👇Click to view affiliate discounts and socials 👇 linktr.ee/SeeChadRun ✨ Support by becoming a channel member ✨ th-cam.com/channels/XuaIGUWj4PHNQDK0rGRb-A.htmljoin
Great review. I’ve run in all the Olympus and the one truth year after year is the comfort during the long runs and long races. Your right they are nothing special for sure but you know at the end of the day or race the comfort was there, easy on the legs after long day on the trail too. IMO. Thanks for the great reviews.
IThe Altra 2 was my first trail shoe. A remarkable shoe, having lasted me over 200 miles. I want to reitre it but it is still in great shape , is in good shape and parting with it would be a waste. Love the wide toebox. It took me a while to get used to a zero drop but now I love it.
Not every shoe is supposed to do everything. I think shoe reviewers need to realize that fact. It's not meant or marketed to be a "performance shoe." Altra has other shoes mean to be in the performance category. I only wear this shoe for a daily sneaker/work shoe, and I primarily trail run in the Hoka Mafate, Hoka Mach X2, Hoka Skyward and Hoka Tecton X3, but it's unfair to knock it based on "performance/weight/cost. It's meant to be exactly what it is. It's a long run trail shoe that allows you to go long distances and not be beat up when you finish. It's also a great shoe for bigger runners and those that have foot injuries or problems that require a lot of cushioning. All the shoes in this category are this expensive. Compare it to the Hoka Stinson, Arahi, the New Balance Fresh Foam Trail V3 and others and it's comparable in all categories; the new balance is the only one considerably cheaper. I don't think the Ultraventure is in the same category. I find Topo shoes all feel the same. All their shoes are great, but they are not very different from one another when you put them on at the store. Additionally, it makes no sense to say, "I'm gonna do a lot of daily miles in it" and also say that you wouldn't buy it.
I just bought this shoe at REI. I was torn between the Hoka Speedgoat Wide and this Altta Olympus 6. I am needing trail running shoes for Leadville 100...I'm not running it but will be filming it. I really enjoyed the wide toe box, the high stack height, and the durable laces. The Hoka Speedgoats were definitely lighter and more agile. Less cushion and a shorter stack height. Ultimately I went with the altras because of the comfort features and build quality. I will say that the heel lock was a bit of a concern. It kind of felt like my ankles were exposed and the shoe might just slip off easily if not tied tightly. I'll have to break them in and see how they are on the trail. Overall great and fair reviewc
I have an extra pair of Olympus 5s on deck but I’ve had two pairs of Olympus 5s give me 500 miles per pair. As others have mentioned, this shoe is amazing for all day comfort. I’ve taken it the full distance on numerous 50 and 100 milers. No other shoe has provided me the same level of comfort deep in an ultra as the Olympus. So while the Eva isn’t fancy or high tech, it just goes.
Finally decide to buy a pair of regular Olympus, I've had only the low GTX 5 and now 6, my favorite Altra shoe is the Timp but their main problem is durability, and that was from as low as 1, yes you read that right, ONE month to a max of 6 months before the upper get torn and also the supoosed Ego Max midsole gets completely non responsive , only in the Timp 5, better upper, but went up to only 5 months, probably still usable until 6 months when the hole will become bigger but the sole is non responsive already, so bottom line, I was suprised to find out that on the road the Olympus sole did better, because I got a good time even in the GTX which is a very very heavy shoe...so am giving the regular Olypus a try, especially for longer runs.
I own a lot of pairs of the Olympus’s, too many, lol. And, your review is spot on! I have bad feet and really can only wear these shoes…wish they weren’t so heavy and why did they have to put the weird heel padding in the 6’s. Overall, I think 🤔 the 6’s are an improvement over the 5’s…
Thank you for your comment and feedback! The 6 does seem to be an improvement and I'm glad Altra offers a shoe like this as many will enjoy and benefit from a shoe like this.
Glad to see the addition of the overlays, both of my previous pairs of Olympus 5’s ripped and blew out on those exact areas between mesh and mid sole. Absolutely froth these shoes. Had to purchase a pair of Normal trail runners half way through a thru hike and absolutely hate them. Alta ruuuules!
