At first of 2024, Altra delivered to market the subsequent era of its esteemed path shoe — the Altra Lone Peak 8 ($140). Typically lauded as top-of-the-line path working and climbing sneakers for a choose group of avid path aficionados, it ranks extremely as an on a regular basis shoe for people in search of underfoot consolation, a contact of grit, and a heightened decrease leg power expertise.
The brand new Altra Lone Peak 8 doesn’t disappoint and returns as regular and dependable as ever. Over its many iterations, the Altra Lone Peak mannequin has confirmed itself to be a uniquely versatile shoe that reveals up with consolation and performance, topped with a refreshingly tender, pliable, and home-like really feel. Even after the Lone Peak’s working days come to finish, it readily transitions in to a dependable hiker, yard employee, or an about-the-town shoe. I feel it’s value reiterating that regardless that Altra has just lately made waves with important modifications in drop and offering some sneakers with slim match Footshape — maybe throwing into query Altra’s authentic mission — the brand new Lone Peak 8 rides true with total consistency and fidelity.
I feel most of us will agree that not lots has modified from both final 12 months’s Altra Lone Peak 7 — learn our Altra Lone Peak 7 overview. The higher stays snug, the midsole continues to ask the toes inside with underfoot cushion and responsiveness, whereas the outsole traction performs adequately throughout a wide range of terrain.
Notably, there stays ample room within the toebox and the Lone Peak 8 gives purposeful flexibility for excellent floor really feel. It should be said that in case you are new to low-drop or zero-drop trainers or seldom stroll barefoot, it’s suggested to steadily enhance time and mileage in these sneakers as they place a excessive demand on decrease leg tendons and muscle mass. However after getting constructed the stamina — it’s well worth the minimalist way of life.
The Lone Peak 8 is designed off the Authentic Footshape final for toes and toes to do their pure factor in a capacious toebox. It rides a zero-drop platform at a claimed 25-millimeter stack peak for stable floor really feel. Though the claimed weight has elevated barely to 10.7 ounces (303 grams) for a males’s U.S. measurement 9, it inexplicably runs gentle. The Lone Peak 8 is true to measurement and is moreover provided in huge match.
Based mostly on all of this, it earned “Finest Zero-Drop Shoe” in our Finest Path Working Sneakers information.
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The Altra Lone Peak 8. All pictures: iRunFar/Tom Caughlan
Altra Lone Peak 8 Higher
The Altra Lone Peak 8’s updates are felt and seen with the design and development of the higher, albeit refined and nuanced. Altra designers have upgraded the higher with a brand new ripstop mesh for augmented sturdiness. They used much less higher materials within the toebox space, leading to much less creasing, however with out sacrificing the ample room offered by a real Authentic Footshape. The brand new higher materials nonetheless gives distinctive breathability, a fast dry, and heat. I used to be capable of run in numerous chilly rain, mud, and important snow, and my toes and toes stored cozy and heat. I notice socks make a distinction as nicely, however I used to be impressed that the mesh was capable of defend, drain, and breathe concurrently.
Interrupted welded overlays prolong from the midfoot to the heel on each side of the shoe. The overlays not solely intensify the look of the shoe, but it surely offers the midfoot extra of a cosy and guarded match. The ripstop mesh presents a extra interesting look with constant mesh circulate on the lateral side of the shoe changing the see-through mesh of the Lone Peak 7, which offered a window to the underlays.
The padding on the heel collar nonetheless helps the foot and maintains a tender lockdown even over technical terrain. The lacing tightness is essential to how cosy each the midfoot and heel really feel with the Lone Peak 8. Moreover, the low experience heel match with the supportive thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) heel unit gives wanted stability on reasonably technical terrain and downhill singletrack.
The designers stored what labored from earlier fashions and fine-tuned a number of of the higher’s attributes. As I famous in our Altra Lone Peak 7 overview, the practically totally gusseted and padded tongue stands guard towards undesirable particles whereas including a pillow-like really feel for the highest of the foot. Nevertheless, within the Lone Peak 8, tongue development obtained sharper. There may be now a tighter gusset on the lateral side, and upon nearer inspection and due consideration whereas working, this slight change enhanced a snugger midfoot lockdown and even much less room for particles to enter the shoe.
The Lone Peak 8 has longer laces than its predecessor and comes with two extra holes within the stitched rubber reinforcements. I’ll admit that I’m uncertain if these are for lacing and further midfoot lockdown, for weight financial savings, or just for aesthetics. Moreover, the bottom lace holes have additional plastic assist on the base of the lacing system, which I appreciated for total higher integrity.
