The Altra Lone Peak has long been a go to shoe for trail and ultra runners. The roomy toebox means plenty of space for the feet to work and the feel underfoot leaves runners steady. Let’s find out what the Lone Peak 9 brings to the table!
I’ve logged countless miles running and racing for years in the Altra Lone Peak. So, who better to put these trail shoes to the test?
The Lone Peak is their most popular model, so we like to hope that means they wouldn’t make any drastic changes on us.
It’s always a little nerve wracking when a favorite shoe gets an update, but we’re happy to report that the Lone Peak 9 still makes our hearts skip a beat.
Who Is It Good For?
Who is the Altra Lone Peak 9 a good fit for? Let’s break it down by some common categories:
- Wide feet: Plenty of space thanks to Altra’s signature FootShape design.
- Technical trails: There’s a good grip and a Stoneguard insert for added protection from rocky terrain, but your feet will feel it all.
- Long runs: It’s durable and will get you through many miles.
- Front of the Pack: Lightweight design makes it a great pick for race day!
It’s a great pick for the trail with balanced cushioning, excellent grip on loose rock and mud, and a super comfortable fit for wide feet!
No crazy changes here, just the same reliable trail shoe that so many runners love.
Altra Lone Peak 9 Review
If it’s not broken, don’t fix it, right? That’s why Altra made only a few small tweaks to the Lone Peak 9.
I found them comfortable right out of the box. With their Original FootShape Fit, this has one of the roomiest toe boxes of the brand, maybe even too much room for some runners. We’d go so far as to call this an extra wide toebox, which in this case also impacts the width through the midfoot. I personally love that extra width, but it won’t be for everyone.
Underfoot, it’s definitely not your max cushioned shoe, it’s middle of the road medium-cushion which is great for better ground feel! Altra updated the midsole EGO foam making it lighter and more comfortable underfoot.
If you’re looking for more cushion, the Altra Olympus is a great alternative. I tested it last year and was surprised to find out how much I enjoyed that cushion.
If you’re running on super rocky trails, you’ll feel everything underfoot. While these do come with that Stoneguard insert to help protect against feeling every little bump, it doesn’t make that much of a difference in my experience.
You can see that the outsole still uses traditional Altra MaxTrac lugs but this time with stickier material to improve the grip. Even with some tough climbs and muddy terrain, I found it to be a really solid ride from start to finish.
They have a 3.5mm lug which isn’t as deep as some shoes and yet they stick. I always found my footing to be really good across a variety of terrain. It’s another reminder of why I go back to this shoe again and again.
That being said, testing in the dessert, I did not have any super wet or slippery conditions to test in this time around. That’s been the one area where at times the shoe hasn’t lived up to what I’d hope.
The upper is made from 100% recycled ripstop mesh. It’s durable yet breathable, holding up great through rocks, mud, and everything in between. After 40 miles, they still looked fresh, which says a lot about their durability because I am NOT easy on shoes.
Another key factor for those training in sand, water or all those tiny pebbles is gaiter fit.
If you’re not familiar with what a gaiter is, it’s a lightweight fabric that you can throw on over your shoe covering your ankles to help keep out rocks and dirt. Altra tweaked the design so that you can easily attach a gaiter to the velcro hook on the heel of the Lone Peak 9.
The lace hook is now more hidden under the laces to keep them out of the way and secure. I tested it on a 20-mile long run, and the gaiter stayed in place, without any issues. Plus, no rocks or trail debris tagged along for the ride!
Man a good thing that just got better.
Lone Peak 9 Specs
There’s both the Lone Peak 9 and the Lone Peak 9 Waterproof, these are the basic specs:
- Weight: 11.15 oz Men’s, 9.3 oz Women’s
- Heel drop: 0mm
- Stack Height: 25mm
- Usage: Trail running and hiking
- 7 colors
- Available in wide for some colors
- Available on altrarunning.com for $140
The pink and grey color combo also helped to hide some of the dirt so that the shoe didn’t look beat up after a few runs. Don’t worry if pink doesn’t catch your eye, there’s a handful of colorways to pick from.
They’ve been keeping updates pretty minimal year after year, but we hope that next year there’s something BIG to report with the outsole.
Lone Peak 9 Fit
If you’re familiar with Altra, you know their trail shoes stand out with a unique zero drop design, meaning there are no changes from heel to toe. If that’s not something you’re used to, you’ll want to ease into this shoe to avoid any hot spots or discomfort.
The design features extra eyelets in the midfoot to help lock things. But, if you have narrow feet, the fit might just be too roomy even after adjusting the lacing. There’s nothing worse than having to call a run because of a blister!
The tongue is attached midway down inside, so no sliding around and it’s just lightly padded to make sure it’s comfortable as you secure the lacing. Same goes for the lightly padded heel which was comfortable and the big pull tab on the back is fine if you’re wearing trail socks.
Similar Shoes to Altra Lone Peak 9
All right so the width has you questioning if it’s the right option, here are some comparable trail running shoes:
- Topo Ultraventure 4 – Wide toe box and 5mm drop
- Saucony Peregrine – Similar for grip, but a more narrow fit all over
- Altra Timp 5 – Not so extra wide and same great grip
These are a great option for both training runs and trail races if you’re comfortable with a zero-drop shoe. In fact, I’m planning to use them for part of an upcoming 100K race.
Hopefully this Altra Lone Peak 9 review gave you some insights to know if this is your next go to option!
If you want to learn more about other Altra trail running shoes, we’ve got you covered!
Check out Best Altra Running Shoes + What Makes Them Unique >>
Who Tried It
Coach Laura, as we refer to her from being part of the RTTF running coach team, has run more trail miles than most folks have run period! I recently completed a 48 hour run in fact, just to test myself with something new! Many of my miles are done in the desert, but I also spend a good chunk of time on trails throughout humid Hawaii.
We hope that this Altra Lone Peak 9 review helps if you’ve been on the fence about trying out a zero drop trail shoe.
Looking for more trail talk?
- Our picks for Best Trail Running Shoes
- 10 Trail Running Tips and Tricks to Avoid Big Issues
- 9 Best Trail Running Shoes
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