Altra Lone Peak 9+ GTX Review

A couple weeks ago Altra sent me a pair of their new Lone Peak 9+ GTX shoes to test out and review.  They are on Expert Voice and the test program was through EV.  I live in the Foothills of Colorado and do a mix of treadmill, road and trail running.  This time of year trail running can be tough.  I will run in the cold, but I'm hesitant to run on overly icy or wet trails.  There is nothing worse than soaked feet with the temperatures are below freezing.  

The Lone Peak 9+ GTX is the Vibram sole version of their Lone Peak waterproof series.  It has Gore Tex to keep your feet dry, Vibram soles for grip, Altra EGO midsole foam, GaiterTrap tabs to attach a gaiter and Altra Foot Shape, which provides a roomy toe box.  

Check out Altra Lone Peak at Scheels

Ironically, the two weeks I had to test the shoes was mostly dry and snow free, unusual for Colorado this time of year.  I tried a couple National Forest trails that are usually full of snow in December, but unfortunately just found a couple really small patches.  Although I wasn't able to test the shoes out in wet conditions, I still logged about 35 miles in them over the two weeks.  

First off, I noticed that the Vibram soles gave excellent traction.  From gravel, to dirt, singletrack, rocks, technical terrain and pavement, I never had an issue with traction.  My foot stuck every time I put it down.  I also noticed that the Gore Tex kept my feet a little more warm in 40 F weather, without causing extra sweating in the 60 + degree weather that we also had.  I will definitely hang on to these shoes and continue to use them in the winter and spring when getting wet feet could cause an issue in lower temps.

Something new for me was wearing a shoe with zero drop and a little less padded.  This shoe is designed that way, so it isn't necessarily a negative, but something that should be considered if you don't have experience with zero drop.  I noticed that my calves tended to burn a little more on some of the steeper climbs that I did, I'm assuming in part to the angle of my foot on the incline without that built in drop.  I also noticed that the lower level of cushion led to a little more foot discomfort on longer runs.  I also noticed that the first couple times on the pavement that I ran to get to gravel was a little jarring without the extra padding.  

Neither of those are a deal breaker and for some athletes it may be what they are looking for.  I will continue to use these shoes on runs in cold, wet or muddy conditions.  I may switch to a more padded shoes for long trail runs, but for my average run length, these work well.

I received this product for free in exchange for my honest review.