Customer Reviews Altra Olympus 4

Straight out of the box and 40km and 1700m climbing later and I'm very impressed. Still the great cushioning, but feels lighter and more stable than previous versions. Well done Altra!

By far the best shoe i've ever owned. I'm loving how springy and soft this olympus feels over my Superiors, King Mt's and Escalante's. Overall i feel the Olympus 4 also has a higher build quality for some reason. Not that my other shoes seemed low but this just seems a bit more refined and considered maybe. The team at Altra did an incredible job on this one. I'm holding out for them to release an approach / mountaineering shoe and i'm set. Planning to buy another pair for general walking about as i find them so comfy.

Perfect - superb - incredible - don't change them. The Olympus 4 are fantastic. Maintains the great maximal cushioning, but still relatively light, and keeps the wide toe box that represents the very best of the Ultra brand. Great update on the lugs and sole provides improved traction and balance. Minimal overlays and streamlined structure provides really great fit and comfort level. Heel cup is very comfortable; tongue and laces are much improved from last version. For highly cushioned shoes, these are incredibly responsive on the trail, and do not feel clunky in any way whatsoever. These are pretty much the perfect high cushioned trail shoes. Please DO NOT mess with this formula for success in future iterations. After the way the Timp and Lone Peak became way too narrow, I was worried that Altra had gone away from the concepts that made their shoes so great. The Olympus 4 has restored my confidence. Again, please don't mess with them.

I absolutely love this shoe! I started wearing ultra running shoes five years ago. What drew me to them was the foot shaped shoe. And, it was wide enough for my feet. I had never worn a running shoe as comfortable as this one. It seemed too good to be true. Then, a year ago, the fitting began to change. Not the sole of the shoe, because that remained the same size. It was the top of the shoe That made it way too tight! I returned quite a few pairs of Altra shoes because I could not stand to wear them. After just a mile or two my feet were in torture. I called the office several times and they told me that they had had a few complaints like that. I usually save my old running shoes and use them as work shoes. I was so desperate for a pair of comfortable running shoes I went back to my Olympus 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0. I already had at least 700 miles on each of these shoes. I wore the 3.0 for another 500 miles before I finally saw the Email advertising the Olympus 4.0. I immediately called the office and asked questions about the shoes, praying they had return to their original sizing design. Two weeks ago I received my new pair of Olympus 4.0. I can't tell you how relieved I am! These are the perfect shoes for a great long distance run. They are the most comfortable running shoes I have ever owned. I am so concerned that they will change their design again, I am tempted to fill my closet with boxes of them But I am Not excited about their high price tag. They are so similar to the 3.0 yet they cost $40 more. If you are looking for a great foot shaped shoe, and you just happen to have wide feet like me, I believe you will find these to be your perfect shoe!

This is your best Altra shoe I've owned to date, and that includes the last three versions of the Olympus. You made everything better on this shoe, even the shoelaces (Seriously...those laces rock!). On another note, please please please put Vibram outsoles on all your shoes, even if it costs a little more. Your proprietary outsoles don't come close to the grip on Hong Kong trails as any shoe with Vibram. My last two Lone Peak versions and the latest Timp version are almost unwearable on our trails if it's the slightest bit wet. Thanks for making great products, however. They fit my needy (and weird-shaped) feet just perfectly.

I love this shoe, I've got a bad back and this shoe definitely has the most cushion and it is stable and I love it.!!! I kept emailing the company to say give me more bright color options and they certainly did with the 4.0 I bought the black and white and the red shoes the same day. I love the comfort, stability and how much cushion they give me. I use this shoe or the trail, at the gym and all around because of its comfort, I love this shoe.!!!!!!!!!

I absolutely love this shoe. Have owned literally every variation on the Olympus starting with the very first version. That was 15 pairs of Altra Olympus ago! I just finished 4 hard 15 milers over the last 4 days (Bend, OR...go FootZone Bend!). Got the black pair and they have made some serious improvements. The fit and feel of the shoe is amazing. Not kidding. So comfortable but the side rigidity really sets your heel into the shoe. Still cannot believe how comfortable they are all around. The the sole is so much more durable with better trail traction, yet feels good on harder surfaces. This feel like it would be the ultimate shoe for hiking also. Also not bulky looking. It's like a beefier Timp 1.5 (which was not enough comfort nor cushion). Man I love these shoes!

Altra knocked others out of the park with this one. Even if you're not an avid hiker, these are very versatile fantastic walking shoes and/or if you stand on your feet all day. They offer the perfect amount of support, and the cushioning is unreal. Well done.

This is my third pair of Altra Olympus and by far, the best! They are extremely comfortable and my toes spread out nicely in these. The grip is amazing and the color (black Steel) is simply the best!!! Altra did an excellent job revamping this shoe! I love everything about it and I'm ecstatic that it's now offered it some nice basic colors!!!

