Altra Lone Peak 1.5 - Review

As many know, I did not start running until 2005.  By 2007 I had transitioned to minimalist shoes, more specifically Vibram Five Fingers.  I alternated between the VFFs, Merrell Barefoot and inov-8's one arrow (3mm diff) shoes until late 2011, at which time I decided to give Hoka One One a try.  Over the next two years I ran exclusively in the Stinson EVO, Bondi B2 and Rapa Nui shoes.

On Monday, I decided to give the Altra Lone Peak 1.5s a try.  The Lone Peak has a similar stack height to the Hoka Rapa Nui, but they are still a very different shoe.

The Altra shoes feature a wide toe box not found on many shoe lines other than the Merrell Barefoots.  In comparison, the Rapa Nui are adequate, but are much narrower in the toe box.

The Lone Peak provides a rough ride, similar to the feel of other trail shoes I have worn such as the inov-8s and Patagonia EVERmore.  The Rapa Nui offer a very soft ride, which I have grown accustomed to.  For this reason, I plan to try the Altra Olympus next time around.

The Lone Peak has a fairly aggressive tread pattern, yet the grip is poor on wet rocks. The Rapa Nui has minimal tread and similarly do not bode well on wet rocks. The best shoe for these conditions has always been the inov-8s. 

Altra added four drainage holes in each toe box to the Lone Peak 1.5.  Despite this and their claim that the uppers are quick drying, these shoes doubled in weight after my first run.  They were still water logged after 24 hours of drying.  The Rapa Nui drains well and dries out quickly.

One minor nitpick is the length of the laces on the Lone Peak.  The laces on the inov-8 shoes are on the short side, but Altra is the other extreme.  I had to triple knot them to keep from stepping on them.

One reason for trying the Altra above and beyond the zero diff profile and wide toe box is a hope that they will stand up better on the rugged trails in the White Mountains and western Maine. The Hoka Bondi B2 and Rapa Nui uppers are usually toast by 200 miles, if not sooner. 

I plan on wearing the Lone Peak shoes on all my training runs and trail races until they meet their maker. 

Stay tuned for updates as I get more experience with these shoes.

Update: July 12, 2014 - I finally had a chance to take the Lone Peak 1.5s out for a long run in the White Mountains, the Pemi Loop to be exact.  I ran the Pemi Loop up and over the Bonds and onward to the Gailhead Hut.  I waited here for another runner to catch up, only to find out he had taken a nasty digger.  I opted to just head down the Twin Brook Trail, onward to the Franconia Brook Trail and back to the Lincoln Woods Trail. This route included several stream crossings. The Lone Peaks actually drain pretty well as long as you have a ways to run before hitting more water or ending the run.  They were wet, but nothing close to soaked once I took them off at the car. 

I am looking forward to trying out a pair of the Altra Olympus shoes once I can find a pair in my size.