high cushion shoes…trail opinions?

Altra Olympus and Lone Peaks here. Walking, not running.

No issues with stack height in the OLympus on any sort of terrain – off-camber game trails, crosscountry over bunch-grass, rocks, and logs.

The Olympus don't have much tread, so ball bearings-on-hardpack is a little sketchy. (NOT a function of height.)

Some days I'll do 5 to 10 miles on gravel/forest road "connectors". In anything other than the Olympus my feet and legs complain. (Foot-strikes are too repetitive.)

If a lot of roads aren't in the plan I go with the Lone Peaks. They do fine.

My wife is usually leading the way – in a pair of Olympus.

I agree with Greg about the crappy tread on the Altra Olympus (and I'll add that what little tread they DO have wears out pretty damned quickly!).

I also use Hokas, but mostly on very groomed trails; plus they're not zero drop, which I believe you prefer.

So far, I find both brands quite stable, but I'm on very easy trails.

Hi Jen…
I really really really like my Hoka Stinsons… trail version.
I have used them for day hiking, backpacking, but no running.
Feet, legs, knees, lower back all feel better… especially after very long hikes.
But
Everything has it's trade-offs.
The lateral stability is at times scary.
If you have weak ankles you could be risking rolling your ankles. I have not experienced that, but others complain of it. What I do notice is less control when moving across slopes… whether lose or solid ground.
In a word, they are not as stable as a good hiking shoe or boot with a vibrum sole, but to some degree you do learn to walk them and notice it less with experience.
I would not take them on extensive scree or talus, but for trail hiking they're great.

I recently bought the Altra Olympus 1.5 runners. I have only tried them in the house. Not sure if I will keep them as they are quite wide in the heel and lots of heel slip… even just in the living room… but if you have a very wide foot they may work great. They also have a strange feel when you roll forward on your foot… there is a very unsmooth/quick drop that makes your knee lurch forward quickly. and the cushion is less than the Sinsons.

Buy from a dealer with a great return policy.

Billy

I used Hoka's to backpack with foot pain having committed trips earlier this year. The cushion is great but as billy sez, the "height" of the soles can put a hiker off balance especially at first. They will not release hiking versions til after summer, so durability is like tennis shoes. The gentler the trail, the better.

Jennifer, you could try some nice platform style trail runners.

–B.G.–

Greater sole height, greater cushioning => less proprioception, more chance of ankle injury. Gel soles were a disaster for that.

Cheers

Lesser sole height, lesser cushioning => more chance of lower back, knee, and hip injury. Lower/harder soles have been a disaster for that.

Nothing does everything well…

billy

I like the Olympus 1 and 1.5 – I have run/hiked the grand canyon double crossing in them, and a 50 mile run/hike plus lots of 10-30 mile runs. The cushion is great for reducing the impact on high mileage days, I notice a lot less soreness in the joints and muscles when I use them compared to Cascadias or Ultra Raptors. I have not used Hokas as I did not like the fit – too narrow for my liking.

The downside with the Olympus is the traction sucks and I do turn my ankles once in a while – never badly so far, but I've done it 2 or 3 times now in about 300 miles, which makes me nervous (although to be fair I have done the same in cascadias and lone peaks, once each). I'll continue to use them but mainly for less-technical terrain, and I am more conscious about slowing to a walk when things get rocky or off-camber.
'
Also I had to modify the tongue to add more length and padding as I was getting inflamed tendons on the top lateral part of my foot. The tongue is short and not well padded, and I have to tie them pretty tight to keep from sliding around, but I have a low volume and somewhat narrow foot.

Not sure if that helps but it's my 2 cents.

I have switched to the Altra Olympus and like them so far.

Those of you with the altra olympus, is the 1.5 version just as slippery traction-wise as the original?

I may just stick with my NB leadvilles for trail running and the Lone Peaks for hiking…..but I'm super curious about the max-cushion ones. My high-arched, stiff feet just keep getting stiffer as I get older, and now I'm starting to feel it a bit. And as for long hikes – I find I really like a shoe, love it for shorter distance hikes and regular trail runs, but then once I start doing anything over 100-200 miles at a time (yes JMT, I'm talking about you!) my feet end up as wrecked painful messes by the end.

