Trail Runners Review: Altra Lone Peak vs Topo Terraventure

In this trail runners review, we'll look at how the Altra Lone Peak and the Topo Terraventure shoes hold up on long-distance hikes and runs.

If you’re looking for a trail running shoe or a lightweight long-distance hiking shoe, there’s one name that likely continually comes up in your search: Altra’s Lone Peak.

Recently we’ve been testing and comparing the Altra Lone Peak to another popular (and similar!) shoe: Topo’s Terraventure.

These two trail running shoes have comparable stats. Which one is right for you?

For this trail runners review, we tested the Lone Peak 7 (my husband’s go-to shoe for the past year) and the Lone Peak 9+, and compared them to the Terraventure 4, my current favorite shoe.

We've even tested these shoes on winter trail runs, along with other seasonal gear.

Trail Runners: Shoe Similarities

First of all, these shoes have a similar shape. Both are known for a roomy toe box, letting your toes spread out while you move.

Both shoes have a similar “drop” (the height distance from heel to toe). Altra Lone Peak is an actual zero-drop shoe, meaning the heel and toe are at the same level.

Topo’s Terraventure is not zero-drop, but its 3-millimeter drop is still considered a low-drop shoe.

Both have 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.)

Both have moderate cushioning and include a rock plate to prevent rocks on the trail from cutting through the shoe. Both shoes are rated for “rugged trails” (likely because of the rock plate).

I also found the tread pattern to be similar, both in look and grip.

Differences in shoe weight can vary with different versions of the shoe, but in general they’re similar weights, although recent versions of the Lone Peak are just slightly heavier than current Terraventures.

Currently, even the prices are similar.

Trail Runners Review: Shoe Build Differences

So are these shoes the same? Not exactly.

Vibram vs MaxTrac

One difference is that the standard Altra Lone Peak uses MaxTrac for the rubbery shoe bottom, whereas Topo uses a Vibram base by default.

With the release of Altra's Lone Peak 9+, you can get an upgraded model that includes a Vibram base. (So you can now get Vibram with either shoe; you’ll just pay more for it with Altra.)

Arch Support

Another difference is in the level of arch support.

Both shoes list a “neutral” level of support; however, in my experience, the Topo Terraventure hugs my foot and provides a more supportive fit. This could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on if you’re looking for a minimalist fit or a supportive fit.

Shoe Width

In a standard width shoe, I’ve found the Lone Peak has a looser, wider fit than the Terraventure, especially through the arch and the heel. Is that good or bad? It depends on your foot!

Personally, I wear a medium-width shoe, but my foot is on the narrower side of medium and I have a narrow heel.

I found that in the Lone Peak 7, I’d step completely out of the shoe if I wasn’t careful or if a trail was muddy. If I sized down it helped, but then my big toe hit the front of the shoe. Wearing gaiters also helped because they held the shoe in place, but that wasn’t ideal.

I tried the Lone Peak 9+, which was supposed to have modifications to help with heel slipping, and found that it was a better fit! My heel didn’t slip as much, but the arch area was sliding all around the shoe.

The moment I tried the Topo Terraventure, I knew it was a better fit for my narrower foot. I still had plenty of room for my toes to wiggle, but the middle of my foot and my heel felt secure in the shoe.

My husband, on the other hand, has been thrilled with the fit of the Lone Peak.

Trail Runners Gaiter Compatibility

Both shoes are gaiter compatible, but in different ways.

Lone Peak Gaiters

The Lone Peak includes a Velcro patch on the back of the shoe that makes it easily compatible with most gaiters, including the fun sparkly ones I love from Ultra Gam.

The one downside is that you do have to remember to put the gaiter on before the shoe, something I’d often forget when I was wearing Lone Peaks.

Terraventure Gaiter System

The Terraventure uses Topo’s proprietary gaiter attachment system, which only works with these Topo gaiters. (Unless you modify them by adding a Velcro patch.) The benefit is that you can put the gaiter on after your shoe, which is helpful if you’re forgetful like me.

The downsides are:

• Using gaiters from other brands requires modifying the shoe with Velcro
• Topo only seems to sell black gaiters (so far)
• I’ve found their gaiters a bit tricky to get on and off

(If Topo offered a version with a Velcro attachment instead, I’d buy that.)

Shoelaces

Altra Lone Peaks come with a flat shoelace, and Topo Terraventure come with a round shoelace. 

This is probably a non-issue for most people, but I have some mild dexterity issues from shaky hands and have found the Topo laces much easier to manage. The Topo laces also stay tied better for me. (My husband has none of these problems with the Altra laces.)

Some versions of the Lone Peak, specifically the women’s 7 that I wore for a while, had significantly shorter laces than typical, and those were even harder to tie. I saw lots of review complaints about the women's Lone Peak 7's short shoelaces, so I wasn't alone here.

Trail Runners Long-Term Use: Altra vs Topo

I’ve seen many, many complaints from Lone Peak users who say that their shoes fell apart much too quickly.

For reference, the average lifespan of a running shoe, whether built for trail or road, is around 300 to 500 miles. Using a watch like the Garmin Fenix can help track shoe mileage.

I’ve even seen comments that some have switched from Altra to Topo for better shoe longevity. Is that fair?

Here’s what our experience has been so far.

Altra Lone Peak Wear and Tear

My husband has been switching between two pairs of Lone Peak 7s.

At around 100 miles, the fabric on one pair began to split on the inside of the heel area. These shoes are now at 240 miles, and while the fabric has continued to fray, it’s not causing any issues (such as blisters), and he’s continuing to use them.

His second pair is at 175 miles and show no signs of damage. So far he’s been happy with the quality of the shoes, although I have no doubt that others' experiences of issues with their shoes are also valid.

It may matter that the shoes showing damage were also used as cross-trainers, while the ones with no damage were only used for trails.

He’ll continue to test the 7s and the 9+, and we’ll update this post periodically.

Topo Terraventure Wear and Tear

What about the Terraventure? My shoes have less mileage than his, but do show signs of wear.

I’ve been alternating between two pairs of Terraventure 4s. After about 100 miles, the fabric inside the heel area began to split on one pair. Like the Lone Peaks, the split fabric hasn’t caused any issues yet.

My second pair is at 80 miles and shows no signs of splitting fabric yet, but I’ll continue to monitor.

One other minor sign of wear and tear that I noticed on the Terraventure (but not the Lone Peak) is that the branding text on the sole of the shoe began to rub off almost immediately.

This isn’t really an issue — I did notice, though, that my husband’s much more worn Lone Peaks still had most of their branding text on the sole.

Again, the shoes with splitting fabric were also used as cross-trainers, while the shoes without fabric issues have only been used on trails. Both pairs of Topo shoes had the branding text peeling away immediately.

Trail Runners Review: Which Shoe is Best?

Guys, these shoes are really really similar! It’s going to depend on your foot and the fit.

In my opinion, it all comes down to the width of your foot and heel. If you have a narrower foot and heel, you’ll likely prefer the Terraventure. If you prefer a wider shoe fit and a true zero drop, you'll likely want to stick with the Lone Peak.

Whichever shoes you choose, I hope you can wear them on some epic adventures! For more outdoor footwear ideas, see my top picks for hiking sandals or wide toe box shoes and boots.

Do you have any other questions after reading this trail runners review? Let us know in the comments.