Altra Lone Peak Trail Runner

www.altrazerodrop.com, 9.9 ounces
The Altra Lone Peak trail shoe was everything I was expecting, and more. I am used to hitting the pavement for my runs, so the ability to make an effortless transition into trail running has a lot to do with the shoe. I had never ran on trails or in a minimalist shoe, so I was not sure what to expect with the Altra’s zero drop approach, which means that the heel and toes are on the exact same distance from the surface on which you are running. This drop is the same you get while running barefoot, but with the Altras, you also get a nice layer of padding between you and the trail, which insulates you from rocks and roots and other obstacles. Once I laced up the Lone Peak shoe, my foot felt comfortable and I quickly acclimated to the different rung style. The vibrant yellow accents compliment almost any athletic wear and the graphical component—a black silhouette of Utah’s Wasatch Mountain range—is a great way to announce your love of the trails (the barefoot graphic on the shoe tread is also perfectly playful). The shoe also has a rear “mud flap” that helps prevent debris from striking the back of your legs, which I found to be a helpful feature. The tread is aggressive enough to provide the grip I needed when I tripped over a root or had to climb up the side of a mountain. I ran through and jumped over streams, but the shoe never failed to do its job. My foot did get slightly wet when passing through water, but that is to be expected with almost any shoe.  The Lone Peaks will continue to take me to places that I’d only dreamed of exploring.
-Jonathan Seabolt