In this Altra Lone Peak review, we'll look at how the current version compares to previous ones, as well as pros and cons of this hiking shoe.
Both my husband and I have hiked with Altra Lone Peak shoes quite a bit. We both wore them on our 50-mile trek through Iceland, and he’s continued to wear them.
Because of fit preferences, I’ve been wearing the Topo Terraventure more frequently. Read a comparison of the two shoes here.
Here’s what we thought of the new Altra Lone Peak 9+.
Altra Lone Peak Shoe Overview
If you’re already a Lone Peak fan you probably already know this, but for those of you considering purchasing for the first time, here’s some basic info.
The Altra Lone Peak is the darling shoe of through-hikers, long-distance backpackers, and trail runners. It’s lightweight and has a roomy toe box.
The shoe is zero-drop, meaning the heel and forefoot are at the same level. It has a low stack height of 25 millimeters. (Stack height is the height of the cushioning at the base of the shoe. Shoes can be zero-drop but still have a high stack height.)
It has moderate cushioning and includes a rock plate to prevent rocks on the trail from cutting through the shoe. The Lone Peak is rated for “rugged trails” (likely because of the rock plate).
Altra Lone Peak Review: 9 vs 9+
This year (2025) Altra is offering two versions of the trail runner.
The primary differences seem to be the shoe bottom and the heel shape and padding.
The 9+ (which does cost more than the basic 9) comes with a Vibram shoe bottom, whereas the basic version comes with the MaxTrac shoe bottom.
The 9+ also comes with a less padded, more formed heel area. The regular 9 has a padded heel area similar to previous versions.
The shoes also come in different color options.
The Fit
This shoe continues to have the classic Lone Peak fit in the body of the shoe: lots of room for your foot (especially your toes) to move around inside. Like previous versions, it doesn’t have much going on for arch support.
The shoe fit leans towards a wider fit, so if your foot is narrow, it may not feel secure. If anything, the 9+ version seems to have even more room along the front sides of the foot.
In previous versions, I’d had issues with heel slippage. (Without gaiters holding the shoe on, my somewhat narrow heel would sometimes step right out of the shoe.)
The 9+ does attempt to correct heel slippage by using a less cushioned, more formed heel shape. Sadly the new heel wasn’t enough of a change to make it fit my foot better, and my husband prefers the previous more cushioned heel.
Interestingly, the standard Lone Peak 9 does seem to fit my narrow heel more snuggly than older versions did, and I'm planning to give it a more thorough testing soon.
The 9+ new heel is stiff enough that it seems like it could cause blisters at first, so make sure you break these in before heading straight to a long trail.
The Materials
Compared to my husband's previous Altra Lone Peak 7s, these shoes feel stiffer. Part of that is probably from being new and not broken in, but in particular he thinks the Vibram base is stiffer than the MaxTrac shoe bottom.
Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. After some use, he actually began to prefer the stiffer Vibram base for running.
Long-Term Wear and Tear
For the condition of the shoes, so far so good, although they really haven’t been available long enough to be sure. (At least not with our current weekly mileage.)
We’ll continue to update this post over the life of the shoe.
Other Quirks
One odd thing my husband noted with the 9+ (compared with previous versions of the Lone Peak) is that the shoelaces seem to loosen more quickly, so he's found himself tightening the laces more frequently mid-run (or hike).
It's possible that it's from the stiffer shoe fabric pulling more at the laces; we're not sure. Adding trail gaiters seems to help them from coming untied.
Altra Lone Peak Review: Overall Thoughts
The Lone Peak 9 has some definite perks over previous versions, such as the option to upgrade to 9+ with a Vibram base.
We're still undecided about the less padded, more formed heel shape of the 9+, but are hopeful that it will become more comfortable over time.
Have you tried it? What are your thoughts?
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