Altra Lone Peak 9 Review: The Thru-Hiker Favorite Has a Durability Problem

I wanted to like this shoe. Thousands of thru-hikers swear by the line, the toe box remains the most comfortable in running, and the ninth version fits like the good old ones. Then both test pairs failed the same way.

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Our verdict

Altra Lone Peak 9

2.8/5

The fit that made this shoe famous is intact; the build quality is not. We cannot recommend paying full price until the upper is fixed.

$150

Check price at REI· $150

What worked

• Foot-shaped toe box is still unmatched
• Zero drop suits long, low-effort miles
• Comfortable out of the box

What didn't

• Upper tore at the flex point on both test pairs under 200 miles
• Outsole compound wears fast on rock
• Zero drop is a slow adaptation for most runners

Weight

10.6 oz (US M9)

Stack

25 / 25 mm

Drop

0 mm

Outsole

MaxTrac, 3.5 mm

Fit

Still the reason to buy Altra. Toes splay, nothing pinches on a long descent, and swollen day-twelve feet still have room. Zero drop is a real adaptation period if you are coming from an 8 mm shoe — give it a month of short runs.

The failure

Pair one tore through the mesh at the medial flex point at roughly 170 miles. Pair two, a different size and colorway, tore in the same place at 185. Neither was abused; both were mostly dirt singletrack. That is not a sample of two hundred, but it is two for two.

Outsole

MaxTrac has never been the stickiest compound and it wears quickly on abrasive rock. By 200 miles the lugs under the forefoot were noticeably rounded.

Verdict

Great fit, poor durability, full price. Wait for the next revision or buy last year's model on sale.