Customer Reviews Altra Via Olympus

I have been running in Altra shoes since Lone Peak 2 and Torin 2. I have switched off to another brand, but have returned back to Altra. I was excited when I saw Altra had developed this shoe reason being is because I have been using the Olympus 4 for my trail running for over a year. I don't have a lot of trail miles so that is why the longevity. When I bought this shoe I was currently training for Flying Pig Marathon. As of right now I have 138 miles in the shoes. I will admit that when I first ran in the shoe and several miles after that the shoe was quite firm. It reminded of how the Lone Peak shoe allows you to feel your foot engaging to the ground. So I was ok with that. As I have put on the miles the firmness is not as bad but it is still there. The things I like are the toe box room for the forefoot, midsole support, the lightness in the shoe, the rocker, and the cushion of the tongue. The things that bother me is my heel slipping in the shoe. I have managed to figure out a way to minimize this and I have always tied my shoes this way is by raising my heel and tighten the shoe strings as much as I can tolerate. I do this procedure because I know as I am running the distance the foot will swell and create a pressure across the top of the foot. I did not have a problem with heel slipping in the Olympus 4. So that is my good and bad with the shoe. Don't get me wrong I love running in them and I hope what I have said helps out for future ideas with this shoe. Oh and I still feel like the Olympus 4 cushion is better. Keep up the good work and thank you.

Please bring some neutral colors!!! I love Altra but definitely might switch. Maybe I'm just shallow but I have many friends switching because of that. So I'm not the only one

Love the fit, wish the heal was more like the Tori n and that the foam was a bit softer feeling on the run.

Shoe is very comfortable. It has great support and feels sturdy and not squishy.

I'd would probably have rated it 4.5 if that was an option. After 100 miles, I do like the shoes. I've put that mileage on in one month, including a half-marathon. While the shoes are stiff (if you try to flex them with your hands), they don't run "stiff." I'd say they feel stable and responsive enough, but certainly not too soft. For an original fit shoe, they don't feel as wide as my Torin 4.5's, and seem to have the same size insole as my Torin 5's which are considered a standard fit. I love the laces (have never come untied) and tongue (soft and doesn't move too much). So far no separation of upper from the outsole, including near the toe box. The outsole shows some wear, most is based on the way I run and the part of my foot that tends to hit the ground first (rear lateral edge). The outsole does catch small stones and twigs in the crevices, so I check them after each run. The shoes are maybe a little narrower than I'd like, if I have a thicker sock on they tend to squeeze a little at the point where my 5th metatarsal protrudes out of the lateral side of each foot. I tend to manage that with lacing adjustments, but I don't have that squeezing in my Torin's. I weighed these shoes when new (12.7 oz. per shoe for a men's size 12.5) and they are much heavier than my Torin 5's (10.4 oz. per shoe for men's size 13), but the added weight doesn't slow me down while running. Also, around mile 10 of my half-marathon, temp was 53 degrees F, both feet seemed to be sliding a bit over the lateral edge of the insoles, and I could feel the lip of the insole. Perhaps some lace tightening in the forefoot may have keep my feet more centered, but it was a little concerning especially if I decide to try a marathon. Pictures attached.

Overall I was pleased with the Mens Via Olympus running shoes. The ran well on all surfaces I experimented on (treadmill, pavement, off-road). To be honest, the very first run felt like I was running on clouds and did require some adjustment. However, the other striking distinction was that they felt oddly spacious to the point I could've likely fit in a half size or maybe even full size smaller shoe. The reasoning in part is due to the width of the shoes which matches my wider structure perfectly, however the length was still a bit too much. All that to say, I am very excited to keep trying these shoes out and see how wear evolves on these!

Very comfy running shoe. Never had any issues while jogging in these shoes. Not a huge fan of the look but they are comfy. Might wait for a more appealing look before buying a pair.

Men's Via Are very nice stylish comfy running shoes. The extra cushions make it less painful when running in a long distance. Because of a dense cushion, these shoes does add more heights. The only downside is they run little wide.

The front of the shoe is very wide compared to the rest of the shoe. The interior sole is a bit odd. It seems almost like memory foam and the places that do not have the most pressure push slightly upward and it is noticeable when running causing a bit of pressure on the outside of my knee which could mean I just didn't get the right style shoe for how my feet land when running. Walking or exercising this is a very comfortable shoe because of the cushion in the shoe and very breathable.

