Customer Reviews Altra King MT 1.5

I've never felt so sure footed. Amazing fit and feel.

I have bought two consecutive pair of Altras (exact model unknown but heavy lugged) to wear as golf shoes. At 73 my feet need support and a natural sole. And my wide feet appreciate the fit. I walk my 18 these shoes are my go to shoe. They grip and are super comfortable and look very contemporary. Younger people ask me what they are. Best shoes I've ever had.

Looking for an aggressive tread shoe that bleeds water for my first swimrun. Also: needed wide toe box and 0% drop. The King Mt 1.5 was a very pleasant surprise! Bought my usual 2 sizes up and the shoe felt wide and just long enough. The tread helped me over a rocky/ledge island, sandy transitions in and out of water, beach running on pebbles, scrambling up rocky/slippery sea walls, single-track paths with no slipping. Water bled out fast. The mid-foot strap secures laces which, given seaweed, single-track vegetation, and above-average demands on the shoe, was a confidence boost that the shoes would stay snug and laced. I see no damage from the training and first race. Looking forward to the next one!

I bought these during one of the sales during the last Christmas holiday as my friends and I registered for a Spartan Trifecta. I was a bit nervous a couple of weeks before the race because I had not done any runs in them yet. I ran one 4 mile trail run before my first Spartan races. I ran a Super (8.5 miles Spartan) and Spring (4 miles) on back to back days on some pretty rugged terrain. My feet came out feeling great, the shoes did everything they were broadcasted to, and I'm excited to run the final leg of the Spartan Trifecta (Beast in Aspen-Snowmass) in 2 weeks! If you are getting into OCRs I highly recommend these as they are light, they don't hold water, they feel great on your feet, and they have the widened toe box and zero drop that separate Altra's from the rest of the pack! I can't speak how they hold up long term, but I only plan on using them for trail runs and obstacle course races. I would say that the material that the shoe is made of is pretty light to help keep your feet dry, so I'm not sure that they are made for 300-500 miles like other running shoes. **I do run in Altra Torin's for most of my training so I've been using the zero drop shoes for 9-10 months.

I run very high paced, complex trails mixed with lose sand to sharp rocks and this shoe glides and grips over it all! The canted toe lugs have a amazing grip factor when running on the forefoot or while speed intervals. There appears to be a carbon fiber mid-plate that acts as a rock shield for really sharp terrain but it also flexes and provides energy return for higher paced runners. I really enjoy the Velcro which, I know some people dislike cause it collects stuff and wears out but I go through shoes fast enough to wear it's no issue and it gives it a tight surefire fit; good for keeping your shoe on your for running through mud. All in all, performance meets durability all the way on this T.shoe

I'm on my 5th pair of King MT's. I love them. I use them for most of my trail running and have had great success in 50K-100mi races with them. I'd strongly disagree with the reviews that these are not made for trails. I raced UTMB 100 miler in them with zero problems. After about 300+ miles they will start to break down and i have torn them. But I am not easy on shoes! One nit-pick with v1.5 is that the tongue falls to the outside of the foot. It is a bit annoying.

These shoes lasted less than 50 miles for me. TWICE. people should know that these shoes are not for actual trail running. Maybe walking on carriage roads of bike paths.

This shoe has amazing grip. This shoe is perfect for trail running when the weather would normally keep you at home. Running through deep mud and snow is no biggie. The grip is stabil and allows you to feel controlled in the lose mud. The cushion of the shoe feel minimal just walking around in them, but once you get to the softer terrain you'll feel right at home. The balance is perfect for me

I run daily on pretty rugged terrain, and these are the best trail shoes I've found to navigate all of the different areas I deal with. Our trail moves from rocky, to root filled, to pine-needle covered, to muddy, to grassy in parts. These handle them all with ease. I'm on mile 450 with them, and they show no signs of stopping.

I started running in these the beginning of this year. So far I have run multiple Spartans, toughest mudder, tougher mudder, tough mudders and plan on using these at worlds this year. Let's start with comfort and foot. The perfect toebox, comfy tongue and perfect lacing system make this shoe perfect for whatever you encounter on the course. The Velcro strap is amazing at locking the foot comfortably in place. The traction is fantastic. The only thing this shoe does not do as well as others is shed mud. I find it takes an extra stride or two past what some of the others shed at. Overall hands down the best OCR shoe on the market. Adding the gaiters that are designed for the shoe is also a huge bonus.

I hike a lot I the UK over Dartmoor and have worn so many different shoes and boots over the years but nothing like the King MT.. gear shoe and fantastic service from Altra. Thank you Altra...

I was looking for a shoe with great traction on dirt, rock, wet wood, and rope but, having been disappointed recently, was a little leery about the King MT 1.5s. The last shoes I had purchased on the Spartan site by a "big name" manufacturer were a big disappointment to say the least. I should have have known. They felt minimalist (in quality) when I put them on and were horrible on the slip wall for the Spartan and the plank for the Terrain Race. It was almost a relief when they looked and felt like they were starting to fall apart right after the race. When I slipped on the King MT 1.5s though...wow...what a difference! They felt really well made and did not disappoint. For the 2018 Breckenridge, CO Spartan, I had great traction on the gravelly slopes and had purchase on all the walls. They drained so quickly when we had to wade across Sawmill reservoir that I couldn't even make wet squish sounds. :( What about the slip wall and the rope climb? I powered up the middle slip wall like a goat (no face plants this time), and the shoes helped me lock down the rope (using the Spanish wrap technique) so I could climb the rope too! Perhaps, the truest test of the shoes...two days after the race I'm sore literally everywhere, but my feet feel amazing! Now...if the shoes could only help me through the multi rig / ring obstacle...

I do use this shoe for biking. The stone-guard under my mid foot is great for flat bike pedals because it takes the pressure off of my metatarsals.. They are even better for biking when slightly worn.

I have been wearing minimalist shoes like Vibram FiveFingers and various VivoBarefoot models for many years now. I hiked in VFFs throughout that time and loved them. Eventually my most recent pair of Spyridon MRs wore out. Unfortunately Vibram replaced that model with the V-Trail which I just could not get to fit right. I started searching for other minimalist trail shoes and stumbled upon the King MT 1.5. I wanted to love them as much as I did my VFFs and after my first two hikes I can say the King MT has delivered! The Vibram grip is excellent (no surprise there) and the Foot Lock was useful. The cushioning/stack height was more than I wanted but I actually appreciated the extra cushioning on my descent from Cannon Mountain last week. If you're looking for minimalist trail shoes give these a try!

I am incredibly happy with this shoe. I just ran a Spartan Super and Sprint back to back in more mud than I could possibly imagine. My feet were comfortable for the entire combined 12 miles. The traction was great, the water drainage was great, the cushion to weight ratio is great, the grip on obstacles was great. I even mountain bike in them. All I can say is thank you for making this shoe.

This is really a review of the King MT - haven't tried the MT 1.5's yet. They look about the same - what has changed? Is the sizing the same (for my next order). These shoes are exactly what I want in a trail running and hiking shoe -- great fit, excellent traction, light weight, quick draining and drying, and that great Altra zero-drop and wide toe box design. Excellent feel for the trail with just the right amount of protection. I also have the Superior 3.5's and the Lone Peak's. I rate them 5 stars also, but the King MT's are my favorites. I have about 150 miles on technical New England trails on them so far, and they are wearing well.