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On a backpacking trip last year, I ended up hiking with an American trio, all ultra-lighters, all experienced “thru-hikers “and all wearing Altras, a brand that is now synonymous with the longer American hikes such as the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail. As hikers do, we discussed gear, and they spoke incredibly highly about their footwear. I was keen to try out the Brand for myself, so when Altras flagship shoe, the newly updated “Lone Peak 6’s” came into the shop, I was the first in line to try them out.

If you have not come across this brand before, two main features set them apart from its competitors. Firstly, all of their shoes are “zero-drop”, which means the heel and the forefoot are level, as opposed to most other shoe brands, which typically will have the heel raised by a few millimetres. Zero-drop shoes provide a much more natural step, which improves balance and can actually help increase strength in your foot, Altra (and my cursory googling) claim, which can improve alignment, stability, and stamina, and help ward off injuries. Zero drop shoes can take a little time to get used to, so it’s advantageous to try these out on a few short walks before setting off on a hundred-mile trip.

Altras also have a much wider and more generous “Foot shaped” toe box, this allows the toes to spread more naturally, which adds to stability when climbing up and descending steep hills. It also allows the toes and feet to swell, as they are prone to do when you are on the trail day after day.

The Lone Peak 6, as the name suggests, are the 6th incarnation of Altras Flagship trail running shoe, the Lone Peaks. Incredibly light at only 275g (per UK size 8) which makes them some of the lightest shoes we do. The upper of the shoe is made from a very durable, incredibly breathable mesh, which helps keep the feet cool and dry. The integrated, gusseted tongue does a good job of keeping stones, dust, and debris out of your shoe, but most impressively, the rear of the shoe has a dedicated Velcro fastening to attach lightweight gators. The updated lone peaks have additional lacing options, I'm usually not one for needing these, but did find I used both additional eyelets when lacing my shoes, which gave a more precise fit.

I've put about 70 trail miles in these shoes so far, which, I know is a day’s race to some people, but I've now had them a few weeks, so feel I can give you an honest verdict. I've been to the Lakes a few times, and most recently was hiking in the Limestone Dales over in the Pennines. So, I've used them in a variety of underfoot conditions, shale, and limestone, wet and dry, up and downhill. I've also done some scrambling and bouldering, when I was last in Langdale, and put in two 20+ mile days, so I feel I have had time to get the know these shoes.

Altra are almost as famous for their iconic “Trailclaw” design on the sole of the shoe, as they are for their Foot shaped toe box. The lugs of the sole have been strategically positioned for maximum grip and traction, which do a fantastic job of not only gripping the trail in all conditions but also shedding wet sticky mud from becoming stuck to the shoe and weighing you down.

The Ego Midsole is incredibly responsive and provides a large amount of “energy return “which helps keep you going, mile after mile.

For the benefit of science, I ran through a few streams, I wanted to see how well the shoes dump water after they have been soaked. The main drawback to trail runners such as these are, of course, that they are not waterproof. Some see this as a massive drawback, others as a boon. Large waterproof boots do a fantastic job of keeping your feet dry, but once wet, they take an age to dry out. Not so bad if you are only on a day hike, but if you are wearing heavy wet boots for days at a time, you can run (or should that be limp) into problems. The Lone Peaks are designed to get wet, then shed the water as quickly as possible, and I'm pleased to say in less than half an hour my feet were no longer (noticeably) wet. The shoes have large drainage holes around the shoe, especially around the toe box, so although your feet will get wet, they will dry remarkably quickly.

I have found these to be arguably, the best hiking shoe I've used, and it's easy to see why they are the Number 1 shoe for Thru-Hikers all over the world, but not just for hikers, trail runners and marathon runners will also love this shoe. For day in, day-out, mile after mile trails, these are the most comfortable and responsive trail runners I've used. I will continue to use them on my future backpacking trips regardless of if I’m out for 1 day or a 2-week trip. If you're a day hiker, who swears by their more traditional boot, I can see no reason for you to change to these, but if someday you wish to start tackling some of the national trails, or have your heart set on someday attempting the AT, I implore you to give these a try.