We are so excited today to be talking about one of our favorite trail shoes ever and a shoe that has been the gateway shoe form many runner into Altra. We are talking, of course, about the Lone Peak which is Altra’s number one selling shoe across their entire lineup and for good reason. It has always been a beast on the trails, with a super comfortable upper, and could you born in almost any type of terrain. With the Lone Peak 3 and 4, the shoe design diminished a bit and then came the release of the TIMP. Things started to get a little less clear in terms of the Lone Peak’s role and favor shifted for many people. We are happy to report that the Lone Peak 5 gets everything right back on track and clearly carves out Lone Peak’s role in the Altra Trail lineup. Bottom line is, this might be the best Lone Peak they’ve ever done.
Quick Details, Specs, and Availability
- The best update to the Lone Peak platform in quite a while, EGO in the midsole!!
- A gnarly run-through-anything trail shoe and more durable than ever, although a tad heavy.
- Weighs in at 11.1oz or 315g for a US Men’s 9, 9.2oz or 261g for a US Women’s 7.
- Features 25mm of cushion and has a 0mm heel/toe drop.
- Retails at $130.00 USD and comes in 6 colors for Men and Women.
Run Test
As we said above and it bears saying again, the Lone Peak is historically Altra’s highest performing shoe and for most of us, it was the first shoe that exposed runners to a zero drop platform. Regardless of their little missteps in the past, the Lone Peak has always been able to deliver, but we were hopeful for more and the Lone Peak 5 does seem ready to deliver. From the time you see it in person, you are probably going to be sold because it just looks better than ever before. Once you slip it on, things get even better.
First off yes, the upper is very roomy and this is a patented Altra foot shape design. That toe box provides you ample toe splay and while you can see a bit more movement than you might expect, as long as you get a good rearfoot lock, then it will truly not affect the run all that much and inevitably will be beneficial. If you are sloshing side to side of course, then it’s a huge deal, but for the most part, that roominess just feels new to people who haven’t used in Altra trail shoe before. The rear foot area can actually seem a little sloppy as you’re putting your foot in, but then as you lace it down, it just kind of grabs you and holds you in place and the entire upper experience is really comfortable.
As you get out on the trails, you’re going to find the Lone Peak 5 to be a very fun shoe. This outsole can take on almost any type of trail without a problem and the shoe stands up to all the twigs and bushes and trees and rocks, you name it, that can be thrown at it. Prior Lone Peak models have suffered from some upper durability issues and that seems resolved here as well. Note that for most people, this isn’t going to be a fast shoe, but instead a trail shoe that you can wear on a very wide variety of runs. It can tackle fire roads and single track with ease as well as muddy conditions and you can wear them for an easy 10K or a 50k Ultra. This iteration of the Lone Peak definitely harkens back to its roots and delivers a shoe reminiscent of why we all loved it when we first tried it.
If we have any issues with the shoe, then it’s around the midsole and it’s not that the midsole isn’t solidly cushioned and protective, I think our hope was that the EGO midsole would deliver a bit more kick on the trails than it does. Because you have so much rubber on the outsole, the EGO midsole definitely gets dampened a bit which is a bit of a bummer because it has so much pop on the road. However, it still protects and it’s still well-cushioned and for the majority of people, it’ll be more than enough in its current form.
Lastly, we always tackle the issue of zero drop when it comes Altra, or as they like to call it now, Balance Cushioning. If you are new to it, then a reminder to not go cold turkey into a shoe with less cushion in the heel because it will place additional strain on your lower extremities. Ease yourself into this and if it means changing your running style to conserve energy, trying shorter strides, then give that a try. The Lone Peak can be a great gateway trail shoe for trying zero drop so there is no better time to get a shot.
Construction: Upper
The upper is really well thought through especially for a trail shoe. You’ll note some layers of breathable mesh that make this highly durable and dare we say, ripstop. The toe has been reinforced both with that faux leather overlays as well as internal structures to protect the front of your foot. That faux leather then wraps most of the rest of your mid and rearfoot providing both durability and structure throughout the back two-thirds of the shoe. The tongue is gusseted and moderately padded and the laces are sick and very durable. The Lone Peak still uses that angled collar that we have seen in prior years as well as on their road shoes which can look odd but it does remain very comfortable.
Decently breathable rip-stop mesh upper 
Very tough laces and a gusseted tongue 
Moderately padded angled heel collar
Construction: Midsole
The biggest change on the Lone Peak 5 is the addition of the EGO midsole to the platform. That cushioned and snappy midsole that we loved from their road lineup has been added to the Lone Peak in an effort to provide a more lively experience. It is definitely hampered on here by all the rubber on the outsole, but cushioning wise there is no question you’ll be comfortable. They have included their Stoneguard as well to protect your foot even more.
Midsole – lateral rear 
Midsole – lateral front 
Midsole – medial front 
Midsole – medial rear
Construction: Outsole
The outsole on here really gets it done. It starts with Altra’s MaxTrac grippy tacky rubber compound that is super durable. Layered inside of that is their TrailClaw technology which places those lugs right beneath the metatarsal bones and provides more grip as your foot tries to grab the terrain underneath it. This outsole can stand up to anything.
MaxTrac rubber and TrailClaw grip
Style & Aesthetics
Styling on the Lone Peak 5 is a total win. Every single color option is awesome looking and you can blend in or be flashy oh, they did a great job on this. The shoe feels aggressive on the outsole, and when you look at it somehow just tells you it belongs on the trails.
Overall Conclusion
Altra has struggled a bit in recent years in the durability department, but even more so on the clarity of their lineup. When they introduced the TIMP and then made some radical changes to the Superior, the Lone Peak became a little stuck and we are very honest in saying the last iteration we just didn’t love. However, on the road end, they were kicking out shoes like the Escalante 2.5 and that EGO midsole was killing it. With the Lone Peak 5, Altra brings those innovations onto the trail, making the Lone Peak more bulletproof than ever, and delivers a really balanced and fun shoe. Our only gripe is that it is a little heavy, but a lot of that is that outsole rubber and it definitely lightens up a bit during the run. So Altra trail fans around the world rejoice, the Lone Peak is back and it’s the best iteration ever.
Learn more on the Altra website
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.
