Who Knew: Hiking Shoes Make a Difference (Altra Olympus 275)

When I started adventuring more than a decade ago, it was mostly about driving around in the Tacoma, checking out cool places and pushing my truck (and my nerves) over semi-gnarly - because let's be honest, I thought it was extreme at the time - terrain.

But as time passed, my approach to exploring began to change. I began to realize that there's a lot more away from the road than there is next to the road. That the best views and coolest stuff require someone to get out of the truck. To hike.

And so, for the last eight years or more, that's what I've been doing. More and more. Within the last few years, I even started backpacking! Still, for all that time, and on all those hikes, I just continued to wear my normal tennis shoes. Or running shoes (even though I don't run). Or sneakers. Or whatever daily driver shoes are called.

For me, those have been Brooks Launch, and as a daily shoe, I think they are fantastic. My methodology has been to wear them - usually for 6 months - until the treads start to wear out or the toe starts to develop a hole, and then transition to a new pair, demoting the previous pair to "trip shoe."

That seemed to work fine for a while, but as I've done more and more hiking, I've started to wear out the trip shoes even faster than I wear out my daily shoes, and I've had to start demoting daily shoes just so I have something to wear on trips.

But even that wasn't the final straw. The final straw came when I tried to top Mt. Tom with Matt @theesotericone earlier this summer. On that hike, the complete lack of tread on the bottoms of my shoes gave me all sorts of trouble as we had to cross vast swaths of snow. A fall there could have been interesting, and I was quickly convinced that another solution was necessary.

Luckily for me, Matt is a serious hiker, and having him all to myself for 10 hours, I was able to pick his brain about a few gear options, with no opportunity to escape. On the shoe front, he suggested Altra Olympus 275s, which he'd been wearing for a couple years and several hundred miles of hiking.

On my return, I checked them out in detail, and three things really stood out:

1. The uppers are made of Kevlar for durability. I'm constantly ripping holes in the tops of my shoes when they catch on sharp rocks in the desert, so this really appealed to me.
2. The shoes are low, but also have a bit of a built-in sock/gator. I'm notorious for getting crap into my shoes as I walk - even in the city - so anything that helps to keep me from having to empty out pebbles is welcome.
3. Of course, Matt's ability to hike hundreds of miles and his shoes still being in tip-top shape was a compelling reason in itself.

Of course, Altra thinks they are pretty good, too:

We went all in on tech so you can go all out on the trail. It’s got durability, protection, and lightweight comfort from top to bottom. We partnered with MATRYX® to design a one-piece woven upper that’s lightweight and protective, for high performance and high mileage. Protect your feet from debris with a built-in scree sleeve. A zonal fit lock is designed to deliver a confident, secure fit while a TPEE sock liner helps improve underfoot longevity. Get grip on any terrain with a Vibram® Megagrip outsole, designed to help with traction on wet and dry surfaces. It’s got a compression-molded EVA midsole with lightweight cushion designed for comfort that lasts. With our roomiest toe box and zero drop, your feet are positioned for natural movement. Go all in on your next ultra or long trail run. No matter what the day throws your way, the Olympus 275 will help keep you comfortable and protected all day, on all terrain.

Specs:

• Lightweight + effortless performance - At only 11.9 oz / 338.8 g, compression-molded EVA foam is lightweight, responsive midsole foam that encourages efficiency and an effortless feel.
• Durable + sticky outsole for fierce trail grip - Vibram Megagrip is a high-performance sticky rubber that offers unparalleled grip on both wet and dry surfaces, rugged longevity, and optimal ground adaptability.
• Roomy toe box for natural movement - With Altra's signature FootShape fit, you get our roomiest toe box with plenty of room to help your toes move freely, and space through the midfoot.

So, I picked up a pair.

First Impressions

I've worn them for a couple of hikes already - up Perkins Peak and then to the top of Mt. Eddy - and they seem great so far.

Pros

• The traction is amazing. In places where I'd have questioned my footing with my normal shoes, it was amazing how planted my feet felt, even on damp, more-slippery surfaces.
• The padding is great. I'm sure there are other shoes with good padding in the soles, but these have a lot more than I'm used to, and it makes walking very...cushy! And that's nice.
• The sock/gators do help to keep stuff out.

Observations

• I wear a size 11-11.5 in Brooks shoes, but a 10 in these Altras. That's not good or bad, but it is interesting to see how different their sizing is. Luckily, I entered my Brooks size into the Altra website when I was ordering, and it told me that I needed the size 10s.

Cons

• As with many hiking shoes, these are less breathable than my daily Brooks, so my feet seem to stay a little hotter, and perhaps a bit sweatier when I'm just loafing around.
• There's no built-in velcro on the heel to attach the gators that I like to wear.

Unknowns

• Not sure how they hold up over time.

I'll keep putting them through their paces, and report back with more impressions in a year or so. Or earlier if they wear out!

 

 

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