Gear Review: Altra Lone Peak 3.0 Shoes
Value Rating: 9
Durability Rating: 7
Overall Rating: 8
Location of Test: Various local trails
Duration of Test: Single day and multiple day outings
Product Name: Lone Peak 3.0
Product Brand: Altra
Best Use: Trail Running and Hiking
Size: 7 through 15
The Full Review:
I took the leap into Altra based on the positive feedback from several co-workers. My Scarpa Rapid LT's were beat heading into the warmer months earlier this year and I needed something new, but I was hesitant to switch brands because I’m an "if it isn't broke don't fix it" type of guy. On top of that everyone has a horror story to tell about footwear. It is one of the most challenging items to buy.
The Lone Peak 3.0 are a good shoe, bottom line. They are well constructed and feature rich. They got me from point A to point B all season long and still have a bit of life left in them. From the Wallowas to Olympic National Park to the Marble Mountains and everywhere in between. They were comfortable out of the box and I experienced no problems in transitioning to a zero-drop shoe. I understand everyone is different and comfort is highly subjective. To quantify this; I play soccer regularly, wear my Rainbows as often as I can, and do not wear shoes around the house. I spend a healthy amount of time in zero drop footwear or no footwear at all. If you are making the transition from a full cushion shoe you might experience tightness in your calf muscles. The traction and grip are fantastic. The NW boasts a wide variety of trail conditions and liquid sunshine can happen at any moment. These handled all the trail conditions I experienced with ease.
I want to round this review out with two minor criticisms. All of which are subjective depending on the person. Altra markets their footwear as having a roomy toebox to promote better foot health by allowing the toes to be spaced apart more "naturally". This is great on paper, but the drawback is getting the fit dialed in while on trail can be a bit challenging. If you have an average width foot or narrow foot you are going to have to cinch these down real good to get the required lockdown. That makes the "FootShape™ Toe Box" more of a marketing gimmick versus an actual benefit in my mind.
Second, the overall cushion (the midsole combined with the sock liner or insole and rock guard) leaves a bit to be desired. I am 5'9" and weigh 160 lbs. I could feel rocks through these from day one and there are plenty of rocks on even the best-maintained trails in the NW. Hiking was less of an issue but if you are using these to trail run you are going to want to avoid the pointier rocks out there. The sock liner (insole) provides 5mm of cushion which I believe could be increased. Or you can swap them out for a pair of Superfeet.
Overall these are solid shoes and my criticisms are subjective. We are all different and our feet are all different. I highly recommend people try them on when looking for a fresh pair, but I will not be buying another pair myself.
The Full Review:
I took the leap into Altra based on the positive feedback from several co-workers. My Scarpa Rapid LT's were beat heading into the warmer months earlier this year and I needed something new, but I was hesitant to switch brands because I’m an "if it isn't broke don't fix it" type of guy. On top of that everyone has a horror story to tell about footwear. It is one of the most challenging items to buy.
The Lone Peak 3.0 are a good shoe, bottom line. They are well constructed and feature rich. They got me from point A to point B all season long and still have a bit of life left in them. From the Wallowas to Olympic National Park to the Marble Mountains and everywhere in between. They were comfortable out of the box and I experienced no problems in transitioning to a zero-drop shoe. I understand everyone is different and comfort is highly subjective. To quantify this; I play soccer regularly, wear my Rainbows as often as I can, and do not wear shoes around the house. I spend a healthy amount of time in zero drop footwear or no footwear at all. If you are making the transition from a full cushion shoe you might experience tightness in your calf muscles. The traction and grip are fantastic. The NW boasts a wide variety of trail conditions and liquid sunshine can happen at any moment. These handled all the trail conditions I experienced with ease.
I want to round this review out with two minor criticisms. All of which are subjective depending on the person. Altra markets their footwear as having a roomy toebox to promote better foot health by allowing the toes to be spaced apart more "naturally". This is great on paper, but the drawback is getting the fit dialed in while on trail can be a bit challenging. If you have an average width foot or narrow foot you are going to have to cinch these down real good to get the required lockdown. That makes the "FootShape™ Toe Box" more of a marketing gimmick versus an actual benefit in my mind.
Second, the overall cushion (the midsole combined with the sock liner or insole and rock guard) leaves a bit to be desired. I am 5'9" and weigh 160 lbs. I could feel rocks through these from day one and there are plenty of rocks on even the best-maintained trails in the NW. Hiking was less of an issue but if you are using these to trail run you are going to want to avoid the pointier rocks out there. The sock liner (insole) provides 5mm of cushion which I believe could be increased. Or you can swap them out for a pair of Superfeet.
Overall these are solid shoes and my criticisms are subjective. We are all different and our feet are all different. I highly recommend people try them on when looking for a fresh pair, but I will not be buying another pair myself.