Great all-day underfoot protection is not the only thing you’re getting with the Olympus. All-day comfort is coming from the topside too. An engineered mesh upper provides a soft feel and great breathability. The Olympus 4 has a new thin gusseted tongue that provides a noticeably better fit and another comfortable touch. The reinforced lace cage and flat laces do an excellent job securing the foot. I felt stable on downhills and cornering. Jeff is the token slow runner of the RTR lineup as such his viewpoints on shoe and gear can differ from those who routinely finish marathons in three hours or less. Jeff runs 40 miles per week, both roads and desert trails in Phoenix, Arizona. He has a PR's of 4:07 marathon and 5K at 23:39. In December he raced his first 50 mile trail ultra .

What is lost in responsiveness is easily made up for in comfort. The sidewalls are constructed with just enough padding, in just the right spots, and the tongue's low profile all add up to an amazing feel. That combined with the plush cushion of the sole makes for a shoe you just don't want to take off.

The Good

After my first run in the Olympus 4.0, I was sold on the shoe as a solid option for any trail conditions. All that ‘white’ is just foam, not rubber. It doesn’t grip at all when wet, which takes some getting used to. But hey, look at the rubber after 700 miles. Pretty good shape. In Altra's trail running line, Lone Peak's are the closest you get to a typical trail running shoe and hence a safer choice than the Olympus and is probably a better option for beginner folks. Fit: Unsurprisingly, the Olympus’s are great for hikers who prefer a toe box that’s on the roomy side. That’s what the trademarked Altra Footshape is all about. Personally, I also prefer the high-volume fit for hiking even though I have low-volume feet. Let those tootsies spread, smoosh, and swell.

Some may chalk up the Olympus 5’s updates as purely cosmetic, like an underhanded attempt to lure customers into upgrading their shoes for the sake of staying up to date with the newest-looking model. I’m sure many shoe companies are guilty of this ploy, it’s not exactly an original grift after all, but I think Altra is innocent in this case. The Olympus 5’s restructured upper, specifically its sturdier heel collar, gusseted tongue, and gentle engineered mesh, demonstrate the brand’s willingness to smooth out the remaining wrinkles left in the highly-regarded Olympus 4. Thankfully, the shoe isn’t terribly heavy, which was a pleasant surprise to me given the amount of cushion and the sturdy heel cup/toe cap that the Olympus 4.0 brings to the table.I wanted to make this clear before we get to compare these two products because cushioning would be my single most important criteria when deciding between them - although joint health shouldn't be counted as a criteria.

Enter the Altra Olympus 4, a shoe that’s as hulking as it sounds and ready to handle the fire of the gods. Like many of Altra’s 2020 lineup, the Olympus 4 sports a new and fresh look. It’s even been featured on Hypebeast, which you know would’ve been insane for any Altra shoe three years ago. That said, it is one of the few models that retains some of its classic technology. So, if you have been in the Altra cult since the beginning, listen up. With the all-new Olympus 5, Altra faces the paradox any successful footwear maker is eventually faced with: always and forever compelled to produce the “new,” how does a brand update / reinvent a winning model — in this case the Olympus 4 — to a degree that doesn’t completely ruin its design but does enough to warrant its update in the first place? The ideal answer: with tact. Like the Lone Peak, the Olympus is designed with Altra’s “Original” fit, which happens to be their roomiest. Of course, everybody’s feet are different, so calling this a good thing would be absolutely ridiculous. However, generally, I think that more space is conducive to foot wellbeing over long distances as they swell and spread throughout the day, weeks, and months. If you like the fit of Lone Peak’s, then the Olympus will probably work for you too. Comfort Nothing that I experienced in any subsequent runs in the Olympus 4.0s did anything to diminish my opinions about the viability of the shoe either.The grooves also help drop weight on the Olympus (.3 oz from the previous model). My men’s 10.5 weighs in at 12.2 ounces, which, for the amount of trail protection you are getting, is pretty reasonable. There really isn’t a limit on how far you can go with these as long as you’re on appropriate terrain. TAYLOR: Max cushion on the trails is pretty much owned by a singular company that provides ample top-notch options. If you run, we don’t have to tell you who (but yeah we’re talking about HOKA). But let it be known¬– “they” are not the only ones slayin’ the game as of late. Innerflex grooves in the midsole give more flexibility for a better running experience. Though it is indeed big, the Olympus rolls very smoothly through each stride at low-to-moderate paces. The plush cushion of the sole makes the Olympus 4.0 less responsive than one would hope. Some of the energy return is eaten up in the sponginess, but of course, this isn't really a shoe for taking to the races. Comfort for days!