Altra Lone Peak 8 Review
This week our Altra Lone Peak 8 review explores Altra’s original running shoe! It’s the shoe that launched the brand and the one shoe in their range that has stuck to the brand’s original concepts and beliefs. Essentially the Altra Lone Peak 8 is a trail shoe that allows your feet to function naturally, whilst offering some protection from the ground and a bit of grip.
Altra’s originators worked out that the running shoes of the time where restricting foot function and promoting heel striking, which was causing a lot of injuries. They designed a shoe that gave the runner’s feet the space to spread on impact and allowed the runner to land mid-foot and load the foot correctly. Because this concept allows your feet to get stronger and your ankles, knees, hips and lower back to function correctly, it helped fix and prevent a lot of running related injuries and has become a very popular shoe.
A lot has changed in the running shoe market since the inception of the Altra Lone Peak to our review of the 8th version. Running shoes got rockers to help reduce heel strike and a lot of the cushioning is super soft, so you can’t feet the floor. Plus we even have shoes that have carbon fibre plates in to help spring the runner forward and make them run quicker. Although all these shoes may have a place in your rotation of running shoes, none of them allow your feet to function as much as a Lone Peak. So, none of them work with your body’s natural movement patterns. This means that none of them will help your feet, and the rest of your running body get fitter and stronger.
The Lone Peak 8, like all previous Lone Peaks uses Altra’ Original last. This is the last that has the most width and volume to give your feet the most room to function. Altra has two other lasts. The Original fit is the one that most runners find exceptionally comfortable. The quote we hear a lot is that “they are as comfortable as my slippers”. If you have been running in shoes that haven’t allowed your feet to spread on impact and your everyday shoes are also narrow then you are likely to feel that the Altra Original last is quite roomy. Often runners who’s feet have been restricted find that their feet don’t spread on impact initially. They have to learn to function again. This relearning doesn’t usually take long but is the reason that it’s a good idea to gradually increase the time you spend in the shoes, alternating with your current shoes. Your feet and lower legs will then get used to functioning again without getting overloaded.
Lone Peak lovers will be relieved to learn that the Lone Peak 8 is still very similar to Lone Peak 7. Notably the upper has had a durability upgrade.
The heel cup of the Lone Peak 8 is lightly padded around the cuff. There is no plastic re-enforcement so the heel cup can take the shape of your heel. This gives the Lone Peak 8 a nice snug fit. The tongue is also lightly padded to add to the comfort of the shoes and gusseted to reduce the chance of debris getting in and to stop the tongue from moving around. There are overlays hidden in the upper that the laces thread through. When laced up this allows the upper to be pulled in around the foot to give a snug fit around the midfoot. The toe box is broad, rounded and roomy. The correct loading of the foot in a roomy toe box stretches the planta fascia on the bottom of your foot. This is like a big elastic band that absorbs the shock while it is being loaded and then recoils to spring you forward. There is no shaping in the arch of the foot. This is so that your arch can compress and stretch out the Planta-Fascia. This function of your feet inside the shoes allows your feet to get stronger which not only makes them injury resistant but will also help you run quicker with less effort.
The Lone Peak 8 has a 25mm-25mm stack height using Altra’s Ego midsole. Like the majority of Altra’s shoes there is no heel to toe drop. This encourages a more midfoot strike and allows the feet and lower legs to work naturally. The midsole material is Altra’s Ego. This offers a firm responsive feel. Softer midsoles don’t stimulate the feet as much. The Lone Peak 8 is all about a natural ride. If you prefer a softer feeling shoe then you could consider the Altra Timp 5 which is a 29mm stack height and used Altra Ego Max in the midsole, which is slightly softer. Although not so soft that it stops your feet from knowing they have touched the ground. The Timp 5 can be used on majority hard terrain and even parts on the road.
The Altra Lone Peak 8 has a good level of flexibility. This also helps your feet function inside the shoes and together with the straight big toe line allows for a strong toe off. The feet are protected from the ground by a stone guard built into the midsole and the firmness of the midsole. Runners wanting to run more naturally in a ‘barefoot’ style trail running shoe end up finding a compromise between ‘barefoot’ and that total ground feel allowing you to be super nimble and skip over rocks and tree roots and the need for underfoot protection, because it can hurt! The Lone Peak 8 still has a lot of underfoot feel and is flexible enough to be nimble but has a good level of underfoot protection, which allows it to be used for long runs and walks. The Altra Lone Peak is a popular through-hiking shoe in the US and has been used by many runners for 100 mile ultra distance races. The advantage of using shoes that allow your feet to function for longer outings is that your feet swell much less. This is because the natural function of the foot pumps the lymph around the body and it doesn’t pool in your feet causing them to expand. This reduces blisters and generally sore or rubbed feet.
