Altra - Superior Series

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.

Go to REI and let them Guide you. I ended up with Altra trail runners. They’re great

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.

I still swear by my Altra Superior 5’s

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.

I ended up finding some 5s to try. Agree that the toebox is wider than the 6s. Overall width and length fit my hobbit feet better. I might be imagining things, but wearing them around the house, my feet feel hotter in the 5s. Wish the 5s had gaiter attachments.

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.

Altra has the Superior and King Mtn, both of which have less cushioning and arch support than the Lone Peaks. The Superior 6 is my go-to right now. I train almost exclusively in Xero Prios. I also run in Mesa Trail IIs with a rock plate.