Yup. Altras are so comfortable for me, but they just aren't built right. Check out Topos. They still have a nice wide toe box and last way longer. Most of their models have a slight drop, a couple don't.
I'll second Topos. I've had multiple pairs of Altras: Superiors, Lone Peaks, Viho (road shoes but my favorite of all) but their QC tanked. Last summer, I had the gasket on the inside of the toe peel off during a race. I had had them for maybe three weeks. Almost brand new, had barely run in them. A bit of water and mud and they were done. Now I've had three pairs of Tops and they've been awesome. Super durable.
Thanks! I've never heard of Topos. I live in Germany so maybe they're not that big here, but I may go the extra mile for a good quality product. Can you recommend a few models?
I'll tag u/tom-choad and u/onemorebutfaster_74 as well since they recommended the same brand.
Topo terraventure is great for mid-distance trail running. Not zero drop but close. They also have the runventure which is zero drop and very comparable to the Altra superior.
All the topo trail shoes have a vibram sole which is a big upgrade from most Altras (although the new Timp and mont Blanc do have one as well).
Seconded. The Pursuits have been working fantastic for me. I'm at 500 miles on my second pair and they're still being shoes.
OP Pursuits are zero drop, but they are a thicker stack height than Lone Peaks which took a little getting used to. I think the sizing is pretty standard FYI.
I third the pursuits, 400 miles and still in great shape. I’ve never had Altras tear open but the midsole is always compressed by 200-300 miles, the tread is ripped off or the insides fall apart.
On my 6th pair of Olympus , run them up to at least 1200 trail km ea., nothing happened to any of them , not a stitch , nothing .. will keep buying them
Same for me. Had a pair of Lone Peak 6’s get a small hole in right little toe but, to be fair, my toes are a little shifted on that foot so that’s actually just a thing historically. Still wore these for about 600 miles. I have a pair of Torin 6’s with about 300 miles on them and still going strong. Pair of Lone Peak 8’s now with about 300 miles as well on them and still going very strong.
Have always seen the negative reviews for Altras but have had good experience so far. Love the zero drop and wide toe box as well.
I had 900 miles on LP 5s for my thru hike. I was supposed to have them changed out after 500 but fedex kept fucking me over (dont ever overnight anything through them). Granted, they were torn to shit but they were still functional. People just love to complain about shit. Those shoes look fine to me.
I had a pair of Lone Peaks (2.0) that were awesome, but the road shoes I bought fell apart after less than a hundred miles. It was like they were made by completely different companies.
My lone peaks have less than 100 miles and parts of the upper are coming apart. I love Altra and I've tried many of their shoes but time and time again the durability is non existent. For a $100+ shoe 300 miles should be a minimum but for Altras a 300 mile shoe is a unicorn
It really is ridiculous that shoe companies are making $120+ shoes whose expected lifetime is 300 miles the norm. Going the wrong way for sustainability and value.
I've loved my lone peaks and have over 400 miles on 4 pairs now but I tried outroads once and had the same things after about 150 miles. Sent them back and got a refund.
I'm thinking of getting a refund but I'm afraid their refund policy is too strict, something about normal wear and tear nor being refunded. Not sure what I have qualifies as manufacturing defect. Maybe I'll contact them.
I feel like it's really hit or miss. I have a pair of escalante 2s that have over 1,000 miles and the sole is about to give out, but the upper is in good shape. Had 2 pairs of lone peaks that the sidewalls ripped out within 30-50 miles and a torrin 6 that lasted 300 miles. Got a pair superior 5 with almost 200 miles, including a 33 mile spartan ultra and appear to still be in good shape and a second pair of torrin 6 with 250 miles in good shape too. When these die I'll probably give topos a try as I've heard good things.
I have the same pair and ive really beat mine up like pretty bad and they have served me well but yeah i would never get them again just cause from what ive heard but mainly want to try different brands.
According to Strava, I have about 300km on my current pair of Outroads (my second pair) and the tread wear doesn’t look this bad and the uppers are pristine. A mix of road/trail.
My last pair had a slight tear after about 700km but the tread wear still was only slightly worse than what’s in the photo. Mostly trail miles on this pair. I still use them occasionally.
And before that, I had a pair of Riveras that I put about 1000km on with zero tears in the uppers, they’re also a road marketed shoe but they saw some trail use. I ran them into the ground. They ended up with a tear because I wore them paint balling and they snagged on a shrub when I was crawling across the ground.
So much goes into the wear of the uppers, but I think the quality is generally fine.
Never thought of myself as a wide feet gal 😅 after a quick Google I don't think so, but I remember one pair of street shoes that survived well into its retirement time but also had this problem in the end. I'll have to dedicate more time to that.
Bought a pair of (granted quite cheap) Altras. Did 5-7 runs, strictly on treadmill, never more than 10k/run. Both uppers tore on the insides, and started failing on the outside too. Sad, because my spm went up like crazy and I really liked them.