Different higher modifications embody an extended heel pull tab and an extended and wider tongue pull tab that extends half the size of the tongue. I appreciated these refined modifications as I discovered myself utilizing each of them since they had been truly purposeful. On most sneakers, these appendages appear purely aesthetic. There may be additionally a wider Velcro gaiter attachment location on the heel for extra endurance.
One of many critiques I had of the Lone Peak 7 was the dearth of safety across the massive toe and the flexibility of the shoe to offer appropriate safety throughout extra rugged terrain. Though, there could also be barely thicker rubber instantly over the massive toe, there’s much less total toe safety with decreased rubber bumper on each the medial and lateral toebox. This stays a con of the shoe design, however might be a weight saving choice and one that matches the general mission of the Lone Peak.
A lateral view of the Altra Lone Peak 8.
Altra Lone Peak 8 Midsole
The Altra Lone Peak 8 midsole is energetic. It accentuates the working and motion expertise with a pliable and responsive really feel that gives the wearer with consolation and nimbleness. Mixed with the outsole, the Altra EGO foam accentuates a floor really feel that many minimalist runners and hikers take pleasure in whereas adventuring. The Stoneguard full-length rock plate provides safety and slight stiffness below reasonably technical terrain, with out sacrificing an excessive amount of flexibility and turnover velocity. The midsole is snug and balances swiftness with tender landings.
Some runners could say that Altras break down quick, which can be attributed to midsole foam. However the Altra EGO utilized in many Altra shoe fashions in my view gives a agency consolation over many miles on each the paths and the pavement. As I discussed beforehand, I respect how the Lone Peak mannequin could be transitioned right into a hiker or an on a regular basis shoe as soon as the working spring and assist has slowly misplaced its steam. I’m at present at 80 miles, and consider I can push the Lone Peak 8 to 350 miles or extra.
A medial view of the Altra Lone Peak 8.
Altra Lone Peak 8 Outsole
Altra has maintained the MaxTrac outsole for the Altra Lone Peak 8. Though the outsole isn’t a Vibram or VJ stage rubber — the MaxTrac materials, mixed with the outsole design, serves the general function of the Lone Peak mannequin nicely. It gives safety and respectable sturdiness for efficiency on average technical terrain, particularly together with the Stoneguard rock plate. Nevertheless, the outsole rubber and design additionally permits the wearer to take this shoe out in town, backpacking, or in my case, donned for my area work days. It doesn’t must be overly built-up, aggressive, or cheesy.
Over the course of my overview miles for the each the Lone Peak 7 and Lone Peak 8, I discovered that the MaxTrac outsole gripped decently nicely on most of my runs. Though, I wouldn’t go for a strict highway run within the Lone Peak mannequin, the flex and traction enable the highway miles to stay gentle with fast turnover. They carried out nicely in sloppy moist circumstances and in snow with some seize.
I did discover that snow atop mud proved to be harder and extra care was wanted to maintain from slip sliding away, as was the identical with actually slick rocks in chilly, wet circumstances. In sum, the general grip is appropriate, which is abetted by the variety of multi-directional chevron lugs. During the last two Lone Peak iterations, there are extra lugs positioned on the midfoot for extra floor contact and safety whereas the lugs are sharper and tackle extra of that claw-like look that Altra advertises.
The outsole of the Altra Lone Peak 8.
Altra Lone Peak 8 Total Impressions
The Altra Lone Peak 8 stays prime of the record — as our favourite zero-drop shoe in our Finest Path Working Sneakers information — due to its superior versatility, reliability, and total consolation. It actually does encourage that feel-good sigh of reduction once you slip them on. They encourage motion.
The brand new Lone Peak 8’s refined higher modifications will seemingly preserve a core group of followers and maybe carry new path lovers and purposeful health movers into the fold. It’s an all-around respectable performer with resilient midsole foam and floor really feel. The Lone Peak 8 has each a breathable and protecting higher with appropriate traction beneath to make use of as a each day coach or hiker. I’d throw in a runnable 50k, speedwork, plyometric exercises, and on a regular basis life to the record of issues this shoe can do.
It’s a great reduction to know that Altra nonetheless designs sneakers with a low stack peak and 0 drop when the development of most working footwear appears to be stacking on the millimeters, foaming up air and beads for extreme cushion, and hoping to be tremendous — whereby the Lone Peak mannequin, constructed on performance and minimalism, is tremendous in its personal proper.
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A prime view of the Altra Lone Peak 8.
