Altra Lone Peak 9 — tried, tested and reviewed
Weight: 328g (M), 264g (W)
Heel-toe drop: 0mm
Stack height: 25mm
Type: Trail
Altra Lone Peak 7
The shoe
When a shoe gets to its ninth iteration, it’s usually doing something right. That’s certainly the case with the Altra Lone Peak, a firm favourite among trail runners with a penchant for the longer stuff. Like the vast majority of the Altra stable, the Lone Peak 9 is a zero-drop shoe, meaning the heel and forefoot are the same height from the ground.
New to the latest version is a Vibram Megragrip outsole, designed to give the shoe some extra grip, and a ripstop mesh upper, designed for high-mileage durability. Both of these developments will likely please Lone Peak fans, as some previous iterations of the shoe have lacked in the grip and longevity departments.
Another welcome development is the availability of some more muted colourways, including a fully black pair. Given that trail shoes, at least in the UK, are likely to be quickly covered in mud, the recent preference among some brands for white/cream colourways has been a little frustrating. So credit to Altra for offering shoes that, from a sartorial perspective at least, are much more practical.
How does the Altra Lone Peak 9 fit?
As mentioned above, one of the things that sets Altra apart from the vast majority of shoe brands is its steadfast belief in the benefits of a zero-drop platform. For the uninitiated, this chiefly involves making it more likely that a runner lands on their midfoot rather than heel, something that some biomechanists believe is more efficient and less likely to result in some lower-leg injuries.
The other hallmark of Altra shoes is a roomy toebox, which allows toes to play on impact with the ground, and the Lone Peak 9 is no different. So while I’d say the shoe fits true to size lengthways, it provides much more room breadthways than most other shoes. As a fan of Altra, I’m used to this enhanced roominess, but it’s something to bear in mind if you’re new to the brand or have particularly narrow feet.
While the tongue and lacing system are comfortable and secure, I found that lacing the shoes in a heel-lock fashion (see video here for example) created the right locked-down feel. That’s something I’d recommend if you have thin ankles or are planning on taking the Lone Peak 9 through the kind of sticky mud that likes to gobble up running shoes.
What's the Altra Lone Peak like to run in?
After a few short, easy runs in the Lone Peak 9, I felt comfortable enough to give them a proper test: a 15-mile trail race on the South Downs Way at the end of January. Conditions were about as bad as I’ve ever encountered – gale-force winds, sleet, thick mud – and, as such, would've been a test for any shoe.
I have to say, the Lone Peak 9 coped extremely well. From a comfort perspective, like almost all Altras I’ve tried, the shoe scored highly without sacrificing ground feel. Even in sodden conditions, I felt no discomfort or hotspots while running in the Lone Peak 9 and wouldn’t hesitate to wear it for the marathon distance or beyond.
The new ripstop upper held up to the rugged terrain, too, and, after a thoroughly washing, it essentially looks as good as new.
The updated outsole, with the Vibram Megagrip, coped admirably well. On everything other than thick mud, it felt safe and secure. However, there’s no getting round the fact that a 4.5mm lug isn’t quite long enough to deal with the worst of what a British winter can throw at you. In such conditions, I’d have been better off in a 6mm or even 8mm lug, the kind provided by Inov8’s Trailtalon or Mudtalon, respectively.
RW verdict
In truly testing conditions, the Altra Lone Peak 9 proved itself a very capable trail shoe. Lone Peak fans will, I’m sure, welcome the improvements to the upper’s durability and the outsole’s grip, while the muted colourways will be enjoyed by trail runners despairing of the recent penchant for neon or even white off-road shoes.
From a fit and comfort perspective, the Lone Peak delivers in spades – but I’d personally recommend experimenting with a heel-lock lacing to get a truly locked-in feel.
If you’re a year-round trail runner with the budget for only one pair of trail shoes, I’d recommend going for something with a slightly deeper lug length, such as the excellent Inov8 Trailtalon. However, if most of your off-road running is going to be on drier trails, and you’re comfortable with a zero-drop feel, then the Altra Lone Peak 9 is truly summit to get excited about.
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