Forums >Gears and Wears>Initial Impressions: Altra Olympus and Hoka Bondi 4
Posted my initial impressions of the Altra Olympus and Hoka Bondi 4 for those interested:
http://ultracassie.blogspot.com/2015/01/initial-impressions-altra-olympus-and.html
Cheers!
Cassie
Live the Adventure. Enjoy the Journey. Be Kind. Have Faith!
I've got about 100miles on my Olympus - starting last spring. IOW, they don't agree with me. Yes, that roller front can really throw you when you're tired and leaning forward anyway toward the end of a 24-hr race for which I wasn't prepared (assortment of issues but wanted to support RDs in new race). Although they seem like they should have a wide forefoot, they don't spread out until after the bunion / bunionette region, so haven't been that great for me.
I prefer the cushion of the Olympus to that of the Hoka Stinson Evo (trail version), which was too marshmallowy for me and really takes a lot of work to run in. I may use either of them for asphalt but rarely on trails. I doubt I could make it up a trail-grade hill with those Hokas - too stiff in sole, too mushy inside. My Saucony Xodus 3.0, while firmer under foot, are more comfortable to run in. It has its issues (slippery soles), but that's the least of my worries except when racing on snow (without spikes) or wet silty trail.
Olympus seems to have downhill issues for me where toes slam the front, which I've never had happen in any other shoes.
I believe the Lone Peak 2 may work better, but haven't tried them. I did try on 1.5 but too little foot protection.
I imagine if the Stinsons are too soft for your taste, you'd like the Bondi even less. I prefer the softness on distance road runs. I currently run trails in the Stinsons. Sounds like we've had similar experience with the Olympus. Did the Lone Peak not have that strange drop off?
I've not run in the Sauconys. These upcoming Asics look a little heavy but interesting:
http://blog.runningwarehouse.com/rs/asics-33-m-first-look/
No, the Lone Peak 1.5 doesn't have that dropoff, but the 2.0 is a very different shoe - more cushion and foot protection, but I haven't actually tried it.
I do have friends who put lots of miles on various models of Hokas and Altras - just depends on foot shapes and mechanics what works for different people. They force me to heel strike whereas I'm normally more of a midfoot to forefoot striker. The rockers are right about where I land normally, so find I have to land behind them to avoid the pain. I'll use the Olympus when running on pavement, and it works ok there for me.
I look at RunningWarehouse for their ShoeFitr sizing. If you look at the planar view (not the 3D view), you can see the Altras have a very different shape than others - duh. But what that does is make it shorter in some areas. I actually had trouble with my toes hitting the front of the toebox on downhills - something that has never happened to me in any other shoes. Several other people commented on that also online.
Something my feet seem not to like is vertical movement within the shoe - like when the cushioning compresses. I noticed it slightly on Montrail Badrock, then a lot on Stinson, but not so much on Olympus. I have found that some of the foot pain I used to have goes away when I use my Xodus 3. even for an everyday shoe, not just for running. So there's something in that design that works for me. With the 4's they inserted a rocker, so I stocked up on 3's while they were still available. Not sure what 5s are like.