Altra - Olympus 3

I have been wearing Olympus back to the 3 series. The 5s had some issues with the heel, but other than that they have been a pretty solid shoe.

Probably because not everyone is looking for cushioned shoes in their trail shoes. I have been a fan of the Olympus models for several years, but particularly after I broke my leg a few years ago. They were the only shoes I could wear during my recovery when I was walking on hard surfaces for extended periods of time. I have had LPs, wearing a pair now. I really like them, too, but I prefer more cushion any time I am carrying weight or going on a long distance.

Topo Athletic or Altra. Altra Lone Peak and Olympus are my go to trail shoes. Lone Peak has a Goretex version but I never bother with it. The upper drains fast and dries quickly. Get the Lone Peak 9+ for the vibram sole. Olympus has vibram also. Traction is great with both. I don’t have experience with Topo yet, but my wife and everyone else I know who has them loves them.

I’m tempted to try a pair, but have had issues finding a good size fit. LPs and Olys do well, but you are right, they tend to mileage out 500ish at most. Plus I am so used to the zero drop after several years of wearing them. How much of an issue would that be for me? Any at all?

Altra Lone Peak and Olympus have been my go to trail runners. I have very wide feet, so most of the brands you mentioned are not an option for me since they only offer a standard D width. Topo Athletic would be another brand I would consider but Altra has been working well for me long enough I am reluctant to switch.

I’ve done the CF, the Portuguese (from Porto), the middle chunk of the Via Francigena and this year the Kumano Kodo. The combo that works for me is the Altra Olympus low, Injinji toe socks and Dirty Girl gaiters. It’s not perfect in all conditions e.g. heavy rain but it works for me. YMMV. Good luck and Buen Camino!

I have Altra Olympus trail runners for dry weather and the same model in a mid-height waterproof/gore-tex variant for when it’s cold and snowy. If you want or need boots, buy ‘em. If you don’t try trail runners or a ‘hiking shoe’.

I have Altra Olympus trail runners for dry weather and the same model in a mid-height waterproof/gore-tex variant for when it’s cold and snowy. If you want or need boots, buy ‘em. If you don’t try trail runners or a ‘hiking shoe’.

Depends on your feet and your pace/fitness. If you are west of the Cascades and not hiking alpine you probably will not need very much insulation beyond a thicker pair of winter socks. As others have said Danners are fine but only if you have narrow feet b/c their toe boxes are tight. Keens have a larger toe box but still not sufficient for full toe splay. Both have significant drop height from heel to toe which is really not great for your body. If you haven’t already I recommend trying on some Altras, the Olympics series and the Lone Peak series have exceptionally good ergonomics, light weight, super build quality, and also are available in a waterproof style that make great trail runners if that interests you.

Have 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).

Altra 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.

Good 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.

I’m pretty partial to the Altra Olympus 

I 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.

I’ve been using Altra Olympus as my daily shoe and hiking shoe for years. Love them.