I'm not a runner, I basically do lots of day hiking in Pennsylvania where it's pretty rocky. I've had a pair of Olympus 4s for quite a while now and they have been fantastic. I wanted that high stack for the rough terrain and the pointy rocks in the ground. However, I'm considering the Topo MTN Racer 3 instead to go away from zero drop and because they're a bit less expensive. I'm hoping I like the Topo shoes!
I love the Topo MTN Racer 3! It's a great trail runner and hiking shoe but know that it doesn't have a rock plate nor quite as much stack as the Olympus, so you'll likely feel the ground and rocks underfoot a little more. It's a more agile and lightweight shoe which I really appreciate as well!
@charliejg the Topo Ultraventure 3 might be a good option to consider and although I haven't personally ran in that shoe yet, I've heard great things from others about it. It also has a 5 mm drop but increased stack height 35 mm in the heel and 30 mm in the forefoot.
I loved the Olympus 4s for long runs and/or rocky terrain. They only lasted 350 miles before one split down the side though. Have a pair of 5’s now and they took about 20-30 miles to break-in before they felt okay, but I like the 4’s better for the way they fit my feet. I have no idea if I’ll try the 6’s, although I do need a high cushion shoe in my rotation and really like zero drop shoes. I’ve switched to never buying the current generation since once they are released the previous generation gets a healthy discount which increases the value.
The take away seems to be that this shoe is very close to worth getting but not quite. Perhaps a few tweaks will make the next version the beauty it could be. I appreciate the honest thoughts and reviews, Chad (and the amazing views as always). Have a great weekend!
Hope you have a great weekend as well! You're exactly right on this shoe. If the price $15 cheaper and the overall weight was reduced a bit, it would be a great ultra shoe.
I've run in the Olympus since their first version. But for $175, I'm thinking of finding something else at a cheaper price. Would the Topo Ultraventure be a comparable shoe (other than the 5mm drop)?
Thanks for the review. As a long distance hiker i (and many others) have used the Olympus in all its iterations extensively. The issue of weight is interesting as, in the hiking world, its a lot lighter than boots which are the only real alternative. The comfort and grip are second to none and the lightness of the shoe means you can hike for way longer than in a boot. Regarding quality, i would agree that this has declined, especially in the last iteration. Im also annoyed at the quality and length of the laces which seem to have gotten shorter for some reason. Additionally, the Olympus 5 durability was poor, especially when the midsole meets the upper which is why maybe they have put some more reinforcement into that. Anyway, gripes aside, i will buy them as there is nothing else, at a zero drop that comes anywhere near it... unless you know better??
Thank you! It has a nice wide platform which does help keep things stable but it's technically not a stability shoe by any means. I think it would be just fine for light pronators.
Hows the heel fit? The 4 was terrible, the 5 was better minus all the durability issues so hoping this is better yet. Really wanting a nice higger cushion shoe. Just snagged the bew Speedgoat and thr jury is still out. Its just so narrow!
I should be getting the Speedgoat 6 to review, which I'm excited about. Unfortunately I haven't ran in the past Olympuses but I've been told that the heel is very similar in the 5 versus the 6. For me, it did fine but I could see how others wouldn't get quite the lockdown fit needed in the heel. I felt like the padding was a little too low. Thanks for checking out the video!
All I know is that the hiker version should remove the excessive widening of the heel on the outsole because when you walk you walk much more with heelstrike and this makes the outsole cave into your heel and start to cause some real problems for people. I have personal experience with this, having hiked a 350 km (217,5 miles) hike with them and hearing the same story from other hikers.
Also i found esp. the olympus 4.0 to be lighter on foot while running than the actual weight would suggest....moreover i found the Foam better than of the 5.0, quite responsive and Not dead at all for a shoe this class
Thanks a lot for the great review! And such a wonderful view on the track 😎👍🏻 I’m new to Altras and want to get the zero-drop experience starting with Olympus as a max cushioned model. So what are the improvements for 6s? Or I should just take the 5s on a discount now? Thank you.
The biggest improvements are on durability with the 6. That said, I didn't have an opportunity to run in past Olympus versions. It's really only been this year that I've had the opportunity to partner with Altra for more reviews of their shoes. Thanks for checking out the video!