This one was totally worth the wait. I liked the Olympus 3.5, but always thought it was a little too loose, so I didn't wear them much. The 4.0 seems a little more "locked down" and stable, yet just as soft. Perfect for logging lots of miles and keeping your feet happy. With that being said, the ample cushioning does slightly compromise stability - simply by design - so if you're going to be on technical terrain you should switch to something a little lower to the ground like the Timp 2.0, which has been my main shoe since it came out last year. If you have a wide forefoot or just like giving your toes more breathing room, get to know Altra's whole lineup because they have something for everyone.

Very very comfortable. Initially I thought they were too "squishy". Aftee the first trail run I was really happy with the product. Quite stable as well. The only thing I didn't care for were the laces. They are too darn short. Great shoe but needs better laces

This may end up being the ultimate thru hiking shoe. High-Volume, wide fit that looks a lot like the Timp 1.5 on your foot. The upper should accommodate wide feet well, but also tighten down for others. Honestly can't believe how comfortable they are and how much they dampen rocks and other trail debris.

I've worn Altra for years though my experience is limited to the Lone Peak and the Timp 1.5 (I have 3 pairs of Timp 1.5 - two are worn around town and one pair are my trail shoes and I consider them the best trail runners I've had. The Olympus 4 out of the box is not very comfortable. It took 3-4 weeks of going to the gym and using them in town to get to a state of general comfort. In contrast, both the Lone Peak and Timp 1.5 were comfortable nearly out of the box. The Olympus 4 is stiff and the materials are just not as comfortable. One thing I noticed is that the heal cup of the O4 is not as deep as the Timp 1.5 and so the O4 tends to slide up/down a bit though I can say I don't much notice it anymore. The flat tongue in the O4 is also IMHO a downgrade. I like a little pad in the tongue to protect me from the lacing. I have yet to use the shoe off road, and I am a hiker, not runner. But was hoping the taller stack height would translate to a little more cushion, as I will need to replace the Timp 1.5, but it does not seem so. Could be because of the Vibram sole, not sure. Overall, I like the O4, but it seems that for the price, the shoe misses some of the things a shoe of this caliber should bring: comfort, ultimate fit, feeling more one with the wearer. One positive thing is I didn't really notice the increase in stack height in terms of stability, etc.

I wear a size 15 and this shoe is too narrow, too tight, so tight that I had to wear the shoes without the shoe insert.

Great shape that leaves room for my toes and the ball of my foot better than any other sneaker I have found, and I have looked for one. Great cushioning. It started squeaking regularly, so I filed a warranty claim and Altra honored the claim. Altra stands behind its products and has earned my trust.

Have only worn a few miles. Hoping heel slipping will improve with breaking in. My first pair so no idea how long they will last. Very well cushioned.

I would have given this a 5 star. Show bottom, toe width are great. If they only change the uppers this will be a perfect shoe for me. Shoe uppers develop tears, holes out of normal use within 200 miles. I have used many other brands and this is by far the best in terms of fit and cushion but only lacks on the durability of the shoe uppers.

re the Olympus 4- I just got them and well- my Saucony Xodus 11, my Nike Trail 3 Gortex, my ASICS Asics Gel-Kayano Lite 2 and my Nike Fly Knit Invisible are all much more comfortable- I just got the Olympus 4 and I find it hard compared to the others and hurting my heel and ball of my foot and the fact that it has terrible arch support compared to others listed- almost like the last does not agree with foot geometry - I love the splayed out toes in front and the Olympus 4 is by far the best looker of all my sneakers- but the sneaker last feels wrong for me comparing it to all my other sneakers - I may give it one more day of wearing indoors only but I am on my feet all day as I work at a standing desk and do exercising while working at desk - and my gut tells me the beauty isn't meeting the form for comfort- Im trying to add foam for my foot and some fabric to tongue area which is not well foamed at all - its scratchy and hard tongue compared to all my other sneakers- these guys dont build em like the others for comfort imho- I just love the looks and trying to make em work for me - honestly they look so good but them comfort needs to be worked on compared to all my other sneakers- I own a ton of sneakers and my experience is very deep

They are very expensive. I need the wide toe box because of the size of my feet. I am also a type 1 diabetic and they help preventing skin break down. I am exploring other brands because of price.

Arch support could be improved

These shoes provide the cushioning I sorely needed. I was running trail marathons with Altra Lone Peak 4 and Lone Peak 5s but my feet were getting beat up and damaged and the foot bed kept breaking down. The answer was the Olympus 4. More cushion and no more foot damage. My feet are slowly healing. Note: I do not "recommend shoes to friends" because everyone's feet are different, but the Olympic 4 works for me.

I like the wide toe box on Altra shoes, but wish the Olympus 4 came in a wide width. I have rubbing that occurs on the sides of both feet and widest part of toe area. I have to put moleskin in spots to prevent blisters/callouses. A wide width would probably give me the 1/4" I need. I have not tried the other styles that do come in Wide width as they have been sold out. If you have a suggestion for wide toe box shoe style WITH wide width let me know.