Altra Lone Peak 8 Review: Ain’t Broke? Don’t Fix It

What You Need To Know

Introduction to the Altra Lone Peak 8

MICHAEL: Dependability, sweet dependability. In a whirlwind of wild change, with narrowing toe boxes and 4 mm drops flying around everywhere, one might ask, is Altra in an identity crisis of tragic proportions? The brand, historically aligned with abundant wiggle room and zero millimeter drops, appears at a glance to be conceding to the rest of the industry, turning out more and more shoe models that are beginning to look and behave like everyone else.

The times, they are a changin’…well, sorta. You see, while the rest of the Altra lineup may be looking to change up their wardrobe to fit in with the rest of the class, the Lone Peak 8 remains true to its style, ultimately like a bastion or reminder to which the Altra faithful can cast their gaze amidst these changing times. This is a lighthouse in the storm, Altra people.

For the Lone Peak 8, dependable design choices go further than staying true to Altra’s heritage. Without spoiling too much of the review, this shoe is nearly identical to version seven. That being said, the slight changes in the shoe (I believe) will yield a longer-lasting, higher-quality product. Lone Peak fans will almost certainly enjoy this update (or lack thereof).

What we like about the Altra Lone Peak 8

MICHAEL: Did I mention this is, like, the exact same shoe as last year? All the great stuff about the Lone Peak 7 is back again. Most notably, my two favorite aspects of this shoe are the midsole durometer and the fit through the midfoot. The EGO foam is soft whilst still providing some underfoot protection, and that midfoot lockdown is totally solid — something we’ve always come to expect from Altra. Likewise, the massive, roomy, blister-allergic toe box is, of course, here in version 8.

The one (and only) perceivable change to the Lone Peak 8 from last year’s model is an updated upper base material. While 95% of the overlays and such all remain the same, Altra swapped from a cheap-feeling engineered mesh to a heavier-duty ripstop nylon, reminiscent of the Lone Peak 4 and Lone Peak 6. (After doing a bit of research, it seems Altra has been using ripstop on their even-numbered models and engineered mesh on their odd-numbered models. A pattern, perhaps?) Conspiratorial sleuthing aside, this gridstop material feels much higher quality, and I think will both last longer and protect better than the stuff used in version seven.

After putting nearly 100 miles on the Lone Peak 7 last year, I found version eight to be equally as enjoyable for easy mileage when I’m looking to engage that calf, soleus muscle, and fascia chain through toe-off. I’ve noticed that this tactical deployment of the Lone Peak in my rotation has helped to strengthen those muscles. It may just be luck, but I actually do think I’ve had fewer Achilles tendinitis issues this year. So, while this shoe is not something I will personally look to put hundreds of miles in, I think any runner can benefit from hopping in a zero-drop shoe from time to time.

And there’s one last thing that can’t go unmentioned. In a market where companies are constantly tacking on $5 here and $10 here to their latest model updates, Altra said, “Count me in as who cares” to inflation and actually deflated their prices by $10, which is pretty awesome. Last year, I mentioned that changes to the Lone Peak were a masterclass in manageable, achievable New Year’s resolutions. So, with only two small yet positive changes to version eight in the upper and price, that sentiment remains.

What we don’t like about the Altra Lone Peak 8

MICHAEL: With the exception of the swap to a ripstop upper this year, the same things we didn’t like about version seven are, you guessed it, back again in version eight. The main complaint here, of course, is the Max-Trac outsole. Sorry Altra, this stuff ain’t it. In addition to it generally performing poorly in even slightly wet conditions, I found that in version seven, it wore down pretty substantially after just 100 miles of use. So, while I told myself before writing this review that I wasn’t going to totally blast the Lone Peak because it’s not as good of a shoe as the Topo Athletic Runventure or whatever, this is a real point of disparity between the two brand’s similarly-priced models that can’t be ignored.

Topo’s use of Vibram in every model is actually light-years ahead of Max-Trac. That being said, Altra loyalists seeking the best of the best in traction will be seeing a real upgrade to the Lone Peak upsell, the Timp, but it doesn’t change the fact that Max-Trac is still here in the Lone Peak, and it’s still not very good. (In what may be the zero-drop trail shoe showdown of the year, stay tuned to find out if the Timp’s upgrades have what it takes to go round for round with our favorite zero-drop shoe in recent memory, the Topo Pursuit.)

Final thoughts on the Altra Lone Peak 8

MICHAEL: Just like the shoe’s namesake, the Lone Peak stands prominently as one model in Altra’s trail lineup that retains the OG massive toe box and zero-drop midsole that made Altra famous. If you enjoyed version seven, or really any other Lone Peak model through the years, you’ll no doubt find something to appreciate about this super low-key update to a real classic of a shoe.

You can pick up the Altra Lone Peak 8 for $139 at Running Warehouse (featuring free 2-day shipping and 90-day returns) using the buttons below.