I’ve had 3 pairs of Olympus 5. On The first two pairs the vibram strips on the sole started peeling off after a couple of hundred kms - this is a common fault in the shoe. Hasn’t happened on my third pair though. On all three pairs the inner lining in the heel has worn through way too quickly, which is also a common fault. Maybe this has been fixed in the Olympus 6 with that new inner heel section. Having had the problems I’ve had with them I’ll still buy Olympus into the future because they fit my feet perfectly and I get zero pain in feet or knees even after hiking 140 odd km, 7 day hikes in them, they are just so comfortable. I wear them as my everyday shoe too.
Insoles seemed fine. I wouldn't imagine that they would do well with shedding water, but I didn't have a problem with them. Probably comes down to personal preference. Thanks for checking out the video!
Kept waiting for you to show the back of the shoe so I could see the size of the gator trap. They seemed to half the size of it from the version 4 to the 5 and wandered if they went even smaller with the 6. Was disappointed to hear they didn't improve heel lock which is what I hated about the 5 vs. 4. Oh well, guess it's a waiting game to see if they improve heel lock on v. 7. Thanks for the review!
I try to capture b-roll of every angle/side of the shoe but I guess I forgot to get a specific shot of the back. I apologize for that. Appreciate you checking out the video nonetheless!
Really hope ALTRA ups their game on their midsole foam. Way too expensive for just EVA with nothing else special about it - I understand their "niche" with zero drop and a smaller company, but no way am I paying that much for ca. 2000 tech.
Yah... The standard for running shoes these days compared to a few years ago is substantially higher. We expect more and new shoe technology has delivered on that expectation. Thanks for your feedback!
Oddly enough... it's been my experience that Altra's quality actually went down after they STOPPED being a small company. They've been owned by VF Corporation since 2018. Don't get me wrong, I still run the vast majority of my miles in Altras, but the drop in quality over the past few years has caused me to try alternatives as well. If they had simply kept pace with their older models, I'd be all altra, all the time, no questions asked.
I think you're not the only one to experience the same. I think they're trying to improve the quality and durability and that is more reflective in their most recent models. Still, we expect a lot from our running shoes and when they wear out prematurely, it's a real letdown. Thanks for the feedback Alex!
Any of the foams that are considered supercritical, nitrogen infused, TPE, or Pebax are more responsive, durable, and higher quality than standard EVA foams.
Olympus is a heavy shoe , i have been enjoying the altra wild experience alot lighter good cushioning & not heavy & the 4 mil drop . They have been holding up well for me
@@SeeChadRunlistening to heavy breathing while running is unpleasant - I'm here for the shoe review not the breathless commentary. Works for some I guess but finding some new type of shots, perspectives, not using a selfie stick for absolutely everything, not such a jerky subject, better b roll, etc, could help. Maybe watch some photography and video YTers. Actual review is detailed and solid. Maybe try a tracking drone with separate audio? eg DJI Mini Pro 4. Not sure about the audio recommendation though, and you'll need to edit it.
👇Click to view affiliate discounts and socials 👇
linktr.ee/SeeChadRun
✨ Support by becoming a channel member ✨
th-cam.com/channels/XuaIGUWj4PHNQDK0rGRb-A.htmljoin
Great review. I’ve run in all the Olympus and the one truth year after year is the comfort during the long runs and long races. Your right they are nothing special for sure but you know at the end of the day or race the comfort was there, easy on the legs after long day on the trail too. IMO. Thanks for the great reviews.
This is great feedback! Thank you 👍
IThe Altra 2 was my first trail shoe. A remarkable shoe, having lasted me over 200 miles. I want to reitre it but it is still in great shape , is in good shape and parting with it would be a waste. Love the wide toebox. It took me a while to get used to a zero drop but now I love it.
