Occasional Runner
Gearjunkie.com published a review I wrote for the Altra Olympus. I think it's a pretty detailed effort and worth reading if you have any inclination to look into this shoe.
http://gearjunkie.com/altra-olympus-shoe-review
As you know, I have been a fan of Altra's since the first time I slipped on a pair. I just don't understand why more companies don't expand the toe box of their shoes. It does not make sense to me. Hoka's did not work well for me because of the toe box. I don't have this particular shoe yet, and I am (was) trying to decide between the Lone Peak and the Olympus. I think I will go with the Olympus. Thanks for the review. It was solid.
LB2
Thanks for sharing. The one question I have is, how well do they drain water? Just wondering if you would consider this a good shoe for our east coast races with a bunch of muddy creek crossings.
I made a deep river crossing at mile 98 of the Zion 100 and my feet felt relatively dry by the time I finished the race. I was pleased with how they drained. I would say they were as effective as any other trail shoe I've used.
I've out over a 1000 miles in a pair of Hoka Bondi Bs. And just switched to the Hoka Stinsons, but they are aggravating my arch and posterior tibial tendonm with an accessory navicular bone. I'm curious if tehe zero drop would also aggravate my arch. Regular 10mm drop road shoes are feeling good right now, but always wonder how a different pair of shoes would feel.
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Thanks for the review. I recently bought my first Altras. Okay, I bought two pair and I love them both. I've been eyeing the Olympus for when I start to pick up some distance.
I freaking love the big toe box. Regular shoes feel so narrow now.
Just because I look dumb doesn't mean I'm not...
I've always maintained that building an entire brand around the "zero drop" movement was a foolish idea because it limits variety and relies on sustained interest in running in zero drop shoes. Fads in running shoes come and go. Vibram is a good example of that. They recently shredded 500,000 pairs of shoes because they couldn't sell.
I'm noticing a departure from the very close ties to the zero drop branding at Altra. They recently changed their website from altrazerodrop.com to altrarunning.com.
I wonder if they plan to introduce a line of shoes with an actual heel drop.
I would certainly buy a pair of Altras if they introduced a line of heel drop shoes. Zero drop always scares me since I already deal with some achilles/calf issues....I'm not really willing to risk further injury and/or waste money if they don't work out for me.
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Thanks Kelly. Good review, it reads like a RR.
You can report back to your connections that at lest one more of your RA gang will take a look the next time I'm in the LRS. The cushioning, large toe box and light weight seems like a good combination for me. I need new shoes before Bighorn.
BTW, any issues with slipping on the trails? How's the tread?
2/17/24 - Forgotten Florida 100 Mile, Christmas, FL
I felt like it could use more traction when I was running on sand covered sandstone, but I think a lot of shoes are weak on that terrain.
Good question. I have the same. I look at the Lone Peaks vs. the Olympus, and I see the Lone Peak has a much more aggressive tread on it. I figure that slick rock would have been a pretty good test of slippage, and I didn't see where it was even mentioned in the review. As such, I assume it is good. I am fixing to break down and get a pair, regardless.
The Olympus was designed as a hybrid shoe so it could be used on roads and trails. As such, they didn't make the tread as aggressive as the Lone Peaks. Because of that, you'll probably find some issues with traction on certain surfaces.
Great review Kelly. I have been fighting off the maximalist shoe trend, but this one has me intrigued. Tried to buy a pair a few weeks ago, but they didn't have my size. May have to order a pair. Thanks for the info!
Are we there, yet?
I'm hesitant to switch to a zero drop shoe, but a 4-6 mm drop appeals to me. I think I need more cushioning than the Saucony Guide 7 (8 mm drop) gives me, but the Altra seems too much of a change. Any suggestions? I still do most of my training on roads and paved or well groomed trails.
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running under the BigSky
^ that describes me perfectly as well, I've noticed that I like PI N2's over the N1's and I think (not certain) it's because the N2's have just a little more drop
I do need the big toe box though (like the Altras I've tried on)- that requirement has nixed me out of a lot of different shoes
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