Altra Lone Peak 2.0 Trail-Running Shoe (Fall 2014)

11.4 oz / 0mm drop / $120

The Dirt: Altra has made several upgrades from the Lone Peak 1 and 1.5, improving fit (less slop) through the midfoot, doing away with the heel “rudder” (which we never felt served a functional purpose) and saddling the midsole with a little more cush. The tread, too, is more aggressive than previous versions and perhaps the first Altra offering to really shine on technical trails.

A handy rip-and-stick panel on the outside of each heel allows for built-in compatibility with gaiters (sold separately). The tightly woven upper fends off debris but compromises some breathability.

Best For: Wide-footed runners; all terrain from gravel roads to muddy singletrack; any distance up to 100 miles, including multi-day adventures.

Fit: The Lone Peak 2.0 runs wide and a half-size short.

Tester Raves

• “They are super lightweight while also being pretty cushy. Like running on marshmallows, in Crocs. I LOVE the built-in Velcro to attach my Dirty Girl gaiters.”
  –Steph Jeffries
• “I love the midsole in these shoes. Whatever Altra used in the 2.0 is a welcome change from all previous Altras, with a really nice balance between cushion and responsiveness. I also appreciate that the 2.0s host a small toe bumper, but no extra and unnecessary protection around the front of the shoe.”
  –Ben Luedke
• “This shoe is built for the long haul. With its “foot-shaped” toebox, zero-drop platform dn cushy midsole, it is hard to come by a shoe that’s more comfortable. If you have miles of trail ahead of you and you value comfort over weight, look no further. This shoe is for you!”
  –Brad Williams

Testers on Fit

• “The toebox is nice and wide. I have a hard time going back to other shoes after wearing these because my toes feel constricted in any traditional tapered toeboxes of other brands. It seems like it might run a bit small compared to my previous Altras, though. My toes hit the front of the toebox.”
  –Lauren Arnold
• “The Lone Peaks are overly generous in the forefoot, enough that my feet slid forward on some of the descents. I may have been able to fix this with lacing, though I prefer to keep my laces fairly loose. I needed the toes to be narrower and I could not adjust that with the laces without squinching the forward part of the shoe pulling the tension through the arch. [But] I’d love to try these out on a longer distance trail run. If the comfort and cushioning continue over a longer distance, I could see them accommodating the need for larger shoes as your feet swell during ultra-distance races.”
  –Steph Jeffries
• “I think the fit is an improvement over the last version. They seem to have dialed it in a bit more. You still have the famous Altra toebox, but it doesn’t feel as sloppy as the last version.”
  –Brad Williams

Testers on Tread

• “I like the ground feedback your foot gets in these shoes and I think it is a great choice for technical trails and steep ups and downs.”
  –Lauren Arnold
• “For my short, technical trail runs, these were very comfortable. The moderate tread did not slip on loose cobble, roots or sand (all dry). I was able to tiptoe around all manners of trail hazards, including some fast, steep, twisting descents, without catching a toe and stumbling.”
  –Steph Jeffries
• “I was surprised to find that the tread, while very grippy on soft and hard earth, was actually slippery on dry rock. ”
  –Ben Luedke
• “I really love the tread on these shoes. They shed mud perfectly, grip on hard pack, handle steep downhills with ease and yet the shoe is surprisingly comfortable on pavement. While they handle a variety of terrain really well, they are more suited to technical dry trails than mud or loose rock.”
  –Brad Williams
• “The aggressive tread pattern is really phenomenal. No other Altra model has ever had an outsole with this level of traction. The tame lug pattern was one complain I had about the Lone Peak 1 and 1.5, so the more aggressive tread was exciting to see.”
  –Lou Brenner

Testers on Downsides

• “There’s really only one thing I don’t like about these shoes. They are heavy! I think Altra could keep the same outsole and midsole so you don’t lose any of that cushion and protection but cut a lot of weight in the uppers and the result would be more of a performance-based shoe. It seems like Altra went out of their way to add bulky, heavy materials to the upper for no reason. Not to mention all that padding in the heel and tongue.”
  –Brad Williams
• “After two weeks of running, the upper is separating from the midsole on the medial side of one of the shoes.”
  –Lou Brenner