Altra - Lone Peak 3.5

I’ve worn LPs of various models since the LP1.5. They are quite different shoes and it’s very individual whether they work at all for people, and whether a particular model works at all for people. I liked the 1.5 and the 2.0 but could not even get the 3.0 and 3.5 to fit comfortably in the store (let alone on trail)! My favourites since have been the 4.5, the 6 and the 9. In general, they all have zero drop and a moderate (but not barefoot) stack height. As a result they give reasonable ground feel and reasonable protection. Generally speaking, they also all have a relatively wide forefoot and midfoot and an average heel width. But these have all varied a little between models, to the extent that 2 models wouldn’t even fit me in the store let alone after a foot-swelling, long day on trail. In the last few years (with my advancing age!) I have found that for day and week long hikes I still prefer LPs, but for multi-week, on-trail, hikes I now prefer Timps for more cushion and less foot fatigue. If the trip is going to involve more off-trail then I still prefer LPs for better ankle stability. Ultimately, only *your* feet can tell you if they are a good fit for you. No review or hiker-survey or Reddit post can tell you that! The same with Topos or Hokas etc. I’ve yet to try any pair of Topos that was even comfortable in the store *for me*. Same with La Sportiva, Hoka and others. That doesn’t make those terrible shoes - they are just terrible *for me!* Likewise, the fact that some of the LPs over the years have suited me well doesn’t make them the best shoes ever for everyone - they are just good (and sometimes ideal) *for me!*

Nah, I started with 3.5s and the 5s are goated. It’s the first shoe they used the updated ego midsole. Yhey honestly felt twice as soft as the old midsole material. I still have a pair of 4s I just can’t wear because the old midsole material is so much worse.

I just bought a pair of lone peaks 3's. Never had zero drops before.. Did 3 miles and my feet were all busted up. Sore in the big toes. I'm thinking my transition will take a while.

The 4 was incredible. When the 4.5 released, I stocked up on the 4 and wore them for ages. I got 600 miles and 2 course records out of one pair of them. And a couple other pairs survived past the 500 mile mark. The toe caps did start separating on all the pairs I had, but that was easily fixed with shoe goo. The 4.5 was close, but there was something that just didn't feel right about them. And, for whatever reason, I just didn't seem to get along well with any of Altra's .5 releases. For instance, I absolutely loved the Lone Peak 3, but didn't really care for the 3.5. Same with the Superiors. Etc.

The 4 was incredible. When the 4.5 released, I stocked up on the 4 and wore them for ages. I got 600 miles and 2 course records out of one pair of them. And a couple other pairs survived past the 500 mile mark. The toe caps did start separating on all the pairs I had, but that was easily fixed with shoe goo. The 4.5 was close, but there was something that just didn't feel right about them. And, for whatever reason, I just didn't seem to get along well with any of Altra's .5 releases. For instance, I absolutely loved the Lone Peak 3, but didn't really care for the 3.5. Same with the Superiors. Etc.

As mentioned, the 0mm drop is almost certainly what's aggravating your Achilles. But I totally get you, I ran in Lone Peaks for ages until a foot injury a couple years ago, now my Achilles tendons can't deal with them at all. Anyway, if you like the extra wide toe box, look at some of Topo's offerings. The NNormal Tomir 2 might also be worth checking out. And for something higher stack, check out the Mount to Coast T1. Best of luck finding something!

> Sadly, the later models are inferior and LP5s are now rare as hen’s teeth. I wore 3.5s on the pct and 6s on AT and CDT. I firmly believe that whichever Lone Peak you start with is your favorite and that every later model is simply different. I have heard this same quote after every iteration of Lone Peak. I must admit I said the same thing after using all of my 3.5s.

For a long time i was running in my old Altra LP3s but grabbed a pair of NB Hierro V9 recently. First run i almost rolled one ankle then the other but saved it. Yesterday i went over quite hard on my right ankle. I'll keep them for the comfort and to have variety in my shoes, but i am 100% getting another pair of Lone Peaks for being able to run confidently!

For a long time i was running in my old Altra LP3s but grabbed a pair of NB Hierro V9 recently. First run i almost rolled one ankle then the other but saved it. Yesterday i went over quite hard on my right ankle. I'll keep them for the comfort and to have variety in my shoes, but i am 100% getting another pair of Lone Peaks for being able to run confidently!

400 is on the low end in my opinion, my main issue has been the uppers tearing on me. Tread has been fine. I remember using the Lone Peak 2.5s and 3s and they would easily get me 650 before I bought new ones and I could’ve easily pushed them an extra 100 without worry

I also thru-hiked the pct in lone peak 5s (I think they were 5s, I did it in 2016). How the fuck did you only go through 2 pairs? I absolutely destroyed 5 pairs of them.

Yea I looked it up, 2016 would have been 3s. I had them fail in a few different ways, but most of the time after about 500 miles the tread was nearly gone, the sole was squished flat with no more cushioning, and some holes had started to form near the toes. I like zero drop but I do want some cushioning under my feet, and not to feel every pebble that I step on

I was very happy with them tbh. I'd heard all you get out of them is ~500-800 miles and that was consistent with my experience.

I swapped from Altra to Topo because the altras have lost the wide toebox over time. Each shoe iteration they keep adding material to make more sturdy uppers because people complain they fall apart too fast, and each time the shoes seem to narrow a little. I still have 5 different models of older altras including some on their casual shoes. But my newer hiking shoes are topo - specifically because they are wider than the newer altra models.

I started with LP 2.0, then 3, 3.5, 4, 5. every time they kept getting tighter. I swapped to Timps, then Timp 2, same thing, the shoe gets better but the footbed narrowed. I still really like my Altra shoes. I regularly wear Solstice and Escalante daily and for road running. The hiking shoes just were not the same comfy they used to be. TBH I havent tried the LP 8 or 9. So maybe they ended up back on track.

I’ve been rocking lone peaks since 2.0 after switching from some la sportiva. I have gone through at least 7 versions of lone peak including a pair of high top water proof ones. I enjoyed them so much. This season I got a pair of topo UA4 to try and I’m in love all over again. It’s not a lone peak at all but wow are they comfy.

I have an older model and what a fun discovery it was that they don't grip on smooth floors. I really like they're finally doing black on black though.