How do Altras and Hokas compare?

I have never worn hokas and never will, but I will say that all hokas are super cushy and maximal while altras can be more on the minimal side. The hokas I have seen don’t have really wide toe boxes.

I also have a a huge toe area and superiors are the only shoes right now that fit my feet without sizing up (and getting a sloppy fit). I tried the superior 1.5 and the toe box was cramped, the 2.5’s (2016 model, not the 2015 model) have a huge toe box.

I have similar wide feet and currently own a pair of both shoes. I would definitely stick with the Altra’s; no question. My Hoka’s were purchased for city running and they demolish my little toe. So much so, that I don’t use them much anymore.

I LOVE my Lone Peak 2.0’s for hiking, backpacking, and trail running. I’ve tried a ton of shoes and they’re far and away my favorite! I’m surprised to hear they didn’t breath well for you. They’re almost entirely mesh. Mine feel like slippers on. :)

I had the first lone peaks and they were too small. I had the 2nd lone peaks and they would never dry after getting wet. I don’t think the lone peaks have a wide enough toe area. The superiors fit well but are too hot and too thin. I have the 1.5s. The fabric is all lined with foam. It’s unbearable. I want to try a maxmimalist shoe because I’m tired of the ground being too hot under my feet. Maybe I will take the plunge and go for the Olympus.

I have the Lone Peak 2.0 and the Olympus. I have found the Olympus very cushy, but feel more narrow than the Lone Peaks. Piper with your wide feet I would look elsewhere.  But there are new versions of both coming out.

I’ve had many pairs of Hokas (Rapa Nuis (trail and tarmac), Clifton 1’s, Challenger 1, Bondi 4, Stinson, Clayton), and I have some Altras (Olympus 2.0, Provision, Instinct).  Yes, Altras will be wider in the toebox.  All of my Altras fit somewhat sloppy in the heel, hard to avoid a bit of heel slip, even with special heel-lock lacing method, and it’s not a size issue (size smaller were way too small for me).

Hokas are generally 4-6mm heel toe drop vs 0mm drop for all Altras.  Not everyone loves zero drop, can be hard on your Achilles tendon.  I think Hoka’s drop is good middle ground between zero and traditional 10-12mm drop.

Hokas are a bit more expensive, but I think for many (certainly for me) they end up cheaper in the end because they’re generally more durable (even the light ones).  I regularly put 600-1000 running miles on my Hokas, and could probably extend out more miles if I wanted.  I haven’t had problems with durability in my Altras, but I’m pretty easy on shoes and don’t have that many miles on them yet.  Do a web search and you will find lots of complaints about Altra durability.  I don’t necessary mind lower durability if the shoes are cheaper.  But Hokas higher durability makes them the cheapest shoes I buy on a $/mile basis.

Hokas have generally had narrow toeboxes.  You can get the Bondi in EE wide, although they probably won’t have it at a local store, may need to order from somewhere like RunningWarehouse.com.   Hoka does seem to have heard complaints about narrow toeboxes, and a few of their shoes have widened up a bit, albeit still not as wide a forefoot as Altras.  Hoka Infinite and Constant are fairly new shoes that have slightly wider toeboxes.  Hoka Clayton, also recently released, also has slightly wider toebox.  And the Clifton 3, due out this month, has toebox widened from Clifton 2.   And there’s always a Hoka Bondi in EE (or just order regular a half size up, which has worked for me.)  Hoka has lots of foam, but some are soft and some are a bit firmer.  Stinson, Bondi, Clifton are among soft.  Clayton, Conquest, and I think Infinite and Constant are among the firmer.

If, like OP, you’re a person with superwide feet, then I would avoid Hokas, except perhaps for the EE width Bondi.

I found some Altra Olympus on Amazon for a slight discount. We’ll see how much I hate them. I hate most shoes anymore. They are all just way too hot and never fit right. I wear Luna sandals almost every single day of the year now, but they can give me blisters if I backpack in them.

I bought a pair of Hoka TOR’s last year and really love the comfort. They are heavier than the running shoes but when I tried on the Hoka runners they were terribly narrow and uncomfortable for me. The TOR’s may not be what your looking for but they are a wider fit than the more minimal shoes. It was the comfort of the cushioning and the shock absorbing action that I was most impressed with. My knees felt so much better after long treks. Sorry cant comment on the others.

Happy hunting.

I found the Hoka shoes too narrow and side hilling was awful, the shoe literally rolls around my foot. On flat ground they were fine except for smashing my little toes. I did meet a man on the AZT last year who loves them, his foot is narrow and he loves the cushy comfort.

