Tim Savage
Summit Camper
First Impressions
For those of you with a keen interest in the big three American long trails (the Pacific Crest, the Appalachian and the Continental Divide Trails) you will be aware of the never ending debate on equipment including hiking footwear. For a number of years the most regularly talked about hiking shoe was the Brooks Cascadia but over the past couple of years this shoe has lost some of the gloss associated with it and a range of other footwear has emerged.
One of the up and comers, at least in Australia, is the Altra Lone Peak 3.0. While this shoe has been around for a while it never quite managed to tick all the boxes going through a number of reincarnations before finally coming up with a formula that has grabbed the imagination of many long distance hikers. As someone planning to do some long trails over the next few years, I was willing to at least give this shoe a try to see what the fuss is about.
Over the next few months I will put these shoes through their paces and do a full review but having worn these now for just on two weeks, including on a 29 km walk, I thought I would provide my first impressions so here goes.
Good points
Possible suppliers
Wild Earth At the time of writing this article Wild Earth had the cheapest Altra lone Peak 3.0 shoes
Wildfire At the time of writing this article Wildfire had the best range of sizes (up to size 15 US mens) for the Altra lone Peak 3.0 shoes. They also have an excellent exchange policy which means if you get the sizing wrong they will gladly exchange them at their expense (the first time)
Altra Lone Peak 3.0 side view
Altra Lone Peak 3.0 viewed from the top
Altra Lone Peak 3.0 bottom view
https://australianhiker.com.au/gear/altra-lone-peak-3-0-mens-shoe/
For those of you with a keen interest in the big three American long trails (the Pacific Crest, the Appalachian and the Continental Divide Trails) you will be aware of the never ending debate on equipment including hiking footwear. For a number of years the most regularly talked about hiking shoe was the Brooks Cascadia but over the past couple of years this shoe has lost some of the gloss associated with it and a range of other footwear has emerged.
One of the up and comers, at least in Australia, is the Altra Lone Peak 3.0. While this shoe has been around for a while it never quite managed to tick all the boxes going through a number of reincarnations before finally coming up with a formula that has grabbed the imagination of many long distance hikers. As someone planning to do some long trails over the next few years, I was willing to at least give this shoe a try to see what the fuss is about.
Over the next few months I will put these shoes through their paces and do a full review but having worn these now for just on two weeks, including on a 29 km walk, I thought I would provide my first impressions so here goes.
Good points
- They’re light! At 736 grams for a pair of size 14 US they make my current go to shoe the Salomon XA 3D Pro look heavy
- They have loads of cushioning which makes it feel like you are walking on air. Even after doing a 29 km walk on concrete and bitumen my feet were happy
- The shoe shape matches as far as it is possible your foot shape so they tend to be square shaped and a bit broader at the front but snugger at the back allowing your toes room to move and expand
- ‘Zero Drop’. Traditional running shoes tend to be higher at the back than at the front, typically 12-15 mm. These shoes provide a level platform. It felt strange when I put these on because they noticeably changed my walking style. I felt much more upright. The manufacture recommends wearing these shoes in, the shoes are fine but you need to be able to get used to the shoes from a biomechanical perspective so in reality you are wearing your body in. It took me about a week to get used to them
- They have been built to take Dirty Girl Gaiters, having a small loop at the front and built in velcro at the back. If you’re going minimalist then this is the type of gaiter you are likely to be wearing
- They have very good traction on dry unstable slopes and reasonable traction in muddy conditions
- They breathe well so you feet don’t overheat
- The sizing is all over the place. If you compare the size charts of Altra shoes compared to other manufacturers such as Merrell, Keen and Salomon its almost impossible to work out the sizing. The websites suggest buying one size larger than you normally would but I purchased a size 14 US (my normal size) rather than a size 15 US and as far as I can tell they are 1/2 size smaller and so far they fit me reasonably well
- Breathability has a down side regardless of the manufacturer. I did a short hike in heavy rain and ended up with damp feet but I can say the same for any shoe that provides breathability
Possible suppliers
Wild Earth At the time of writing this article Wild Earth had the cheapest Altra lone Peak 3.0 shoes
Wildfire At the time of writing this article Wildfire had the best range of sizes (up to size 15 US mens) for the Altra lone Peak 3.0 shoes. They also have an excellent exchange policy which means if you get the sizing wrong they will gladly exchange them at their expense (the first time)
Altra Lone Peak 3.0 side view
Altra Lone Peak 3.0 viewed from the top
Altra Lone Peak 3.0 bottom view
https://australianhiker.com.au/gear/altra-lone-peak-3-0-mens-shoe/
