Introducing the Altra Lone Peak 4.5 and you can file this one under the category of if something ain’t broke then don’t mess with it… well too much. For the most, this flagship Altra trail shoe has only received minimal updates to the platform, but the shoe is such a huge fan favorite it makes total sense. The 4.0 was fairly solid, but even we wanted some updates and thankfully Altra listened to the community and made solid changes.
Quick Details, Specs, and Availability
- Really solid update to the Lone Peak platform
- Weighs in at 10.5oz or 298g for a US Men’s 9
- Sports 25mm of cushion and a 0mm heel/toe drop
- Retails at $120.00 USD comes in 5 colors for Men and Women
Run Test
The Lone Peak was our gateway into Altra’s trail lineup. While others raved about the Superior or went big with the Olympus, we always loved how the Lone Peak split the difference. With the last version, we definitely had some issues with the upper materials and that overall it felt just a little too sloppy. We also started to fall in love with the TIMP as it had a lot of what was missing in our minds from the Lone Peak.
This new version visually is a stunner, it just looks awesome. It exudes all things trail from the color palette to the overlay designs, just really digging it. The good news is on foot the shoe feels exactly like the 4.0 with just a much better feeling upper. It retains Altra’s flagship FootShape toe box as well as all the other features you would expect.
On the trails, it also runs similarly To the 4.0 as well. The outsole on these things just grips like no other and it can handle the majority of what you run into out there. It sits comfortably between being a speed shoe and a distance shoe and depending on how much feel you like or how much cushion you like will determine how far you can go in them. For us, it was fairly easy to take them for quite a few miles without significant issue and the 25mm cushion were ample for pretty much everything 50 miles and under.
We have to just reiterate that if you are an Altra fan and even a prior Lone Peak fan, then you won’t have a lot to worry about in taking the leap to the 4.5. It feels so similar to the prior version, but with enough little tweaks to make it worth the upgrade.
Construction: Upper
The upper was the big adjustment here because this was the killer in the last version. The 4.5 brings a bit more control and overall snugness while also maintaining a roomy toe box and remaining breathable. Before you seriously felt like you could roll an ankle in them and honestly given how technical they are, it was the reason many of us shied away from them. Oh, and the lace length has been fixed… not sure how they missed this in the 4.
Construction: Midsole
The foam on the midsole has received a minor change to give them a little more resiliency, but between the mid and outsole is where all the magic exists in the form of Altra’s tech. They include their StoneGuard which acts as your rock plate and prevents any of those rogue trail items from coming up into your foot. Also, there is their Balanced Cushioning which used to be referred to as Zero Drop keeping your heel and toe at the same level.
Construction: Outsole
The outsole is very duty complete with multi-directional lugs and many different directions that they call their MaxTrac technology. These things grip like no other and make up and down hills a cakewalk.
Style & Aesthetics
We absolutely love the styling on the Lone Peak 4.5, from the overlay mountains to the color selections everything just feels totally on point. I don’t think we could be any happier with the way a trail shoe looks and with 5 colors for men and women, lots of options.
Overall Conclusion
The Altra Lone Peak 4.5 is a solid incremental update to what is arguably their top trail shoe. There were a few things about the 4.0 that bothered folks, especially the upper, but this is a really stellar update. The bottom line is if you were a fan before, then you will not be disappointed and if you were on the fence, then it is probably a good time to give them a shot. It is the best Lone Peak ever.
Learn more on the Altra website
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Check Out Other Reviewers Thoughts
As always, we gather together some of our favorite reviewers so you can get a well-rounded view of the shoe. Here are our favorites.
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