Customer Reviews Altra Olympus 6

I work and play in the San Juan National Forest in southwest Colorado. I tested these shoes for several weeks bushwhacking through the woods, hiking on active logging operations, and scrambling up off-camber scree chasing mountain ridge lines. While I gravitate towards a more minimalist shoe style, if I'm being honest, my tired old feet would choose this shoe from a lineup any day. The level of cushioning is what I would describe as plush comfort, with the tradeoff being a slight feeling of bulkiness. The laces can easily be snugged tight and stay in place. I appreciate the roomy toe box, which I've come to love and appreciate with all ALTRAs. One of my favorite features was the heavy-duty tab at the back for assisting with putting on the shoes; I guarantee that the tab will outlast the shoes. I did scuff the lower side of the shoe after only two uses, whether from a rock or a stick I'm not sure. Given the extra bulkiness, I would probably not choose to run in these shoes, but I'm not much of a runner, so that's not an issue for me. My two minor quibbles with the shoe were that the beautiful subtle coloring on the side of the 'women's' shoe were masked by dust and mud after a single use, and that the sizing seemed a bit large. I ordered the same size as previous ALTRAs I've owned, and these felt loose around the ankle, to the point that I had to overtighten the laces to compensate. ALTRA gave me this free product to try.

This shoe is definitely meant for long times on the trail but also performs well for short hikes/trail runs too. It's a larger shoe in cushion and roominess. I found it almost too much cushion and too big. It took me about 1 hr to get the fit just right. Also on shorter trips I like to be able to feel the ground a little more than I did in this shoe. The lug depth and configuration allowed me to feel very confident whether going down wooden stairs s, scrambling up and over rocks or going down a steeper path. The shoe instilled confidence in my footing while on the trail.

As a long-time wearer of the Altra Timps and Altra Lone Peaks, I was excited to give the Olympus 6's a try. The wide toe box and low drop that Altra is known for has worked for me for over 12 years so I was confident in the shape and drop of the shoe, but the maximal cushioning is new to me and the feature that I was most interested to explore if it worked for me. For background, I am a women's size 9 with a narrow, very high arch with pretty large bunions that need some space. I usually remove the manufacturer liner and replace with a high-arch specific insert. Typically my runs either occur on uniformly steep, technical and rocky terrain or runnable, buffed out single track with minimal technicality. As Altra gave me these shoes to try, I was excited to see how they performed in both scenarios. My first few runs in the Olympus 6 were for some easy, recovery runs on buffed terrain. I was pleasantly suprised at what a relief the cushioning of the Olympus was on these days, when I was starting from a point of fatigued and achy feet and lower legs from a hard effort the proceeding days. There were no fit issues or hotspots and my inserts fit nicely. I was extremely thankful for the added cushion for a tired body on these days. I was also aware that the Olympus have become popular for thru hiking, so while I did not have any thru-hiking trips scheduled, I did use them for two days of double digit mile hikes. Again, was very happy with the fit and comfort over the course of a long day on hard-packed, non-technical terrain. I believe the Olympus 6 will be my go-to for long, non technical hikes in the future. I was also able to test the Olympus 6 on technical, steep terrain. I was very happy with the addition of the Vibram soles, as there was definitely more stickiness underfoot on rocky, variable terrain. It also seems to have a bit more durablility than what I have noticed in my previous pairs of Altras after heavy, repeated contact with rocky surfaces. Perhaps it was just my lack of experience with maximal cushioning but I was more anxious in the Olympus 6s in this type of terrain as it felt like I had to work to get more clearance between the shoes and rocks, which made for a funny gait. I also felt a bit more unstable in the lower legs using these on rocks that like to move. For runs that require a bit more agility and stability, I believe I will stick to the Timps or the Lone Peaks but finding the Olympus has been a pleasant surprise and will surely be my go to for hard-packed trails and long hikes.

So I had the Olympus 4 which was awesome! I really wore them out and started looking for another. I bought on line the Olympus 6 and of-course they're not the same. For one they are heavier. The Olympus 4 was 272 grams and this shoe is 310 grams. How are we supposed to hike with such a chunky shoe? It's also bigger than the Olympus 4 so it's harder to hike when you're on steep rock. I'm only using this shoe to walk and still hanging on to my Olympus 4 for hiking.

