ALTRA LONE PEAK 2.5

I have always been a Salomon girl and I completed a thru-hike of the AT with several different pairs of them. Naturally, I began my PCT trek with old trusty! Unfortunately, my feet grew even more within the first 40 miles of the PCT than they had by the end of my entire AT thru-hike. Because my shoes were suddenly too small, I had to find a new pair in town quickly.

I was forced to try a new brand, but had heard wonderful things about the Altra brand of trail runners. In fact, I’d say about 80% of my fellow PCT hikers are wearing them. Altra designs their shoes with a ZeroDrop and intentionally mimics the shape of a foot. Although I was worried about trying this new brand, especially because of my plantar fasciitis, I didn’t have much of a choice.

I’m happy to report they were WONDERFUL! I never felt like I had to break them in and I loved how breathable they were, especially in the desert. If they did happen to get wet, the breathability allowed them to dry quickly. My foot still felt protected enough while walking through boulder fields and rockier terrains even though the shoes are softer to the touch. The wider toe box really gave me some room and my sore toes healed quickly!

I replace my trail runners about every 500-600 miles regardless of how they look due to my plantar fasciitis issues. I have to say the Altras didn’t have any holes in the toe area (like my Salomon’s often did) and the tread was still very prominent after 610 miles. For those of you who can wear shoes until they fall apart, Altras might be a good fit for you.

I just replaced my Lone Peak 2.5’s for some Lone Peak 3.0’s just to try out another style and see how it works. I’ll let y’all know in about another 500 miles!

To learn more about the men’s and women’s Altra Lone Peak 2.5 or 3.0 styles you can find them through the links below:

Altra Men’s Lone Peak 2.5: http://amzn.to/2roosxm

Altra Women’s Lone Peak 2.5: http://amzn.to/2rouxKz

Altra Men’s Lone Peak 3.0: http://amzn.to/2sHAHt7

Altra Women’s Lone Peak 3.0: http://amzn.to/2tvr4tZ

If y’all have any questions about my experience with these shoes, please feel free to ask in the comments below!

-Dixie

I will be posting a weekly gear-related item. It will always be something I have used or seen used enough that I would recommend. Hopefully, this helps initiate conversation about gear and assist beginning backpackers with gear selection.