Altra Olympus 4 Trail Running Shoes

Product Information

Enter the Altra Olympus 4, a shoe that’s as hulking as it sounds and ready to handle the fire of the gods. Like many of Altra’s 2020 lineup, the Olympus 4 sports a new and fresh look. It’s even been featured on Hypebeast, which you know would’ve been insane for any Altra shoe three years ago. That said, it is one of the few models that retains some of its classic technology. So, if you have been in the Altra cult since the beginning, listen up. Feeling sentimental toward a shoe sounds like a symptom of some deeper-rooted issue bubbling up to the level of consciousness, but I can’t help having an emotional attachment to Altra’s Olympus line (what an absurd thing to write!). We break up the narratives of our lives into befores and afters, divisions made by watershed events like marriage, childbirth, graduations, etc. For me, thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2018 served as one of those great timeshifts, an incalculable event that shed the familiar skin of everything I had experienced before it. Many of the 100-something days it took me to complete the PCT were spent gazing down at my feet casted in a pair of the Olympus 3.5, a silhouette forever impressed into my memory from that fateful summer. The gusseted tongue isn’t going anywhere, and is adequately cushioned without going full-fledged plush. However, the big issue with the shoe is adjacent to the tongue - the laces are among the worst ever used in a running shoe. They are much too short to be useful in standard lacing, and they also have very little friction and come untied constantly. Durability doesn’t seem to be an issue thus far. There are ten “lugs” in the exposed midsole section (I put in quotes because they don’t really do much besides look the part) and thus far they are wearing down some - but every other part of the shoe seems just fine.

Helping to keep the shoe as light as it is (11.6 oz) is the mesh upper present in the mid foot area that helps the Olympus 4.0 to breath quite well. If you’ve studied the total mileage I’ve spent testing the Olympus 5 in relation to the average length of my runs in the shoe, basic algebra will tell you that I’ve actually only run in it about half a dozen times (so far). That’s not too far off. At shorter distances, like 7-12 mile runs that make up the bulk of my weekly training, the Olympus 5 often felt slushy and excessive, clearly the wrong caliber of shoe for anything excepting more than a few hours on feet. Altra shoes are already somewhat polarizing because of their unorthodox fit, and everything that makes the Olympus 5 a phenomenal ultra-distance option can be thought to further narrow its audience, myself included. As we move into the “off-season” and my running enters somewhat of a fallow period, my pair likely won’t get a ton of use until the spring days (and longer outings) arrive. Durability Thankfully, the shoe isn’t terribly heavy, which was a pleasant surprise to me given the amount of cushion and the sturdy heel cup/toe cap that the Olympus 4.0 brings to the table.The plush cushion of the sole makes the Olympus 4.0 less responsive than one would hope. Some of the energy return is eaten up in the sponginess, but of course, this isn't really a shoe for taking to the races. Comfort for days! Number two: Overall, the fit is a little like eating a platter of fully loaded nachos without a napkin or utensils… a bit sloppy. That cheese is movin’. I kind of expect it from a max cushion shoe, but I was really hoping for a supremely secure fit like that found in the Altra Timp 2. The grooves also help drop weight on the Olympus (.3 oz from the previous model). My men’s 10.5 weighs in at 12.2 ounces, which, for the amount of trail protection you are getting, is pretty reasonable. There really isn’t a limit on how far you can go with these as long as you’re on appropriate terrain. After my first run in the Olympus 4.0, I was sold on the shoe as a solid option for any trail conditions.