I'm currently infatuated with the Lone Peak 2.0 and that's what I plan to use on the CT this summer, but I'm pretty sure the same thing is going to happen, and that about 200 miles in I'm going to hate these shoes as well. (I'm hopeful it won't happen, but I'm not holding my breath)

Just wondering if the extra cushion would help ease the overall foot pain I get during any hike >1 week, but as I said, I'm worried about the height/"instability" of them.

And yes, I have pre-trip gear-itis right now.

"Just wondering if the extra cushion would help ease the overall foot pain I get during any hike >1 week, but as I said, I'm worried about the height/"instability" of them."

Yes. and Yes.

billy

Jen…
you are obviously interested in the soft trail runners. So get them and try them out and then decide.

But I would suggest you order both the Olympus and the Hoka Stinsons. The fit is VERY different. I don't think the less aggressive tread of the Olympus is a problem for trail hiking; rather I think the problem(s) with the Olympus were stated above as: heel slip if you don't have a wide heel, lack of tong padding, and strange roll onto the forefoot that I'm guess could bother some people knees….

Order both… Try them out in the house or on a treadmill for fit. After deciding which you will keep, then try them out on a trail before committing them to the CT. (never take a new pair of footwear on any long backpack without some prior hiking in them)

I have not done the CT, but I will tell you that I would not hesitate to use them for the JMT. I am certain your feet and knees and lower back will feel better. The real question is your ankles… are they weak and prone to rolling? If so, they could be a problem. If not, go with one of the soft trail runners. Your feet will thank you.

Billy

I have hiked on the CT and other Co trails in Stinsons. No real problems on trails, not so great for scrambling. Easy on the feet! I probably will go with the Hoka Challengers this summer on the CT which are not as thick. But they are cushioned and the last is a better fit for me. l have to agree that the more cushioned shoes really do keep my feet and legs more comfortable.

I should add that all my running, both trail and pavement are in Hokas. Weekly miles are 35-50. No trouble with trail running at all in high cushioned shoes. But then I have thousands of miles on my legs and the shoes make me feel young again!

"… rather I think the problem(s) with the Olympus were stated above as: heel slip if you don't have a wide heel, lack of tong padding, and strange roll onto the forefoot that I'm guess could bother some people knees …"

N=1

I measure as a "B" width on a Braddock.

In my Olympus I don't have heel slip, I find the padding on the tongue quite adequate, and even with two knees of questionable integrity, have no issues with the "rocker" built into the sole.

YMMV

Wow… very interesting Greg…

I measure as a D width and I have heel slip… a lot of it.

Just goes to show why you have to try 'em…
You can talk about fit and feel all day long but it's only the trying that counts.

billy

Greg… another thought…

Are you using the newer Olympus 1.5 or an older model?

perhaps the fit has changed.

billy

Older.

To you Hoka One One users: Any issues with the foot box being too narrow? Do some models have a foot box that is more narrow than others?

"Do some models have a foot box that is more narrow than others?"

Yes, there are a couple of different lasts they build they shoes on.

Last year I used the Olympus 1.0 for the JMT. I was worried about the lack of traction but I rarely noticed it. And when I did slip I'm not sure if it was because of the sole, or because I was simply tired. What I did notice was that my knees and back were far less fatigued at the end of the day. A month later I did the Wonderland and decided to use the Lone Peak 2.0. I really love the tread and use these shoes year round for my shorter trips. I wasn't as loaded down as I was on the JMT but I quickly noticed the lack of cushioning, especially descending.

I'm doing the CT this year and have decided to use the newer Olympus 1.5. Yeah, the tread still isn't great (and if they put the lone peak tread on the Olympus, you'd be talking about a near perfect hiking shoe) but again, for established trails, I found it acceptable. And for me, the benefits of that thick sole, outweighed any concerns I had for traction.

One note to add: the Olympus runs a size smaller than the Lone Peaks.

Alright – you guys convinced me to give them a try. I'm doing 10-15 mile hikes each weekend on the super rocky trails around Austin, so that should give me a pretty good idea of what they can do.

Thanks for all the thoughts.

6pm has the older Olympus in a variety of women's sizes for as low as $44.95.

Edward…
I like a wide toe box and find the Stinsons to be fine.

billy

Jen…
we expect a full report form you after you've used them a while.

billy