The outsole is made from Altr’a Maxtrac rubber. This is designed to offer a good level of traction in both wet and dry conditions. The softer the rubber, the stickier it is and the better traction you get on wet rocks. However, very soft rubber wears down quickly. Maxtrac offers a good compromise between grip on wet surfaces and durability. To improve durability on the Altra Lone Peak 7 the outsole lugs where reinforced under the big toe just at the point of push off. The Lone Peak 8 has the same outsole so will be equally as durable as the Lone Peak 7.
For most runners the Altra Lone Peak 8 will be an out-and-out trail shoe. A few lovers of firmer shoes will use them partly on the road with no issue. Hard packed tracks and trails are where the Lone Peak feels at home. The lugs are too short and not designed to be used effectively in the deepest mud. Although they are nimble enough to allow you to skip over and around muddy sections without a problem. On a wet sloppy camber the lugs aren’t deep enough to bite, so expect to slide around. This is the same for all trail running shoes that have 4mm lugs. The advantage the Lone Peak 8 has over others is that the flexible, natural ride allows you to be more nimble in sections of mud.
The Altra Lone Peak 8 is available in regular and wide. The wider fit isn’t wider at the base, but more volumous in the upper, but most will enjoy the regular fit that already has a roomy toe box. All women’s Altra running shoes are made with a special last designed to fit the anatomical differences of women’s feet compared to mens.
Being such a popular shoe for everything from short trail runs to ultramarathons and multi-day hikes, the range was expanded to a weatherproof version and a weatherproof boot version. These keep out most of the water and allow the feet to not overheat. They are windproof and warmer than the mesh upper version, ideal for wet or winter use.
There is a Velcro gaiter trap on the heel of the Lone Peak 8. Together with the eyelet in the laces this allows you to attach a gaiter to make the shoes more weather resistant and/or stop debris from getting into the shoes.
In summary the Altra Lone Peak is regularly the most comfortable pair of shoes I own. The Lone Peak 8 offers the same level of comfort, foot function and underfoot protection as previous versions but now with an upper durability upgrade and a higher recycled content.
Other Considerations to the Lone Peak 8
Topo Pursuit: These are Topo’s answer to the Lone Peak. Zero drop with a broad rounded toe box. They are stiffer and offer a slightly less natural ride. The stack is 28mm which makes them a bit more cushioned but, the cushioning is still firm and responsive in order to stimulate foot function. The midfoot is narrower which gives more support to the arch but, reduces how much the arch can compress. So, the ride isn’t quite a natural as the Lone Peaks but if you prefer more support in the midfoot then these would be worth considering. The lugs are 6mm long and well spaced out. They are also made from Vibram Mega Grip which is a softer more sticky rubber. In our experience these have better traction in the mud. Although not enough to make them a cross country racing shoe.
https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/topo-athletic-pursuit-review/
Nnormal Kjerag: 3.5 mm lugs make these a shoe for dry days. The straight big toe line and firmer feel to the cushioning gives them a similar nimble feel to the Lone Peak. Although they aren’t as flexible and so the level of foot function is lower. The nitrogen infused midsole offers more underfoot protection. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/nnormal-kjerag-review/
La Sportiva Jackal II: A good level of ground feel but, a bit more cushion than the Lone Peak makes these better for road to trail use. The grip is similar although the rubber is a little stickier. Straight big toe allows for a good strong toe off. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/la-sportiva-jackal-ii-boa-review/
Hoka Torrent 3: A firmer more responsive feel to the cushioning than the average Hoka shoe. The Torrent is a good all round trail shoe. A narrower fit than the Lone Peak with a more pointed toe box reduces foot function. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/hoka-torrent-3-review/
Icebug Capra: A straight big toe line gives a good push off. The rubber is more sticky, more durable and has a deeper lug. The Capra isn’t as flexible so the ride isn’t as natural but, the firm feel to the cushioning gives good ground feel. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/icebug-capra-review/
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