In Altra's trail running line, Lone Peak's are the closest you get to a typical trail running shoe and hence a safer choice than the Olympus and is probably a better option for beginner folks. We also discovered that the shoe has thinner-than-average rubber layers and lugs. The Vibram outsole is 2.8 mm, 0.7 mm thinner than the average. The lugs (3.0 mm) are also a bit smaller than the average (3.5 mm). That means it takes less abrasion to wear through the shoe's outsole. At least it bites Coming in at 11.6oz (328g) the Altra Olympus 4.0 is not much heavier than other maximalist shoes like the Hoka Speedgoat 4 (10.8oz/306g). I run in both and can barely feel the difference. The Olympus 4.0 feels light on the foot, and never once did it feel clunky, even though it would fall into the plush or maximal category of shoes. Tongue stays in place and keeps your shoe debris-freeThe fit is spot on true-to-size, with a perfectly adequate toebo...sorry, I couldn’t even write it without breaking. It’s an Altra toebox. It’s huge. So, in traction department, it's safe to say Olympus 4.0 = Lone Peak 4.5 > Olympus 3.5 for most of the cases. Conclusion In fact, comparing one of these trail running shoes to Timp's, rather than to each other, would make more sense, but never mind... Cushion Innerflex grooves in the midsole give more flexibility for a better running experience. Though it is indeed big, the Olympus rolls very smoothly through each stride at low-to-moderate paces.

Jeff: If the Olympus 4 is a sign of what’s to come, Altra is trending up - way up. I’ve liked and ran in almost every version of the Olympus, but it’s always been a bit unwieldy. As Altra’s biggest trail shoe you shouldn’t expect it to be super nimble or agile, but the level of protection didn’t seem to be on par with just how big and bulky they were. That changes now. When I saw early shots of the Olympus 4 I was sure they were mislabeled and meant the Timp, Lone Peak, or maybe some altogether new model - there was no way an Olympus could look that svelte. Clearly, I was wrong. But don’t think that Altra ruined the shoe by making it a big departure from the lines’ previous design. This is still an Olympus in all the ways you want, but now it doesn’t look like it serves an orthopedic function, and the midsole cushioning is much more resilient. With a stated weight of 329 g / 11.6 oz (US men’s size 9) the Olympus 4.0 is certainly not the lightest trail shoe around, but then again, that really isn’t what this shoe is designed to be. Below I have included the stated weights of some similar maximalist trail shoes from different brands (all stated weights are based on a US men’s size 9): Cushion: It might not be for everyone, but the bounce in this ride is undeniable. I experienced fewer pointy zingers and less daily foot fatigue in these shoes when compared to other, less-cushioned shoes that I have used (and loved) while thru-hiking. ERIN: This is, I think, the third iteration of the Olympus that I’ve reviewed (maybe it’s the second?) and now that I’ve also tried the HOKA Stinson ATR, I concur with Taylor’s Godzilla versus King Kong comparison. They’re both… I mean, they’re big shoes. Real big. Almost comically so. Who would win? Well, that’s not really the point of this review, I guess, but leave a comment if you want to answer. The GoodAll that ‘white’ is just foam, not rubber. It doesn’t grip at all when wet, which takes some getting used to. But hey, look at the rubber after 700 miles. Pretty good shape. The ergonomic foot-shaped design is a trademark of Altra. Employing the natural contours of the human foot, Altra achieves a style that is both comfortable and functional. The toes have ample room to splay. The wide platform makes for a stable running platform on sometimes unstable ground. The reinforced lace cage and flat laces do an excellent job securing the foot. I felt stable on downhills and cornering. Great all-day underfoot protection is not the only thing you’re getting with the Olympus. All-day comfort is coming from the topside too. An engineered mesh upper provides a soft feel and great breathability. The Olympus 4 has a new thin gusseted tongue that provides a noticeably better fit and another comfortable touch.

Straight away the Olympus 5 feels like it could be the Olympus 4.5, following Altra’s tradition of calling minor updates _.5 instead of a full new number. The outsole and midsole are nearly identical, while the upper is a subtle shift. That said, I really enjoyed the Olympus 4, so a slight refinement is great. I wanted to make this clear before we get to compare these two products because cushioning would be my single most important criteria when deciding between them - although joint health shouldn't be counted as a criteria. The tongue is gusseted with thin bands on either side to keep it planted, and you may notice that the top of the tongue has a small notch in it. Somewhat reminiscent of the Nike Vaporfly, the notch fits perfectly for the tendon or ligament at the top of the foot.

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They all are, it’s just what they do. Narrow-footed runners might be swimming in it, but medium to wide-footed runners should find a very comfortable home in the Olympus.