Shoelaces are too short.

These are a bit snug on the initial wear (I'm a typical 11, and these feel a half size small), but upon adjustment and a day of wear, they are amazingly cushioned and almost springy for all day wear. On a short jog, there was no pinching or rubbing and I look forward to putting some miles on them. Quite a find!

I would love if the softness matched the Paradigm but this is still a great shoe to run easy days and long runs in!

I bought the Via Olympus 1/2 size up. After two 4-5 mile walks, I felt like I had shin splints. I decided I couldn't run in them. They were very loud on the sidewalk as well. Now,I just wear them around the house and don't exercise in them. After reading reviews on the Olympus 2, I decided to risk a try on them. They were much softer, and didn't seem quite as narrow in the mid-foot. I wasted money on the Olympus (1) but not on the Olympus 2

My review is similar to others I have read here, and from reviews from professional reviewers. The hype on this show was that it was very soft and plush. It is not. It is fairly firm. it is not as advertised. Having said that, it is a fine shoe, but it should not be marketed as a super plush shoe. The Paradigm series meets that criteria much better. I am really rooting for Altra. I grew up in Orem Utah, where the founders are from. I want them to continue to succeed. There has been too many quality and design issues. How can the company continue to make the same mistakes over and over, such as the embarrassing tongue fiasco with the Torin. Did anyone at Altra actually try the shoe on and run it it before it was released? The Mont Blanc was launched and I was excited. I went to my local shoe store and tried it on. I immediately knew the heal was a failure. How could you run in that show with no support in the heal. Another fail. I understand that there is new leadership at the top. I wish Altra the very best, but please watch what you are doing. Don't introduce a new update unless the shoe is better. Don't regress. Don't launch any shoe unless it has been tested and vetted by several different knowledgeable people. No launch is better than a bad launch. Have some pride!

I like the comfort of the shoes but I have noticed that the tread seems to be wearing too quickly on them. The heel cup is also awkwardly tight when settling in to them at first.

These shoe's are too stiff not that comfortable. Hoka bondi 8's are alot more cushion. I will return the via olympus. Will stick with Hoka bondi 8.

In the words of Goldilocks "these shoes are too hard." The construction and support and great, but the midsole is wayyy too stiff! I switched to the Paradigm and life is much better.

The sizing is great but definitely not max cush more like max stiff, I noticed the outer soul was super spongy, maybe if you redesigned with the outer material inside and inner material outside then call it max cush.

I picked up this shoe because my running store didn't have the Torin 6 in my size. Couldn't wait since after 400 miles, the side was blowing out. I thought the max cushioning would be a nice change for my longer runs. I have about 50 miles in them now and they just feel so stiff. I'm seeing noticeable wear already on the soles. The foam does not feel all that cushioned despite the max cushion branding. Even with the rocker shape, it feels so-so. The upper is very comfortable and the original fit always has fit my foot better. Please add a bit more squish to your formula and improve the rubber outsole. This would make the shoe much better.

I wanted to like this shoe. Feels like my foot held firm in this shoe and didn't move or slip around. There was something odd with the toe box. There's a hard edge on the top that was very uncomfortable.

Good cushion although stiffer than Hoka's . Ran about half size small for me. And my left toe/toenail would catch on the plastic shoe toe coating that slightly intrudes into the shoe. So, I returned them. The rocker system sole is very nice. Tongue thick and soft. Relatively light shoe. For some reason my Lone Peak 5 and Lone Peak 6 fit better than these. Wish they would have worked out.

I ran about 120 miles in the Via Olympus, and I agree with other reviewers about the relative stiffness and lack of cushion. A couple years ago, I ran a road marathon in the Trail Olympus 1.5 which was much better cushioned than the Via. Normally I run in the Torin, which feels much more comfortable on my foot and is also more cushioned. Unfortunately, Altra only offers the Wide Torin in a single color. Please keep producing wide versions of the Torin, and make better color options for both the Torin and Via Olympus. Also improve the cushioning of the latter.

My Via Olympus just arrived! I want to give 5 stars but I was very disappointed when I tried them on. I wear 10.5 Original in all other Altra shoes, but these are too small in both length & width.