Altra - Olympus Series
Models:
Olympus 6
Olympus 5 Trail Running Shoe
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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:
18
18
"From a longevity point of view I have just passed 200km in my first pair and they are holding up really well especially compared to my Olympus 5s that didn't last 80km."
"I did my first 50k in the Olympus— only fault was a cactus spike I carelessly kicked"
"I’ve been using Altra Olympus as my daily shoe and hiking shoe for years."
17
3
"grippy on any and every surface"
"The slim and grippy sole makes them extremely safe in scree and rocky terrain."
"Vibram grip is fantastic up & down hills."
52
8
"for 90% of trails, runners are too comfortable and light to not wear."
"I have very fussy feet and have worn these up to 14hrs with no pain."
"I’ve had 30 mile days and my feet can take it in the Olympus."
36
1
"C2C in UK June with them."
"Already done 650 miles with not one blister"
"awesome for all kinds of rugged terrain (I run trails around Tahoe mostly)."
34
1
"giving me the ample toebox for my well worn, well aged flat feet."
"it was the perfect fit for me, perfect toe box"
"lots of toe/forefoot room."
Disliked most:
2
5
"I also roll my ankles in the altra Olympus so in my option there is a direct correlation with stack height."
"I always roll my ankles ony Altra Olympus, doesn't really happen with anything that has a lower stack."
"I personally prefer a lower stack height for that reason- less risk of ankle injury. ... I don’t mind walking in my Altra Olympus but if I’m running I reach for the Lone Peaks."
1
8
"the new version has a tall and stiff heel counter that kills my achilles."
"However after about ~150 miles the padding around the ankle that locks your heel in place rubs and destroys my Achilles. ... Still caused the issues with my Achillies unfortunately. Its not a rubbing issue but a pressure one I think."
"However after about ~150 miles the padding around the ankle that locks your heel in place rubs and destroys my Achilles. ... I also had a rub spot on the Olympus. ... Took it out on a 5 day trip, ~45 miles, for the first real try (had worn it around town but not much, unfortunately my only option) and was bleeding on my heel by the time I got done."
21
4
"Don't get the 6 if you have wide feet. ... They are MUCH narrower than the 5. ... And will leave your feet in pain quickly."
"I tried the Olympus 6s as a replacement, but was put off by the bizarre heel pillow and inconsistent sizing. ... Both are good - I think if I hadn't tried on the 275s I'd be pretty ok with the 6s until the 7s when they hopefully remove the silly heel pillow."
"I tried the Olympus 6s as a replacement, but was put off by the bizarre heel pillow and inconsistent sizing. ... The 6s feel like they’re still dragging some old problems forward. ... Hopefully the 7s will see the heel pillow banished and more of a merging of the 6 and the 275s. ... Both are good - I think if I hadn't tried on the 275s I'd be pretty ok with the 6s until the 7s when they hopefully remove the silly heel pillow."
6
22
"so grippy they wear out in 5 months on the right heel and front right for foot. ... I now have shoes that are perfectly fine except Imbalanced in height and plane...I just can't accept they are now trash when they otherwise fine."
"at least one of the rubber strips on the outsole have literally peeled up on all 4 pairs of Olympus under 50 miles each."
"For me it was the uppers and the heel on the 5s, a few months max before they disintegrated."
8
13
"Common with the zero drops....I was in Olympus for a few years...same thing."
"the new version has a tall and stiff heel counter that kills my achilles."
"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."
4wheel4what 0.1I'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.
500ravens 0.1Go to REI and let them Guide you. I ended up with Altra trail runners. They’re great
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.
Abject-Rip8516 1.0personally, altra lone peaks for only trail and olympus 5s when mixed (on pavement for part of the run). altra customer for life!
Afternoon-North 0.6Altra 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.
ajsherlock 0.6Good 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.
allweloveweleavebhnd 1.0Have 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.
Once upon a time I was around 200lbs (as a 5’2”ish girlie) and never had any complaints about my Altra Timps. This year I lost 75lbs and found that I like the Altra Olympus for a cushier ride on long runs. 10/10 for both shoes, but Altras do seem to wear faster than my Nike Wildhorse used to (I loved the 5 and every model since has been a flop for me). I get 300-350ish miles on them before the tread starts coming apart. If they change the Timp radically when they update it they will rue the day (and I’ll prob finally try out Mount to Coast).
Ashimpto 0.6I used lone peak and loved it, but I found it sucks if you use it for long rocky or stone paths, so I got Olympus, which is very good but has two noticeable disadvantages, takes a lot dries way slower and feet doesn't breath as well. It's because they didn't just add stack height, but added a lot of padding too, which does feel nice but lead to the downsides I mentioned.
Away-Evening-6547 1.0Came here to comment exactly this. I'm 6'2", 190lb (188cm/87kg). Daily trail runner in Switzerland, running 70-80km/week. I have the Trabuco Max 2 and Max 3. Version 4 is the most recent launch. By far the most comfortable trail shoes I've ever owned. They just work perfectly for me. Have over 1000km in the 3's, so super durable too. Also own Hoka Stinson 6 (bit soft), Brooks Caldera 6 (too firm, never softened up), Altra Olympus 6 (midsole felt dead from the start) and Nike Wildhorse 7 (most comfortable upper of any shoe but midsole a bit thin) but none are as good for me as the Trabuco Max.
Axolotis 0.6I’ve been using Altra Olympus as my daily shoe and hiking shoe for years. Love them.
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