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Thanks! What are they like in mud? I’m a bit wary of the quality of Altra these days. The soles on my Torins lasted 800km and the Timp 4s wore out after 500km.
My LP6's and Timp 4's are awesome on wet rock
I wear barefoot shoes in regular life, and I used to wear Vivos on the trail. I do think I’m able to go farther and without sore feet with some cushion. I personally hike in Altra Timp 4s. I view my wearing minimalist shoes most of the time as strengthening my feet and then the cushion on my hiking shoes allows me to take the most advantage of that built up strength.
I have been going to Algonquin since on and off for 15 years. Usually on trips WAY into the backcountry 90+ Km roundtrip. I highly recommend a trailer runner with excellent support, traction and drainage. My favorite ever is the Altra Timp 4 with darn tough brand socks. The combo will drain fast and you won’t even notice they are slightly wet. https://preview.redd.it/iohp8m50qldg1.jpeg?width=1206&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b2b297451fbeb41b2c2f4c85e649a1ae31d1065 I have worn keen sandles, which do have a good toe box. But you will get tons of rocks and sticks stuck in between your feet and shoe. Also, I had had to cut leaches off mid-portage that quickly can find your exposed foot in more muddy portage loading areas. I have also worn running shoes that are light, and sprained my ankle on unstable ground. Wearing boots, gortex, etc… you are just asking for heavy shoes that will never dry and give you blisters. Hope this helps. Enjoy the back country!
I would recommend Altras. I have low arches and overpronate a lot, and swore I would never run but was crazy enough to start running 5 years ago. I started off with Altras (Escalante) for super short distances <5 km on road, then progressed to trail jogging (Timp 4). Worked my way slowly to a half marathon (Torin 6, my favourite) and a 25 km trail race (Olympus with vibram sole), and a road marathon (Torin 7, using Via Olympus 2 max cushioning for training). Best part is, I feel like my toes and feet have gotten stronger over time. No more arch pain, no shin splints. Achilles is sore sometimes but I use a small roller for my foot and allocate sufficient rest days. Altras' wide toe box and balanced cushioning have helped me to run again.
i do like the Timp 5, 4s were very nice but durability was crap. The 5s have 450k on (will be 550 after tomorrow) and no splitting of the upper at last, Vibram sole still sticky and not worn unevenly
On the flip side, I had about 450 miles on my timp 4's before the tread started to slip. Best shoe I ever had.
3 in rotation. Brooks Caldera for most of my trail runs; a pair of Timp 4’s hybrid road/trail (bumped down from 1st string once the tread started to wear) and Solomon Speed Cross for extra traction when it’s wet (rare, since I’m running in the Sierra foothills mostly).
Rankings by Use Case
Top recommendations from others in the same boat
Best for Deep mud and soft ground

Top pick
Salomon - Speedcross Series
Best for Quick draining and drying for wet trails

Top pick
Altra - Lone Peak Series
Best for Road-to-trail transitions

Top pick
Nike - Pegasus Trail Series
Best for Steep technical descents

Top pick
Altra - Lone Peak Series
Best for Technical rocky terrain

Top pick
La Sportiva - Prodigio Series
Best for Ultra-marathon racing

Top pick
La Sportiva - Prodigio Series





