Altra Lone Peak Trail Shoe

I picked up a pair of the Altra Lone Peak (trail) and Instincts (road) shoes from Fleet Feet Sports. Below are my personal impressions and opinions on the Lone Peaks.

The below information is directly from the Altra website: http://www.altrazerodrop.com/

Product Features

Inspired by the Lone Peak, one of the rockiest, toughest mountains on the Wasatch Range, The Lone Peak™ was designed to conquer the Wasatch 100. While the foot-shaped design allows athletes to stay relaxed and comfortable for hours, this do-everything mountain shoe promotes happy feet, increases ankle stabilization and improves form with the Zero Drop™ platform. The Lone Peak™ features an innovative, sandwiched StoneGuard™ system that deflects rocks into the midsole for a smoother, more stable ride. Stand above the rest with the ultimate trail running shoe.

Product Details

• Weight: 9.9 oz
• Zero Drop™ EVA/A-Bound Midsole
• Foot Shaped Design: Male FS-1 Last
• NRS: Natural Ride System
• TrailClaw Outsole
• StoneGuard and Trail Rudder
• Strengthen and Support Insoles
• Quick dry abrasion resistant mesh upper with minimal seams
• Asymmetrical Lacing, HeelClaw, and A-Wrap for Superior Fit
• Drilex Premium Liner

My Impressions: 

 I took these out on a 5 mile "get to know you" run on one of the sloppiest days on the trail I have seen in a long while. We had heavy rains for two days and then overnight switched to 2-4" of snow. It's a 1/2 mile of road to the trail head, the trail is singletrack with good elevation changes, roots, mud, rocks, and a calf level couple creek crossings.

First things I noticed:

 1. the traction is amazing. despite the mud & snow, the traction was excellent. the little spikes do not collect mud at all, stays clear.

2. the cushion is firm and adequate. As I understand it, the stoneguard is sandwiched between the midsole, allowing the cushion to take the hits and leaving a smooth feel on jagged rocks. I like this design immensely. It literally gives you a firm ride with cushion.

3. the stone guard makes this shoe feel bomb-proof. I covered some sections of the trail with near reckless abandon that I normally take more care on.
4. the trail rudder....I couldn't tell how much this affected the run, but it didn't seem to do much for me except add some traction on the down slopes. 

5. overall, the shoe is stable and the toe box is roomy enough to fit your feet the way feet are shaped...at least mine are. 

6. water drainage after a creek crossing is average.
7. they are certainly a bit more firm than other trail shoes, you can feel this on the roads especially. It seemed to me to 'encourage' you to mid-foot strike. It took a couple minutes to get the strike just right, but once I was dialed in I took the pace up as usual.

The following day I debated on these shoes or another pair for a 50k training run. I ended up lacing these up for a second run.

Here are my takeaways from the two days (36mi) of running in these. 

1. The quality in Altras is apparent. This is a well thought out shoe that I have no doubt will handle tough 100 mile runs.

2. These are not minimal shoes, the heel & toe cushion is 17mm (zero drop) but they feel light on the feet at about 9.9oz. I would call them natural running shoes.

3. I went down a 1/2 size in the Lone Peaks. 

4. By the end of the 31 miler, I will honestly admit that my feet were NOT sore. I could feel the zero drop difference (compared to my normal 4-7mm shoes I wear) when climbing, but overall it was not significant.

5. The day after the run, my feet were still fine...I ran a fast 10 mile uptempo road run with no issues. 

My overall opinion of this product if you are looking for a zero drop, natural style trail running shoe to handle tough trail runs & 100 mile ultras, this is a great choice. Altra is doing great things.

-ultrailz

New Balance MT110

Ok, so after 100+ miles on them, here is my review on the NB110's that I picked up over the Winter months.

Weight: 7.7 oz (size 9)
Stack Height: Heel (18mm), Forefoot (14mm); 4mm heel / toe drop.

I have to say that my first impressions of the shoe are influenced from my experience over the previous model, the NB101 that I really enjoyed, but needed some improvements in my opinion.


First Impressions (Out of the box):

My first run in these was on packed snowy trails. We did about 15 miles at a relatively quick pace on singletrack, snow covered roads, and groomed packed snow trails. In order, these are the most noticeable changes from the 101: improved traction, noticeably better fit, nimble, sock-like fit. In the photo below, I have on a thin pair of smart wool socks but I have put on over 100 miles in these shoes, many of which have run sock-less. I wear an 11.5 in most running shoes and these fit true to size. I do have a fuller midfoot, so for me, these run a little on the snug side. Without socks (or very thin ones), they are a near perfect fit for me.These do come in widths, so once these are worn out, I may try a larger width in them as long as it does not affect heel slippage.

Due to weather and travel, the majority of my runs in these shoes were on very sloppy and cold conditions. The traction is much better than the 101, but these shoes did not excel for me in very muddy conditions. I literally could not wait to get them on fast and dry trails. I had a feeling that these would excel at mid-distance, dry trails where you can scamper down the trail like a fox.

They do have a light rock plate which saves your feet from the rocks and I should make note that the upper has a really supple and new membrane that gives it a very smooth feel. I have ripped a few holes from sharp rocks and even some sticks that have caught the membrane, but I would expect as much from such a lightweight shoe.

The toe-"lip" as I would call it gives some protection over the big toe, which is needed and a nice thought.

Laces - It always bothers me when shoe companies put a lot of thought into a new shoe yet the laces don't stay tied. NB has got this right, they have simple laces that hold in place....well done. 

Drainage - the drainage in these shoes is excellent, but they do like to collect sediment due to the lower cut sides.

I've since taken these out on a few speed workouts on the trails that cover everything from asphalt, fire-roads, to technical rocky single-track, grassy fields, and well worn paths. I've run anywhere from 8-18 miles in them and think they would be perfect for 5k to 50k on trails. As for 100miles at Leadville in them like Anton Krupika....I need a little more cushion, but if you want a minimum featured neutral trail shoe for your daily training & racing, this one is a strong contender.

Oh, one point that can not be missed.....molded in the lugs are the inverted words "K E E P  U P" so when you leave your foot print, the followers can read it correctly. Nice touch.