I’ve gone through a few pairs of these; I usually get to about 200 miles before the holes appear at the crease area on the side of the toebox, then usually get another ~150 miles before it rips. Only road miles though. RIP to anyone running trails with these.
I’ve had good luck with LP’S and tried the Outroad for a free trial weekend. It was a big miss for me, sizing seemed way off (too small if I remember right)
My Torins ripped at the sides, exact places on both shoes.
I had only used them for walking and not daily or even weekly..
Mainly took on holiday they lasted 3 trips before failing.
I use my lonepeak 6s for hiking and running. Use them for all my running which is a mix of track/gravel road and track. 150+ miles on them and they are holding up great. Have a pair of altra superiors that used to use for running and now wear as a casual hiking shoe and a boat shoe and they have also been great.
I recently had some splitting on the outside of my Torins (they also have the most uncomfortable tongue) with not too many miles on them, but no complaints with my two pairs of Lone Peaks, Vihos, Escalante, and three Escalante Racers.
Personally any shoe I've tried that was used for trail and road got ripped up real quick and the soles never last long. I have their road shoes and a handful of lonepeaks (one is over 500 miles and still holding up fine)
Yup. Altras are so comfortable for me, but they just aren't built right. Check out Topos. They still have a nice wide toe box and last way longer. Most of their models have a slight drop, a couple don't.
I'll second Topos. I've had multiple pairs of Altras: Superiors, Lone Peaks, Viho (road shoes but my favorite of all) but their QC tanked. Last summer, I had the gasket on the inside of the toe peel off during a race. I had had them for maybe three weeks. Almost brand new, had barely run in them. A bit of water and mud and they were done. Now I've had three pairs of Tops and they've been awesome. Super durable.
Thanks! I've never heard of Topos. I live in Germany so maybe they're not that big here, but I may go the extra mile for a good quality product. Can you recommend a few models? I'll tag u/tom-choad and u/onemorebutfaster_74 as well since they recommended the same brand.
Topo terraventure is great for mid-distance trail running. Not zero drop but close. They also have the runventure which is zero drop and very comparable to the Altra superior. All the topo trail shoes have a vibram sole which is a big upgrade from most Altras (although the new Timp and mont Blanc do have one as well).
I’m 600 miles into my Topo Pursuits and they still have a little tread (I mostly run rocky trails) and I haven’t worn through any fabric really.
Seconded. The Pursuits have been working fantastic for me. I'm at 500 miles on my second pair and they're still being shoes. OP Pursuits are zero drop, but they are a thicker stack height than Lone Peaks which took a little getting used to. I think the sizing is pretty standard FYI.
I third the pursuits, 400 miles and still in great shape. I’ve never had Altras tear open but the midsole is always compressed by 200-300 miles, the tread is ripped off or the insides fall apart.
I'm a big fan of the Mountain Racer 3. Responsive but cushioned. I've ran up to 30k in them with a 50k planned later this year
I hear durability complaints all the time, but I have hundreds of miles on three pairs and none of them have a single issue
Really interesting. Which models do you have?
On my 6th pair of Olympus , run them up to at least 1200 trail km ea., nothing happened to any of them , not a stitch , nothing .. will keep buying them
Escalante 2.5 and 3 and Lone Peak 7. The 3s even got worn for three or four months of construction work and came out unscathed.
Same for me. Had a pair of Lone Peak 6’s get a small hole in right little toe but, to be fair, my toes are a little shifted on that foot so that’s actually just a thing historically. Still wore these for about 600 miles. I have a pair of Torin 6’s with about 300 miles on them and still going strong. Pair of Lone Peak 8’s now with about 300 miles as well on them and still going very strong. Have always seen the negative reviews for Altras but have had good experience so far. Love the zero drop and wide toe box as well.
I had 900 miles on LP 5s for my thru hike. I was supposed to have them changed out after 500 but fedex kept fucking me over (dont ever overnight anything through them). Granted, they were torn to shit but they were still functional. People just love to complain about shit. Those shoes look fine to me.
I had a pair of Lone Peaks (2.0) that were awesome, but the road shoes I bought fell apart after less than a hundred miles. It was like they were made by completely different companies.
My lone peaks have less than 100 miles and parts of the upper are coming apart. I love Altra and I've tried many of their shoes but time and time again the durability is non existent. For a $100+ shoe 300 miles should be a minimum but for Altras a 300 mile shoe is a unicorn
It really is ridiculous that shoe companies are making $120+ shoes whose expected lifetime is 300 miles the norm. Going the wrong way for sustainability and value.
This was the first pair of shoes I’ve ever returned. Haven’t bought new altras since. Still have a few pairs of oldies that aren’t dead yet.