Not every shoe is supposed to do everything. I think shoe reviewers need to realize that fact. It's not meant or marketed to be a "performance shoe." Altra has other shoes mean to be in the performance category. I only wear this shoe for a daily sneaker/work shoe, and I primarily trail run in the Hoka Mafate, Hoka Mach X2, Hoka Skyward and Hoka Tecton X3, but it's unfair to knock it based on "performance/weight/cost. It's meant to be exactly what it is. It's a long run trail shoe that allows you to go long distances and not be beat up when you finish. It's also a great shoe for bigger runners and those that have foot injuries or problems that require a lot of cushioning. All the shoes in this category are this expensive. Compare it to the Hoka Stinson, Arahi, the New Balance Fresh Foam Trail V3 and others and it's comparable in all categories; the new balance is the only one considerably cheaper. I don't think the Ultraventure is in the same category. I find Topo shoes all feel the same. All their shoes are great, but they are not very different from one another when you put them on at the store. Additionally, it makes no sense to say, "I'm gonna do a lot of daily miles in it" and also say that you wouldn't buy it.
I just bought this shoe at REI. I was torn between the Hoka Speedgoat Wide and this Altta Olympus 6. I am needing trail running shoes for Leadville 100...I'm not running it but will be filming it. I really enjoyed the wide toe box, the high stack height, and the durable laces. The Hoka Speedgoats were definitely lighter and more agile. Less cushion and a shorter stack height. Ultimately I went with the altras because of the comfort features and build quality. I will say that the heel lock was a bit of a concern. It kind of felt like my ankles were exposed and the shoe might just slip off easily if not tied tightly. I'll have to break them in and see how they are on the trail. Overall great and fair reviewc
Thank you my friend! Best of luck at Leadville, even if you're not running it, and I'll have to check out the video.
Skip to 3 min. You are welcome!
Thanks
@AverageBishop- What makes a Bishop average? 🧐 Cheers!
I have an extra pair of Olympus 5s on deck but I’ve had two pairs of Olympus 5s give me 500 miles per pair. As others have mentioned, this shoe is amazing for all day comfort. I’ve taken it the full distance on numerous 50 and 100 milers. No other shoe has provided me the same level of comfort deep in an ultra as the Olympus. So while the Eva isn’t fancy or high tech, it just goes.
This is great feedback and I appreciate you sharing. Thank you for checking out the video as well!
Finally decide to buy a pair of regular Olympus, I've had only the low GTX 5 and now 6, my favorite Altra shoe is the Timp but their main problem is durability, and that was from as low as 1, yes you read that right, ONE month to a max of 6 months before the upper get torn and also the supoosed Ego Max midsole gets completely non responsive , only in the Timp 5, better upper, but went up to only 5 months, probably still usable until 6 months when the hole will become bigger but the sole is non responsive already, so bottom line, I was suprised to find out that on the road the Olympus sole did better, because I got a good time even in the GTX which is a very very heavy shoe...so am giving the regular Olypus a try, especially for longer runs.
Delayed reply here, but how are you liking the Olympus trail shoes? I hope they're working out for you!
I own a lot of pairs of the Olympus’s, too many, lol. And, your review is spot on! I have bad feet and really can only wear these shoes…wish they weren’t so heavy and why did they have to put the weird heel padding in the 6’s. Overall, I think 🤔 the 6’s are an improvement over the 5’s…
Thank you for your comment and feedback! The 6 does seem to be an improvement and I'm glad Altra offers a shoe like this as many will enjoy and benefit from a shoe like this.
Glad to see the addition of the overlays, both of my previous pairs of Olympus 5’s ripped and blew out on those exact areas between mesh and mid sole. Absolutely froth these shoes. Had to purchase a pair of Normal trail runners half way through a thru hike and absolutely hate them. Alta ruuuules!
I'm not a runner, I basically do lots of day hiking in Pennsylvania where it's pretty rocky. I've had a pair of Olympus 4s for quite a while now and they have been fantastic. I wanted that high stack for the rough terrain and the pointy rocks in the ground. However, I'm considering the Topo MTN Racer 3 instead to go away from zero drop and because they're a bit less expensive. I'm hoping I like the Topo shoes!
I love the Topo MTN Racer 3! It's a great trail runner and hiking shoe but know that it doesn't have a rock plate nor quite as much stack as the Olympus, so you'll likely feel the ground and rocks underfoot a little more. It's a more agile and lightweight shoe which I really appreciate as well!
