With the Altra Lone Peak 6 on the Arizona Trail

I was sure that there was no way I wanted to run the Arizona Trail with the Altra Lone Peak 6. I had ordered the 6s and sent them back. In my normal size, my big toe hit the upper and it pinched. However, it was far too wide in all other areas and I didn’t have a secure fit. The Xero Shoes or those from Topo Athletics were completely different, so I was done with Altra shoes. Until British Airways lost my suitcase and all I had left was to buy some new shoes and trekking poles. To be honest, I only bought them because I was super annoyed the day before the shuttle departure, and they were the only non-blast shoes I could find in the stores.

Technical data

• Weight: 300 g
• Midsole: Altra EGO™
• Outsole: MaxTrac™
• Cushioning: Moderate
• Sole thickness: 25 mm
• Upper: Quick-Dry Air Mesh

Die Altra Lone Peak 6 von der Seite

Die Altra Lone Peak 6 mit Blick auf die Sohle

Scope of test

I ran the Arizona Trail to Pine in a pair of Lone Peak 6 and then got a new pair of Lone Peak 6 in Flagstaff. In between, I hiked with the Topo Pursuit, but they gave me problems along the way.

What I like about the Altra Lone Peak 6

• No drop
• Cushioning
• wide toe box
• Attachment for gaiters available

I like shoes without drop and get on well with them. However, you quickly end up in the area of barefoot shoes, which often have little or no cushioning. However, this is not the case with the Altra Lone Peak – they are incredibly comfortable. In addition, there are no problems whatsoever when attaching the in-house Altra gaiters or alternatives from Dirty Girl Gaiters, etc. There is already an attached Velcro strip on the back. The toe box is large and offers enough space in width. However, I have the feeling that I could buy the shoe half a size smaller if my toes had more room in height. This leads me directly to what I don’t like so much.

What I don’t like about the Altra Lone Peak 6

• Cushioning is quickly lost
• the sole wears out quickly
• too much space in the midfoot and heel for my feet

I don’t find the support in Altra shoes outstanding for my feet. My heel and everything else slips back and forth. This seems to have improved a little for me in the Altra Lone Peak 7.

After the kilometers I ran, the shoe looked better than I would have expected. However, the sole and cushioning were completely worn out on the first pair of shoes. In the last few kilometers, my feet were already hurting a lot and the sole was also losing grip. All in all, it was about 750 kilometers to Pine. Of course, I was also carrying a lot of weight, as well as the rucksack, and these are perhaps loads that a trail runner is not designed for.

Altra Lone Peak 6 after 750 km in Arizona

Conclusion

I would buy the Lone Peak 6 again at any time. I already have the Lone Peak 7 in my closet for the next long hike, and the Lone Peak 8 came onto the market this year. Despite all the disadvantages I have listed, I was able to cover the entire distance without a blister or other problems. The durability of the cushioning and sole could be better, but you can work with that if you’re prepared to factor in a new pair of shoes from time to time. However, it would be nice if you could get a few more kilometers out of them. Expensive hiking boots can also be resoled, and the price of trail runners isn’t that far off these days.