Le professeur de trail
Anyone run in these? What are your experiences?
How do they compare to Hoka?
Runningwarehouse (http://www.runningwarehouse.com/Altra_Olympus/descpage-AOLYM3.html) has them for $64. I am concerned about the "zero drop" thing. I am a heel striker. Is that a bad thing for zero drop shoes?
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Never wore the Hokas but heard they were like a zero drop shoe but on a raised platform. Really I don't know.
The Altras are meant for forefoot strikers, or to transition you in that direction. So if you get them, adjust slowly and don't make them your main shoe until several months of buildup. For trails, go with the Lone Peak. I swear it's the best shoe I've ever worn.
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KillJoyFuckStick
I've had the Olympus for about 9 months. My original intent was to use them as trail shoes. That hasn't worked out because the tread of them is not nearly aggressive enough for technical trails. That said I do wear them a lot for "recovery runs" either post races or post interval type workouts. I don't normally wear zero drop shoes (I'm a Brooks Ghost wearer normally) so it took me some time to build up to the zero drop thing where my achilles tendons weren't sore. They have a nice generously wide forefoot which I like and they are very comfortable to run in. I really wish Altra would have given them a more aggressive tread pattern. The next iteration of Olympus is supposed to have improved tread but the reviews I've read so far say otherwise.
ETA: I can't compare them to Hokas because I never wore Hokas. Each time I tried a pair of Hokas on they were too narrow to even remotely consider.
You people have issues
I wear the Olympus. I ran Pinhoti in a pair, never changed shoes... But I don't really think you necessarily have to change shoes in a 100. Anyway, I never had any problems with the shoes, and I like them alot. I have also worn Hoka's, so here is how they compare:
1. The Olympus is a little stiff underfoot in my opinion. You get plenty of cushion, and my feet are fine for as long as you want to run. The Hoka's are also well cushioned, and the ride is very soft. I feel like I am floating. I step on roots or rocks with Hoka's, and I can barely feel them. In the Olympus, I know they are there.
2. The Olympus has a very wide toe box, which is something I value greatly. I believe that is one of the main reasons my feet were fine for the entire 100 miles. The only thing I don't like about the Hoka's is the narrow toe box. They rub a nasty blister on my big toe. I don't wear them because of that.
3. The Olympus has a zero drop platform with a large amount of cushion. I have always run better with a heel/toe drop of 5 or less millimeters. I think the Hoka's have around 9 or so, maybe more. I just don't have problems with zero drops; I love them.
In summary, if I could get the Hoka soles on the Olympus, I would like that a lot. Also, after about 200 miles on the Olympus, they seem to not be as hard underfoot. But, I may have just gotten accustomed to them. Although, I find that other Altra models I have worn seem to offer a softer ride right out of the box. They are both good shoes, but I think the 3 issues above are serious things to consider.
LB2
Also, I am not convinced that I am not a heel striker. What I do know is this:
I make sure that my feet land directly beneath my hips when I run. I don't know that that makes me a forefoot striker because when I run in shoes with a little more of a heel/toe drop, the wear patterns seem to indicate that I hit on my heel. I usually run in Altra's, but I have a number of shoes that I alternate.
Tim
I've had a few pairs. I wore them for a 24 hour race and never changed them. I've worn Stinson Evo and Bondi B and like the Olympus better, primarily for the toe box. I've always been a mid foot striker and had no problem adapting to them. Hokas cramp my feet on long runs. Never a problem with Altra shoes. Agree tread wears too quickly and new edition supposedly fixed that. I wear Lone Peak 2.0 for trails.
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Ok..thanks for the feedback.
A few ramblings/thoughts in my head:
-Are zero drop a bad idea for a heel striker or can a heel striker truly learn to change where their foot lands? ( I certainly haven't been able to do so with my "chunky" shoes)
-Heel strikers (from what I have read) are more susceptible to injuries. Not sure there is any valid research to back this up though.
-Is it a good idea to rotate different types of shoes? In other words, a pair of zero drop, a pair of "chunky" shoes, something else, etc. knowing that possibly a different part of the ankles/calves, legs, hips are being worked with each and after a while can all get stronger (this may not make sense in writing but it seems to make sense in my head - which might not be saying much anyway)
-Maybe rotating in a pair of Olympus (or other zero drop) might not be a bad idea....slowly.
1. I don't think they are necessarily bad for a heel striker. Again, I try to make sure that I do not over stride by making sure my feet land directly underneath my hips. But I don't know that that necessarily makes me a fore foot/midfoot striker. I see wear patterns that indicate that I do, at least sometimes, strike on my heel when I wear shoes that have a heel/toe drop of more than 4mm.
2. I think people who over stride are more susceptible to injury, and a hard heel strike is, in my opinion, a result of over striding.
3. It probably is a good idea to rotate different shoes. But, if I get a shoe that is too "chunky" it truly hurts to run in them.
4. I don't see why not. But whatever you are doing, I think it is important to shorten the stride. Shortening my stride changed my life in regard to running.
I think a heel striker can change, at least somewhat. My older shoes showed a definite heel strike pattern. I've tried to be more aware of my foot strike the past two years. In that time my main shoe brand has been the Hokas. The first pair had a lot of wear on the heels, the last several ones are showing increased wear just back of the mid foot and reduced wear on the heels. I think it's partially due to an increased awareness on my part and partially because my stride length has decreased slightly as I age.