@@SeeChadRun Is another shoe by Topo a better analog to the Olympus? Terraventure maybe?
@charliejg the Topo Ultraventure 3 might be a good option to consider and although I haven't personally ran in that shoe yet, I've heard great things from others about it. It also has a 5 mm drop but increased stack height 35 mm in the heel and 30 mm in the forefoot.
@@SeeChadRun Thanks!!
I loved the Olympus 4s for long runs and/or rocky terrain. They only lasted 350 miles before one split down the side though. Have a pair of 5’s now and they took about 20-30 miles to break-in before they felt okay, but I like the 4’s better for the way they fit my feet. I have no idea if I’ll try the 6’s, although I do need a high cushion shoe in my rotation and really like zero drop shoes. I’ve switched to never buying the current generation since once they are released the previous generation gets a healthy discount which increases the value.
The take away seems to be that this shoe is very close to worth getting but not quite. Perhaps a few tweaks will make the next version the beauty it could be. I appreciate the honest thoughts and reviews, Chad (and the amazing views as always). Have a great weekend!
Hope you have a great weekend as well! You're exactly right on this shoe. If the price $15 cheaper and the overall weight was reduced a bit, it would be a great ultra shoe.
dont be that guy
😂
I've run in the Olympus since their first version. But for $175, I'm thinking of finding something else at a cheaper price. Would the Topo Ultraventure be a comparable shoe (other than the 5mm drop)?
It should be though I haven't run in the Ultraventure yet. I have really liked the Topo MTN Racer 3 and Pursuit 2.
Topo's are also more firm but you should try
Thanks for the review. As a long distance hiker i (and many others) have used the Olympus in all its iterations extensively. The issue of weight is interesting as, in the hiking world, its a lot lighter than boots which are the only real alternative. The comfort and grip are second to none and the lightness of the shoe means you can hike for way longer than in a boot.
Regarding quality, i would agree that this has declined, especially in the last iteration. Im also annoyed at the quality and length of the laces which seem to have gotten shorter for some reason. Additionally, the Olympus 5 durability was poor, especially when the midsole meets the upper which is why maybe they have put some more reinforcement into that.
Anyway, gripes aside, i will buy them as there is nothing else, at a zero drop that comes anywhere near it... unless you know better??
I appreciate your comments and feedback! The Topo Ultraventure 3 is the closest thing that I can think of, but it has a 5 mm drop.
Whats the real weight? All my Olympus (2x4, 1x5) had way lower weicht than advertised....both around 320-330 grams in a 9.5
I don't have a scale to weigh it, but I can tell you it feels heavier than any other trail shoot that I've tested to date.
I just weighed my US men's 9.5 shoe and it weighed in at 11.6 Oz (328 g).
Thanks for the fine review. What about stability? Do you think this shoe would be good for pronators, for example?
Thank you! It has a nice wide platform which does help keep things stable but it's technically not a stability shoe by any means. I think it would be just fine for light pronators.
It's 12.2oz in a mens size 10.5 which altra uses for their tech specs on their site
Interesting. I thought I read something that stated differently however, I just weighed my US men's 9.5 shoe and it weighed in at 11.6 Oz (328 g).
Hows the heel fit? The 4 was terrible, the 5 was better minus all the durability issues so hoping this is better yet. Really wanting a nice higger cushion shoe. Just snagged the bew Speedgoat and thr jury is still out. Its just so narrow!
I should be getting the Speedgoat 6 to review, which I'm excited about. Unfortunately I haven't ran in the past Olympuses but I've been told that the heel is very similar in the 5 versus the 6. For me, it did fine but I could see how others wouldn't get quite the lockdown fit needed in the heel. I felt like the padding was a little too low. Thanks for checking out the video!
All I know is that the hiker version should remove the excessive widening of the heel on the outsole because when you walk you walk much more with heelstrike and this makes the outsole cave into your heel and start to cause some real problems for people. I have personal experience with this, having hiked a 350 km (217,5 miles) hike with them and hearing the same story from other hikers.
Also i found esp. the olympus 4.0 to be lighter on foot while running than the actual weight would suggest....moreover i found the Foam better than of the 5.0, quite responsive and Not dead at all for a shoe this class
This is great feedback and much appreciated.
