The Altra Olympus 6. All footage: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Get married. Have a toddler. Transfer to the suburbs. Get started operating numerous miles within the Altra Olympus 6 ($175).
Whilst tongue in cheek, this series will sound acquainted to many people as we hit height adultness. A few of us get somewhat heavier, somewhat slower, and somewhat extra fascinated with convenience. After many days in numerous terrain, the Altra Olympus 6 is a cruise-y shoe in your mid-life technology.
I love to run rapid (or a minimum of check out arduous); I do observe exercises, races, and durations. I’ve reviewed numerous short-distance, light-weight racing sneakers for iRunFar, so this shoe is a large detour in my rotation, however one I’ve come to actually revel in, specifically on lengthy and rambling mountain runs with my higher part.
I will be able to now not persuade myself to squeeze my foot into sneakers just like the Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 3 or the Brooks Catamount Agil, except I’m on the lookout for top efficiency in races or for exercises.
When the order of the day is lengthy and sluggish (and no longer very technical), I now succeed in for the pontoon-like bulldozers which can be the Olympus 6. This shoe packs creature comforts, whether or not it’s the “Achilles pillow” on the heel, the claimed 33 millimeters of soft foam, or the toebox this is accommodating even together with your thickest run or hike socks. In trade for that convenience, the Olympus 6’s precise weight is a no longer mild 12.5 oz. (354 grams) for a U.S. males’s 9, whilst keeping up Altra’s same old zero-drop platform.
My historical past with Altra over the previous few years has been extraordinarily restricted because of the truth that, particularly with these days’s sneakers, I like a rockered form, carbon plates, massive stack, and plenty of heel-to-toe drop. Towards the ones qualities, Altra can really feel extraordinarily flat and uninspiring. I used to be very shocked to search out that the Olympus 6 can be my gateway again to the logo after an excessively lengthy absence.
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Altra Olympus 6 Higher
A lateral view of the Altra Olympus 6.
Altra hasn’t ever had an aesthetics drawback. Regardless of the true efficiency no longer being favorable for my explicit taste of operating, I’ve at all times actually appreciated the way in which they appear. While you upload a gorgeous aesthetic to a mega-cushioned and heavy shoe, you get an sudden spice up of enthusiasm for the usage of them, and the Altra Olympus 6 doesn’t disappoint. It has an excessively trendy glance with its carved and contoured shapes across the medial and lateral sections of froth.
From the Altra Olympus 5 to the Olympus 6, you get extra breathability in the course of the tongue segment and the toe, however that’s about it. This shoe, with its bulldozer demeanor, is all in regards to the overlays. There are beefy textured overlays on most sensible of clean overlays (underlays?) on each side of the forefoot, the entire means as much as the vintage Altra toe cap (with a Vibram brand stamp).
Those overlays will assist handle the integrity of the higher as a result of they’re in maximum, however no longer all, of the top affect spaces. Altra will have to have added an overlay at the fore to the midfoot space at the medial aspect, since this space of mesh is unprotected. There’s no deterioration there but, however it sort of feels more likely to happen as a unmarried swipe from some talus or different sharp rock may just shred it.
The shoelaces are one of the beefiest I’ve ever noticed. They’re much more likely to remind you of leather-based mountaineering boots from the Seventies than a path operating shoe in 2024. A extra light-weight or streamlined set of laces would make this a a lot more svelte-looking and feeling shoe bundle.
Altra’s trademark Achilles pillow is a pleasing upload for additonal cushioning within the heel; it additionally has the good thing about lessening the overall gaps across the collar to forestall particles from getting into. The Achilles heel pillow is hooked up to one of the vital huge pull tabs I’ve ever noticed on a operating shoe; it’s simply any other indication of this shoe’s “extra is extra” philosophy.
Altra Olympus 6 Midsole
A medial view of the Altra Olympus 6.
The Altra Olympus 6 doesn’t use proprietary or branded midsole foam from Altra (i.e., Ego Max); it makes use of compression-molded EVA, very similar to what used to be used within the Altra Olympus 4.
My ancient primary gripe about zero-drop sneakers is the loss of roll in the course of the stride, feeling extra like my ft are simply slapping on the floor. (This sensation has adopted me the entire approach to different trendy Altral modesl, like the brand new Altra Timp 5, which I examined within the spring). As an excessively soft shoe, possibly my expectancies have been inherently altered, however I to find this midsole compound to be the perfect I’ve used from Altra in a very long time.
There are 33 millimeters of stack, so it’s a pleasing large bite of froth underfoot, however there’s palpably extra pop and spring when rolling alongside, whether or not on flat or uphill terrain. However this does come at a value. The place the aforementioned race sneakers from Salomon and Brooks are sensational downhilling sneakers, the Olympus doesn’t declare to be, neither is it.
Actual foot placement shouldn’t be a factor right here. It’s extra like, select a line after which smush–and–wreck no matter’s beneath. Touchdown on awkward surfaces can also be virtually in an instant nullified as the large touch patch of the outsole grabs on the floor and the midsole simply smooths it proper out.
Altra Olympus 6 Outsole
The outsole of the Altra Olympus 6.
The Vibram Megagrip outsole acts as somewhat of a governor for the Altra Olympus 6. This can be a extremely succesful and flexible outsole, however its loss of aggression will save you you from hanging this shoe in puts it doesn’t belong, corresponding to in deep dust or up and down fells.
The outsole development is in a in large part unchanged configuration from earlier variations within the Olympus lineup. I’ve used the shoe in scree and in tight areas on ascents of a couple of San Juan Mountains 14ers in Colorado; there was dust, creek crossings, and simply extremely dry and unfastened filth and this outsole stands as much as it all.
Altra’s standard outsole development, the place lugs line the silhouette of your foot’s sole, is in position right here and this strategic development actually is helping from catching errant zingers from touchdown wrongly.
A big drainage port from the midfoot to heel is helping save you dust buildup. One thing I preferred after gathering a reasonably sizable quantity of dust in different places right through the 14ers runs.
Altra Olympus 6 Total Impressions
A most sensible view of the Altra Olympus 6.
Regardless that I will have entered (or I’m a minimum of toeing) a slowed-down technology of my operating, the Altra Olympus 6 has been an excessively soft access into this international.
The expectancies are transparent: this can be a max cushioned, max convenience, and max mileage shoe for path runners and hikers, however it is usually someway essentially the most a laugh Altra shoe I’ve examined in years. There are few competition for a shoe with this DNA and it’s no surprise that this has grow to be a franchise in Altra’s path lineup.
The New Stability Extra Path V3 and Hoka Stinson 7 are some of the closest present challengers within the ultrarunning “tank” class, however not like the ones sneakers, the wide-footed amongst us will to find such a lot convenience and room to respire with the Olympus 6.
With wider than moderate ft and bunions, years of cramming my ft into light-weight and slender path trainers makes the Olympus 6 a protracted, full-bellied breath of unpolluted air for path operating on lengthy and simple days.
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- Have you ever attempted the Altra Olympus 6? What are your ideas on it?
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