Altra

Olympus 6

Women's

I've been wearing the Olympus shoes for the past 4 years for my long distance hike (40 miles per week), getting the latest model every purchase. I've noticed that there is a heel structure change on the latest Olympus 6 that I purchased last month. Upon my first 10 mile walk on the new Olympus 6, I accumulated 5 blisters on my foot. FYI, I have never gotten blisters on any of the past Olympus shoes. There is an internal "tongue" so to speak, that are attached inside the heel area which are not detachable, which rubbed against my feet and brought on blisters. The feel of the shoes itself felt more ache on my arch, which I never felt on any other shoes, and felt a little less room and created 3 other blisters around my toes and bunion. My guess would be that this structure change was made in an attempt for a cost cut, less material needed for the similar design than previous models, but I wonder how it passed the quality assurance (QA test) if anyone did go through a rigorous QA on longer mileage on the Olympus 6 model against the previous model I am so sad that this change is made, I will no longer buy this model unless Altra changes it back to the Olympus 5 model in terms of the internal structure. I have uploaded the photos to show what I mean, white Olympus is model 5, the previous generation. In the meantime, I am buying up the previous models so that I won't have to look for new shoes. By the way I love the Lone Peak series as well, but love the Olympus better for road/paved street walk with the max cushion.

I've been running in Altra trail shoes a long time - multiple versions of the Lone Peak (GoreTex version included), Mont Blanc and even tried earlier editions of the Olympus. This shoe is definitely goofy looking at first (although I was a big fan of the colors!) - wore them on a couple of dog walks first to make sure they fit well - and the staff at the local coffee shop complimented them and gave me the courage to carry on. :) Over the course of 2 weeks I ran them ~40 miles on trails and covered about 5k' of climbing over a variety of terrain - dusty trails, gravel, rock, sharp rocks, etc. They were comfy right out of the box and my standard size 9 fit just fine. They are cushy - you notice it just walking in it, but it didn't feel laggy or non-responsive on the trail. I did notice that I needed to be extra careful to pick up my feet - no lazy running as I scuffed a few rocks here and there, particularly on the downhills (and took my first somersault of the season). I also tried them on pavement, pushing the pace for 3 miles at the end of a long run to see how they held up (when I travel I like to bring my trail shoes, but frequently that means putting some miles in on the road). They surprised me - didn't feel too tacky or heavy and clocked 7:30 miles without a problem (solid for me!). The construction of this shoe is slightly different from other Altrasit has extra cushion in the heel cup, which felt nice. They put the soft stitch tongue back in this model (vs. the versions that feel like laser-cut vinyl). They used thick, quality grippy lacesthere were no issues with them coming undone. Traction was top-notch on all surfaces. Ventilation was decent with a Smartwool trail sock. Here's the downside - on my 5th trail run with these I noticed some irritation on my ankle bones. I assumed it was the heel insert, but it turns out these shoes are cut about a half inch higher than other models near the ankle bone. After 7 miles my right ankle was rubbed raw and my left ankle felt bruised. A week later they still felt too tender to wear (but not a problem in other shoes). I did take them for an hour walk around the neighborhood tonight (two weeks later) and didn't notice the issue, so will be curious to rotate them back in and see how the foam holds up over time. I suspect if you are just using these for hiking, walking or even cross country running it might not ever be an issue. Full disclosure, I had the opportunity to product test the new Olympus 6 for free in exchange for my honest feedback.

These are so poorly designed this year! We've been wearing the Olympus 4 (fantastic fit) and the Olympus 5 (stiffer but very acceptable), hoping that this 6 would be closer to the 4 as some reviewers said. But, guess Altra is saving money with this disgusting short tongue that literally cuts into the top of your ankle. I never had that problem with the other years' models, which had a thin/leather-like tongue, but it was flexible and hardly noticeable. The padded tongue on this Olympus 6 seems like an improvement, but it's a horrible discomfort. The edge of it is at least 1-1.5 inches short, so the last laces actually tie off of the tongue, not on top of it. Plus, the back heel change is crazy -- just makes the heels slip up and down. Why the heck couldn't they have kept that back heel area the same as the 4 and 5? It's definitely NOT anything but a gimmick. So, if you tie the laces tighter to prevent heel slipping, that tongue cuts even more into the top of your ankle. The final point is the overall fit -- this 6 should feel cushier since the base foam material seems like the 4 and under the insole liner it's responsive cushion like in the 4. But the fit is restrictive around the feet and really feels stiff and cumbersome. Altra blew it on this one. We're leaving this brand and it's idiot designers, at least for a few years to see if they get their heads back on straight.

Wonderful for running and for full day wear in hard work by on concrete floors.

ALTRA gave me these to sample. They are super comfortable. In the past I have only worn lone peaks in the past and I am so happy I tried these. They add a whole new layer of comfort and durability. I would 10/10 recommend them to anyone in the market.