Thanks a lot for the great review! And such a wonderful view on the track 😎👍🏻 I’m new to Altras and want to get the zero-drop experience starting with Olympus as a max cushioned model. So what are the improvements for 6s? Or I should just take the 5s on a discount now? Thank you.
The biggest improvements are on durability with the 6. That said, I didn't have an opportunity to run in past Olympus versions. It's really only been this year that I've had the opportunity to partner with Altra for more reviews of their shoes. Thanks for checking out the video!
I’ve had 3 pairs of Olympus 5. On The first two pairs the vibram strips on the sole started peeling off after a couple of hundred kms - this is a common fault in the shoe. Hasn’t happened on my third pair though. On all three pairs the inner lining in the heel has worn through way too quickly, which is also a common fault. Maybe this has been fixed in the Olympus 6 with that new inner heel section. Having had the problems I’ve had with them I’ll still buy Olympus into the future because they fit my feet perfectly and I get zero pain in feet or knees even after hiking 140 odd km, 7 day hikes in them, they are just so comfortable. I wear them as my everyday shoe too.
Do you recommend replace the insoles?
Insoles seemed fine. I wouldn't imagine that they would do well with shedding water, but I didn't have a problem with them. Probably comes down to personal preference. Thanks for checking out the video!
Thank you for the response!!
Kept waiting for you to show the back of the shoe so I could see the size of the gator trap. They seemed to half the size of it from the version 4 to the 5 and wandered if they went even smaller with the 6. Was disappointed to hear they didn't improve heel lock which is what I hated about the 5 vs. 4. Oh well, guess it's a waiting game to see if they improve heel lock on v. 7. Thanks for the review!
I try to capture b-roll of every angle/side of the shoe but I guess I forgot to get a specific shot of the back. I apologize for that. Appreciate you checking out the video nonetheless!
Really hope ALTRA ups their game on their midsole foam. Way too expensive for just EVA with nothing else special about it - I understand their "niche" with zero drop and a smaller company, but no way am I paying that much for ca. 2000 tech.
Yah... The standard for running shoes these days compared to a few years ago is substantially higher. We expect more and new shoe technology has delivered on that expectation. Thanks for your feedback!
Oddly enough... it's been my experience that Altra's quality actually went down after they STOPPED being a small company. They've been owned by VF Corporation since 2018. Don't get me wrong, I still run the vast majority of my miles in Altras, but the drop in quality over the past few years has caused me to try alternatives as well. If they had simply kept pace with their older models, I'd be all altra, all the time, no questions asked.
I think you're not the only one to experience the same. I think they're trying to improve the quality and durability and that is more reflective in their most recent models. Still, we expect a lot from our running shoes and when they wear out prematurely, it's a real letdown. Thanks for the feedback Alex!
can you give examples of better materials so I can look them up?
Any of the foams that are considered supercritical, nitrogen infused, TPE, or Pebax are more responsive, durable, and higher quality than standard EVA foams.
Olympus is a heavy shoe , i have been enjoying the altra wild experience alot lighter good cushioning & not heavy & the 4 mil drop . They have been holding up well for me
I'm glad the Wild's have been doing well for you! Appreciate your feedback as well.
@@SeeChadRun thank you my friend & your very welcome
Too much exposed midsole ☹️
Heavy, expensive, and durability issues. Easy pass.
I think the durability issues are largely addressed but it is heavy and expensive. Otherwise a great shoe! Thanks for watching!
super dull video footage
First time I've been told this... Always room for improvement 😉
@@SeeChadRunlistening to heavy breathing while running is unpleasant - I'm here for the shoe review not the breathless commentary. Works for some I guess but finding some new type of shots, perspectives, not using a selfie stick for absolutely everything, not such a jerky subject, better b roll, etc, could help. Maybe watch some photography and video YTers. Actual review is detailed and solid. Maybe try a tracking drone with separate audio? eg DJI Mini Pro 4. Not sure about the audio recommendation though, and you'll need to edit it.
@@antonroux6737 don’t be that guy.
Super dull comment. Do better.
@@chad.haggertyI am that guy. You can't handle the truth.