I have the olympus 2 via and LOVE it. I have a neuroma and other issues and I can walk miles and keep up in that shoe. I was hoping for similar shoe in the hiking version but as others mentioned the heel is weird and totally rubs and fits different than the via. Otherwise it is EVERYTHING I want/need in a shoe. Fix the heel and I'll buy 2! Im gonna order another pair of Via.

Love the cushion Love everything about these shoes Except the heel slip and back tab tore up the back of my foot They need to fix the heel slip and back tab. Would not buy again.

I hike with my dog daily between 2.5 and 5 miles. My neighbor has a pair and raves about them. I have worn them three separate times for shorter hikes that I do regularly and I feel like I've been hit by a truck for days afterwards. Have them to my daughter in law.

Wanted to really like these, and although the toe fits fine and the foot support is good, but the heel is way too wide and sides come up over and rub against my ankles. Need somebody with a different shaped foot, I guess. Bought the purple and it's a cute shoe

I've had the previous model of this shoe and I do not like the changes. The shoe is bigger and bulkier than the previous iteration. There is also a bit of padding added to the back of the heel/Achilles area and it rubs. Every pair of Altra I've worn the same size for over 6 years, this the first pair I've been unhappy with. Maybe a 1/2 or full size smaller would have been better.

I have been wearing the Olympus 6 trail hikers for the last week. I have noticeable pronation and my knee has started to hurt. I've worn the Olympus 5s for the last 3 years, hiking 500 mile, multi-day trails and also wear my Olympus 5s for everyday walking. The Olympus 5s are amazing, the best shoes I've ever had. The Olympus 6s are a poor substitute, the support is definitely less causing me to pronate more which is impacting my alignment and causing knee pain. I'm off to buy up any Olympus 5s that may be left.

I'm a nurse and they're not lasting long enough. They wear out to fast. This type and the new type that replace the via forward

I was in love with v4, they were PERFECT for thru-hiking w/a heavy pack. The 6 is clunky and killed my feet/knees on just a 4-day hike in Iceland. interestingly, the outer soles were way too high and my feet caved inward..soo painful, threw them out.

I also bought the newer version (Olympus 275) of this shoe a few months ago and that one was too big as well! I am a 5 1/2 but there isn't a smaller option available. Previous to these 2 purchases 5 1/2 would fit perfectly! What changed? I don't want to fall running rocky steep downhills.

I tried these out even though the reviews were mixed because I hear amazing things about altra shoes. I was really hoping they would work for me like they have for some people. Unfortunately 20 minutes into a 10 mile hike I realized these were not going to work. The cushion placed in the heel bed gave me the largest blister I've ever had. It is pretty painful, needless to say I will be returning these and trying a different model. I'm really bummed because the rest of the shoe looks so cool.

instead of a snugger fit with the achilles pad, the she slips over my heel dislike the achilles pad though love the traction on the sole

I have been a fan of the Altra brand for a decade now, switched from lone peak to Olympus in 2021 with no regrets until this year. So many issues with the padding on shoes that cups the heel. From blisters to Achilles pain. Would not buy this version again.

Like many reviewers, I had issues with heel slippage. No matter how I laced these shoes, I ended up with blisters. The cushioning is great but if you're wearing a hole in your heels, it doesn't matter. Back to the hunt

I bought this Olympus 6 because I've worn (and love!) the Olympus 5...in a men's model. I should've worn the shoe everyday for the full 30 days so that I could've learned that there is no comparison. These shoes are not nearly as comfortable as the men's shoe in the Olympus 5. It's a shame that the toe box on this women's model is obviously more narrow - so much that it's causing me discomfort and lingering pain in the bottom of my foot. I so regret that I didn't figure this out until the return window closed - I would've returned and bought men's again. I only bought the men's model to begin with because I preferred the colors offered - never dreaming that the men's is better-built.

First run in these, 13 miles on the AT with 3500' of gain, and I can't imagine lacing them up anymore. The inside bump at the heel just rubbed my skin raw through my sock. Also, an even bigger problem, no matter how I lace them, I end up with pain at the top of my foot where the laces pull, still lingering. Threw on my seriously worn out Olympus 4's (with over 700 miles on them) for a recovery run the day after trying the 6's and they were perfect. I have a long trail race coming up and not sure what shoe to wear now. This model is not it.