The Altra Lone Peak 8 continues to be my go-to mountaineering shoe for tenting journeys once I don’t wish to haul something cumbersome. Don’t get me flawed — these footwear can do all of it, inside purpose, and are completely excellent for brief and mid-range hikes. I’ve now taken them all around the Elk Mountain Wilderness in Colorado and proceed to like their minimalist really feel.
These are super-lightweight, zero-drop path runners which can be nice for masking mileage at a faster tempo. I like them once I’m with my pup as a result of he normally desires to jog for a short while, however then additionally slows all the way down to sniff-inspect the whole lot he doesn’t normally encounter at residence.
The Lone Peak 8, like all Altras, has a extra pure match, with a roomy toebox designed to maintain ft comfy with the intention to transfer extra freely. At first look, they could look particularly huge up entrance, however that’s simply in order that your ft and toes can unfold out.
In brief: I’d advocate these footwear for shorter adventures the place you may wish to cowl extra floor shortly. The cushioning gained’t make you are feeling like your ft are within the lap of luxurious all day, however they’re scrappy and able to play within the wild.
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Light-weight -
Pure match with roomy toebox -
Tremendous-grippy outsole
Altra Lone Peak 8 Evaluation
Quick and Steep
On a latest journey to camp on the Taylor River exterior of Almont, Colo., I had tons of mountain biking deliberate. However I used to be bringing my greatest buddy (my canine), so I knew I’d additionally do at the least a couple of shorter hikes on trails round camp. I knew the Altra Lone Peak 8s could be the proper mountaineering footwear for the weekend.
These mountaineering footwear are straightforward to clip to a pack, straightforward to hold, dry shortly, and carry out simply in addition to a few of their extra substantial cousins within the mountaineering shoe world. As a result of they’re so light-weight, and have a zero drop, they positively have the minimalist really feel. However I’ve been shocked how typically I seize them over a extra cushioned shoe up to now few months.
And that is definitely greater than a stroll-around-the-block shoe. Earlier than bombing down Physician Park on a motorcycle, one of the vital well-liked mountain biking trails within the space, my pup and I hiked up it, which suggests some vital climbing on free, rocky terrain. We jogged the flats by the aspen forests, and bouldered up a couple of rocks for even higher views of the valley.
The MaxTrac rubber outsole is nice for grip on nearly any terrain. Regardless of the thinner sole, the power to maneuver on varied surfaces just isn’t missing.
How They Really feel
The ripstop mesh on the higher makes these footwear fast to dry in order that your ft are by no means sweaty. The roomy toebox is form of Altra’s bread and butter. Toes slot in a extra pure approach so that you simply’re not solely extra comfy however are additionally utilizing your full step in a extra pure approach. It is smart that these are path runners, as a result of the positioning of the foot is simply so comfy.
One other considered one of my favourite options of those footwear is the Velcro tab on the again of the shoe. It’s excellent for including gaiters when tackling trails with free pebbles or sand. With gaiters, these footwear would make a wonderful choose for romping round on sand dunes or exploring dusty desert trails. Altra makes its personal branded gaiters that match the Velcro tab completely.
I personally love the additional room within the toebox and the way in which my toes can actually unfold out. I’ve a little bit of a wider forefoot, so Altras all the time really feel like my ft aren’t being suffocated and may as a substitute breathe and chill out.
Go-To for Smaller Adventures
After I modified out of my Lone Peak 8s and into my mountain biking footwear for the second journey of the day, I form of wished to only hold the Lone Peaks on. And actually, in the event you run flat pedals and know you’ll be performing some hike-a-bike, that wouldn’t be a foul name.
Relying in your ft, these won’t be the go-to for an extended thru-hike, however they’re tremendous enjoyable for morning romps. I additionally like that they’re a bit trendy. I’d positively put on these round city after all of the adventures of the day are over and it’s time to hunt out pizza. The colour combos are sharp, and I really feel like they pair properly even with a pair of denims.
The Altra Lone Peak 8 made my choice for “greatest minimalist ladies’s mountaineering shoe” on Gear Junkie’s Greatest Climbing Sneakers for Girls information. These footwear will certainly keep in my rotation by the summer season and the autumn!