I have a pair of Olympus’s and a pair of Stinson ATR’s- the Altras have a wider toe box, the Hokas are more comfortable- I find myself grabbing the Hokas more often.

After running/hiking in lots of different shoes, I’m not sold on the 0 drop- I think a mild (4-5mm) drop is a better option.

I’ve had good luck with Pearl Izumi N2’s (I’m on pair 5)- they have a roomy toe box and they very recently came out with a N3- a more cushioned version.

I just ordered a pair of Hoka Mafate’s- they evidently have a wider toe box (vs other Hokas anyways)- I ordered a 1/2 size up as well.  If I can get a Hoka w/ a roomy toe box I’l be golden.  If they don’t work out, the N3’s are next on my list.

I think I’ll just wait until Hoka has a truly wide toebox. Seemed lots of PCT hikers I met this year had Hokas (not that I met that many, maybe a dozen). Some had switched to them after something else. I like the low drop, too, but it doesn’t need to be zero because at some point I notice my shoes get bent and squished from use into something non-zero anyway.

I wear both – I actually love Hokas for actual trail running as I find I can run far and never suffer from sore feet. I have experienced the toe blisters others talk about, and wear only toe socks with them now (and that has prevented all further blister issues.

However, I LOVE the my Lone Peaks as well – they are incredibly comfortable, but I have to be careful what type of terrain I wear them in as I have experienced bruised soles of my feet after long days with lots of talus/scree/rock or scrambling. However – if I’m walking on primarily dirt, they’re awesome.

All that being said – neither of these shoes are my go-to backpacking shoes and I really only use them on day hikes. I’ve tried WAY too many trail runners for backpacking over the years and have found that the perfect backpacking shoe for me are La Sportiva Ultra Raptors – I’ve never had a sore foot or blister with them….so I can’t bring myself to mess with what works!

At the end of the day, shoes are such a personal choice, I’ve found. Good luck finding your favorite shoe!

I bought a pair of Hoka Stinsons earlier this year. I don’t have wide feet and they were too narrow for me. They also felt more “stilt-like” which I attribute to the narrowness.

I exchanged them and got some Olympus. I LOVE these shoes. The max cushion combined with the wide toe box is the best. They don’t feel “stilt-like” which I’m guessing is because they are wide. I’ve never once felt like I was going to roll my ankle. The new Vibram sole is great too. Grips really well on rock. The zero drop took a couple of days to get used to but not a big deal. No soreness just felt odd at first. I don’t even notice it now. The max cushion is awesome. I have about 200 miles on mine.

not to get off subject too far, but don’t the lone peak’s (at least the 2.5’s) have a 5mm drop?…

not to get off subject too far, but don’t the lone peak’s (at least the 2.5’s) have a 5mm drop?…

No. 

When running exclusively on 0 drop shoes, I started to aggravate my achilles and calves; I now rotate my shoes (Altra Olympus, Hoka Stinson ATR, Pearl Izumi N2) and have reduced this problem.  The mixing of different drops, stack heights and cushioning thus far seems to keep my injuries at bay- I’ve been doing it about a year now with success.  Shoes last longer too! :)

Not directly related, but Mike, werent you in the akashas for a while. Howd they turn out?

Another couple maximal shoes to add to the list are the sketchers go ultra 3 & soucony exodus iso. Both are high stack low drop with widish toebox. Personally, i dont like the abrupt rocker on the toe off of hokas or altras. Feels pretty awkward to have a 0-5 mm drop between the heel & toe and then a sudden ramp at the toe.

I wear Luna sandals almost every single day of the year now, but they can give me blisters if I backpack in them.

Have you tried wearing socks with your sandals? Might be a solution.

Serge- I have the Akashas as well; I used them in the Bob Marshall Open and was very happy with them.  The toe box is roomier than other LaSportivas I’ve tried (Mutant, Super Raptor), but not roomy enough imo- I had to size up a full size to get adequate room.  For hiking they’ve been great, for running there is too much slop (I’m guessing from going up a full size) laterally.  I used them on a recent long run and my foot was flexing/turning too much on technical sections.  They do have really good grip in the outsoles, probably the stickiest shoe I’ve worn.

If I could take the toe box out of the N2’s, add the cushioning of the Hoka and the outsole of the Akasha- insure a good fit at mid-foot and heel and get a 5mm drop I’d be golden :)

Just order a pair of Clifton 3’s which have a wider forefoot, I’ll post a report after a couple runs.