Sounds like to me, when our hiking days are over, we could possibly persue long-distance swimming, with our newly acquired wider feet.

beginning of video...."well i know my feet haven't changed over the years, so it's obviously the shoes"....later in the video "year after year of hiking your feet will begin to widen and adapt"

Isn’t it sad? They used to be the best shoes made.

Looks to me that you used them past their peak use. Also sounds like you’re complaining way too much. I’ve never had an issue with any of my Altras. To each their own…

So here we are 2022.. What shoe have u been wearing??? I'm about to switch my Salomon to Innov8 Trailtalon 290 V2. Curious what you found..

As someone with feet issues I advocate taking more than one pair. Something like the lone-peak, for more difficult terrain. A more minimum shoes for general use. And a very light minimal shoe for multiple uses. As a camp shoe. A water crossing shoe. As a dry pair when the others are wet. As an emergency pair if the others are wet and frostbite is a risk. Or in case one of the others fail, fall apart. The extra weight of the two lighter pairs is very minimal and worth it for me. Typically I start the day in the most minimal pair possible for the conditions. My feet will fatigue after a few hours at which point I swap out for a heavier pair. Again, this is what works best for my feet, and whole body for that matter. Give it a try boys and girls 😉

Find a shoe that fits all aspects of your foot. What someone loves, someone else hates. Find what works for you.

Giving the number on the lonepeak shoes would have been nice.

Hey Jupiter. Have you ever tried the Altra Timp? I've used the Lone Peak 2.5, 3.0, and I did not like the 3.5, so went back to the 3.0 on my PCT Thru Hike, then made the switch to the Timp 1.0 when it came out. And now I'm currently rocking the Timp 1.5. Love it! It is reminiscent of the original Lone Peaks with the wide toe box. I don't see myself going back to the Lone Peaks.

Hi Jupiter, It’s funny, I’ve had the same experience with Altras. I miss my Lone Peak 1.0’s! I too tried the Superior’s and then went back to Lone Peaks for my AZT thru-hike. When I was just about to give up I tried the Altra Timp’s. They are awesome in my opinion. Just the right amount of cushion for thru-hiking and they feel like the early version of Altras with a generous toe box. Now I train in my Luna Mono’s and thru-hike in Timps. Maybe give them a try.

If you want to compare the sizing of the shoe internally the best way I've found is to compare their insoles. Just pop it out, put them back to back and you can see the fit. You can also place your bare foot on the insole to see exactly where any width issues are.

I've been through 12 pairs of Altras, 10 of them the Lone Peaks. You're absolutely right, they changed a lot (women's versions even worse, very narrow, so I use men's), 4.0s are actually wider, the fabric is thinner too, like in the Superiors. I'd like to try something else too if I could find it...

My first pair were the red ones you showed. 2.5's? That version was slightly loose fitting but, then the Lone Peak 3.0 came out and it fit perfect. Another shoe that's really good is the Xero TerraFlex. They have a really nice fit system. I also change all my trail shoes to speed lacing. Its easier to get that all around snug fit. Injinji merino wool toe socks too.

I had a very similar experience with the Lone Peak 3.5. However, for me, the Superior 4 work very well.

I surprisingly enjoyed the Superior 4’s. Did a whole tough mudder in them and they did really well. Still running in the same pair and all is well. Only flaw in my opinion is the ridiculously long laces.

Im training for my first long distance hike and I hike essentially barefoot in minimalist sandals. I couldn’t even do 10 mile hikes at first because my feet hurt so bad but after a few months a 10 mile hike feels normal again. That minimalist footwear is definitely strengthening my footwork and muscles. When i put on my altras its like walking on a cloud now lol

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the subject. Getting the correct pair of shoes is such a matter of personal preference, and personal requirement. There are a few who hike barefoot, or with sandals, and complete the long trails. They don't have issues with their feet. On the other end of the spectrum there are hikers who hike in traditional hiking boots, and do long distances with heavy packs, have done so for years, and are happy. Like everything in backpacking it's important to hike your own hike. One comment noted that large companies change factories often. They do it to save a dollar a pair, or even twenty five cents a pair. You would think that they want to keep the quality up, but they want to balance quality with profit, with profit being the most important factor.

Altra 3.0 is the golden shoe in my opinion. I just went through my last pair... I recently purchased the superior 4.0 and ran into the same problem! I have returned that shoe and purchased the Lone Peak 4.0. What I have done is take out the insole on the Lone Peak 4.0 and that has been my solution for the time being. Flying out to Colorado on June 22nd and starting my thru of the CT on June 24th. and using my Lone Peak 4.0's with no insoles!

That's a really relatable problem, from a runner's point of view. I run marathons myself, and have experienced the same thing.. you had a go-to shoe for years, but suddenly, the next version is different. I was like: 'keep your dirty restyling hands off of my shoe!' But unfortunately, shoes are like fashion, now, for some reason, and companies try to reinvent something every year. Which wouldn't be a problem if they actually improved shoes (as far as that is possible anyway), but... the way I heard it is that because they now need annual updates (because that is what the competititon does, adding an extra layer here or new stability thingy there), there is no longer enough time to wait for all the reviews coming in to hear what works and what doesn't. So they re-invent the shoe without knowing exactly what to keep and what to get rid of, making it a hit or miss kind of thing.... That would be okay if they renamed the shoe and kept making the old one as well, but that's now how it works, apparently. Annoying as hell. Anyway - regarding switching shoe types for races - for me that depends on the race. I run in three different types of shoes. The minimal kind are lighter and faster, so for short races, like a 5K, the average kind I can use for anything up to a half marathon, but I use my heavy shoes with lots of cushioning for my marathons. The impact of walking is different of course, but I can imagine the cushioning feels good. Just follow your own advice and don't start your long hikes without letting your feet get used to the different shoe. There is another bonus of training on different types of shoes as well: since they are all slightly different, there is a difference in which muscles are trained most, so your muscles develop more evenly, and that helps when you get tired: tired muscles get support from muscles you normally don't use that much, so if you manage to train those by using different shoes (go for different brands as well!), it could help. Or so I am told, anyway. Hope that info is useful for someone.

Try taking the insoles out. That made my Superior 3.5's fit perfectly.