While on the topic of the outsole, the Altra Lone Peak 6 has a tremendous 8mm of rubber underfoot. Bearing in mind that the average is 3.7mm, that is a ton of material.

The Lone Peak was the pioneer of their brand. The true OG. It is one of the few that is reminiscent, almost unchanged, over ten iterations! A good portion of Altra’s cult following (that we often refer to) goes right for this shoe.

The upper on the Lone Peak 6 has a tightly woven airmesh base panel underneath a combination of laminated and stitched overlays for structure and protection. Dom: As Canice lays out in detail above, Altra have done a great job in updating the upper of the Lone Peak, and trimming a ton (about an ounce per shoe) of excess weight. This is very welcome news, as I’ve long complained about the weight of the Lone Peak. If you’re using the LP as a hiking shoe (for which it is mysteriously popular) or a training shoe, then weight might be a minor concern – secondary to durability. But as a race shoe, the LP has sadly not been competitive in years. Dom: Over time, the Lone Peak has had its ups and downs. The earliest shoes were clunky, and version 3 was the first iteration that felt secure enough and light enough to race. Since then, I’ve never really felt that Altra have been able to recreate the success. 3.0 was a great shoe, but had durability issues. 3.5 improved on upper durability, but too much stretch for good foothold. 4.0 performed better but weighed a ton. 4.5 lightened the shoe slightly, but compromised foothold. 5.0 was oversized all around, and felt floppy on the foot. In the meantime, the competition has become hotter (including from Altra’s other models), and the Lone Peak has felt ‘left behind’. Please read on to see which paths the latest edition took. While some runners love having extra space, some reviewers feel this shoe offers a little too much. TAYLOR: If natural is what you’re looking for, natural is what you’ll get with the Lone Peak 6. As with all past iterations, a roomy zero-drop experience awaits you. I’ve just been informed about Altra’s three varieties of foot-shaped lasts. The Lone Peak sits (and has always been) on the last with the most volume — classic. It is the same last you will find in shoes like the Altra Escalante and Olympus series. It truly gives the most room in any toe box I have experienced and is unrestrictive throughout the foot. If you are an original Altra fan, this is the fit you seek.

The 6.0 is coming in a bit larger than its predecessors, so if you were a size 10 in the Lone Peak 5.0 , there’s a chance you might have to drop to a 9.5 in the Lone Peak 6.0. Dom: Altra makes great running shoes, but they are generally better training shoes than race shoes. Altra never seem to have paid much attention to weight, and their generously sized toe box has traded off foot retention for comfort and toe splay. Altra’s sponsored athletes must look enviously at competing brands that provide more cushion at lighter weight, and shoes that are designed for racing. Consequently, I was delighted and impressed that Altra finally put the Lone Peak on a long-overdue diet. Canice: As mentioned before I would like to feel a bit more pop or spring under foot but this is subjective and each person will have their own opinion. For me, if Altra can improve this, I think the Lone Peak would set a new standard for distance trail running shoes. Even with a bed of soft cushioning and a host of protective features, the Lone Peak 6 remains lightweight and nimble. Despite the length fitting perfectly, I wondered if Altra’s “Original Footshape” fit — their widest-profile shoe — would end up being too wide for my foot, and possibly affect the stability of the shoe or heighten the torque on some part of my lower limbs. Out of the box, the toebox is quite spacious, both in respect to width and height, but the laces extend far enough forward that I was able to cinch down the forefoot enough to condense the excess room for a secure fit there. Despite the width being slightly overkill for my narrower feet, I was still very willing to give this shoe a try because, while I think of my feet as medium-to-low volume, the potential benefits from a wider toebox on longer runs seemed appealing, especially considering how my feet seem to swell almost a full size after a few hours of running.

Upper

The shoe fits true to size with a tight heel cup. Altra’s unique selling point has always been the unique footprint of their shoe that follows the foot shape more naturally (alongside their zero drop). Lone Peak 5. Of note the use of additional stitching from the Lone Peak 6 and the use of heavier overlays on the Lone Peak 5.