
6dirt6cult6 1.02 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.
BarGuilty3715 1.0I still swear by my Altra Superior 5’s
infinite0ne 1.0Altra Superior 5. I bought so many pairs until I couldn’t find them anymore. Zero drop, some cushion but not too much, roomy toe box, comfortable, durable, lightweight. By far my favorites. The 6 is pretty good but they really screwed up by making the toe box much smaller. Fortunately it’s not a deal breaker for me but still not the same. The grip on the sole is a bit better than the 5 though.
mrsfractal 1.0Altra superior 5, can handle everything above, in cold cold with warm socks is okay, but its breezy on the top part.
Strict-Ad1787 1.0Been Running the Altra Escalante 3.5, Superior 5, Lone Peak 7 since 2023 and recently got the Lone Peak 9+ with the Vibram sole. Before I was running in different Salomons and Brooks, never ran in Hokas. Got the LP9+ in February and I love them. Got about 300km in them through almost all imaginable conditions. Did run the Grand Canyon with Snow and Ice, Sedona, muddy and wet Forest Trails. They feel a little bit harder then the LP 7's but the grip and speed is way better. Didn't had any issues with quality or outer material ripping. Will buy another pair and recommend to other runners. But be careful when switching to no drop, it takes time to adjust and the first weeks and months will feel horrible. 5mm drop to nodrop may sound like not much but it's a quit big difference especially on the calves and ankles. You have to keep in mind the stack hight aswell. The LPs have a lower stack hight and will feel more direct and "connected" to the surface since you will feel rocks and roots more. To conclude, it's a very personal thing and the best advice I can give you is try out and see for yourself. Happy running ✌️
Tron-Paul 1.0Super disappointed this didn’t make the top. These shoes started my zero drop adventure. I loved these so much that it got my hopes up for the Superior 6. Aaaaaand pretty much everything I liked in the 5’s they removed in the 6. I then went and purchased every Superior 5 I could find in my size. On my second to last pair now and might switch to Xero after my last pair runs out.
albino_kenyan 0.3Altra uses 3 different foot shapes, not all their models use the same shape. https://www.altrarunning.com/en-us/about-us/footshape.html. I started off w/ the Altra Lone Peaks then didn't understand why i didn't like their Superiors as much. Turns out i only like their shoes w/ original footshape (LPs, Timp).
EclecticEuTECHtic 0.3Altra Superior and Lone Peak are even lower stack than the Timp.
GodOfManyFaces 0.3I 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.
Greenwells_Stache 0.3Altra Lone Peak and Superior both feel wider to me than Experience
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