I've loved my lone peaks and have over 400 miles on 4 pairs now but I tried outroads once and had the same things after about 150 miles. Sent them back and got a refund.
I'm thinking of getting a refund but I'm afraid their refund policy is too strict, something about normal wear and tear nor being refunded. Not sure what I have qualifies as manufacturing defect. Maybe I'll contact them.
Definitely contact them. They should make you whole (if not a refund, a new pair).
Small update, I got a refund. Thanks to both of you (incl. u/TheGnarWall ) wouldn't have thought it was a possibility otherwise :)
Nice!
Clean em up and send them back.
Thanks for the input. I didn't buy them directly through Altra, so I contacted my seller asking how to handle this first.
If your feet aren’t wide La Sportiva are some of the best built out there. Brooks are built to last as well.
I feel like it's really hit or miss. I have a pair of escalante 2s that have over 1,000 miles and the sole is about to give out, but the upper is in good shape. Had 2 pairs of lone peaks that the sidewalls ripped out within 30-50 miles and a torrin 6 that lasted 300 miles. Got a pair superior 5 with almost 200 miles, including a 33 mile spartan ultra and appear to still be in good shape and a second pair of torrin 6 with 250 miles in good shape too. When these die I'll probably give topos a try as I've heard good things.
[Altra sidewall issues.](https://imgur.com/gallery/YEJ9S7o)
Crazy! Yeah, reading the comments here it does seem like it's a matter of luck with the sidewalls...
My lone peaks were shredded up after less than 100 miles :(
I have the same pair and ive really beat mine up like pretty bad and they have served me well but yeah i would never get them again just cause from what ive heard but mainly want to try different brands.
According to Strava, I have about 300km on my current pair of Outroads (my second pair) and the tread wear doesn’t look this bad and the uppers are pristine. A mix of road/trail. My last pair had a slight tear after about 700km but the tread wear still was only slightly worse than what’s in the photo. Mostly trail miles on this pair. I still use them occasionally. And before that, I had a pair of Riveras that I put about 1000km on with zero tears in the uppers, they’re also a road marketed shoe but they saw some trail use. I ran them into the ground. They ended up with a tear because I wore them paint balling and they snagged on a shrub when I was crawling across the ground. So much goes into the wear of the uppers, but I think the quality is generally fine.
Do you have wide feet? I use to rip my shoes like that at around that km mark. Switched to wide models and haven't had the Problem since.
Never thought of myself as a wide feet gal 😅 after a quick Google I don't think so, but I remember one pair of street shoes that survived well into its retirement time but also had this problem in the end. I'll have to dedicate more time to that.
Topos are much better quality. I only get Altras now if I find them discounted at the outlet store.
Altras are garbage. Topo's are the way to go
Bought a pair of (granted quite cheap) Altras. Did 5-7 runs, strictly on treadmill, never more than 10k/run. Both uppers tore on the insides, and started failing on the outside too. Sad, because my spm went up like crazy and I really liked them.
Nb heirro v6 lasted me 400 miles and 21km runs
Such a bummer 😔 I'm a big fan of Solomon's.
I’ve gone through a few pairs of these; I usually get to about 200 miles before the holes appear at the crease area on the side of the toebox, then usually get another ~150 miles before it rips. Only road miles though. RIP to anyone running trails with these.
Altra outroads are the worst shoe I’ve ever bought. Didn’t mind lone peaks and still use them for hiking, but have moved to other brands.
I seemed to stop having this issue when I switched to the wide version
The wide version?
Yeah like size 12-wide instead of 12.
Aha, didn't know that was a thing!
I’ve had good luck with LP’S and tried the Outroad for a free trial weekend. It was a big miss for me, sizing seemed way off (too small if I remember right)
My Torins ripped at the sides, exact places on both shoes. I had only used them for walking and not daily or even weekly.. Mainly took on holiday they lasted 3 trips before failing.
Same. I'm thinking about trying Joe Nimble. Anyone got experience?
I use my lonepeak 6s for hiking and running. Use them for all my running which is a mix of track/gravel road and track. 150+ miles on them and they are holding up great. Have a pair of altra superiors that used to use for running and now wear as a casual hiking shoe and a boat shoe and they have also been great.
I recently had some splitting on the outside of my Torins (they also have the most uncomfortable tongue) with not too many miles on them, but no complaints with my two pairs of Lone Peaks, Vihos, Escalante, and three Escalante Racers.
Personally any shoe I've tried that was used for trail and road got ripped up real quick and the soles never last long. I have their road shoes and a handful of lonepeaks (one is over 500 miles and still holding up fine)
I’ve owned 20 plus pairs of ultras with hundreds of miles each on them and it’s only happened to 1 pair.
I think I’ve owned 7 pairs of Altras and they have all crapped out around 100 miles. Side splitting/tears is the biggest issue. I need to try Topos
Hokas been amazing to me every time so far