Altra

Via Olympus Running Shoe - Men's

Very stiff foam

The worse shoe I've received from Altra. With such a high stack height I'm surprised at how stif the foam is. There is no give or bounce. Very weird shoe. The heel counter digs into my Achilles. Just flare it out!!!

Overrated. Would not buy again

I received these in the black men's size 8. Pros: And they are very light but sturdy! Originally size 9 in women and they fit with enough room for a thick sock. No need for me to size up which I like. Cons: these are not made for over pronation feet. I am flat footed and over pronate and these shoes allow my feet to roll inwards. It looks like it will support due to the wide footbed but this is a facade to the true feel. I feel let down. I will keep them and insert my ortho inserts into them and see if that helps to use for my daily walks with my dog but other than that I'll stick with my Asic Kayano 30 for the real walking. Thanks anyway Altra. And thank you Sierra that I didn't have to spend a ton of money!!!

Had to be broken in

The first 100 miles or so were not great, too firm for the amount of foam and felt like bricks. It seemed like Altra just packed 3cm+ of regular, hard EVA into the shoes; not much cushioning for the stack height. But as they broke in, the foam softened up a little and made for a very comfortable, but still firm, ride. They don't work for super fast paced work, too heavy, but felt great for long runs and even more moderate base runs. The benefit of the thick foam was that the shoes took me past 400 miles no problem. Upper was very durable. Overall pleased with the shoe, but they are very firm and inflexible for the first 100 miles or so. Didn't do great in the cold, that seemed to cause the foam to firm up more; that could've been part of the problem, as I got the shoes in December. Context: College XC runner, 50-60mi per week, alternating with another pair

Comfortable

First pair for me. I love them. Wide toe box let's my toes move naturally. I bought them because I have bad knees. They helped realign my feet to where my knees feel better. I will definitely buy again.

Altra and tongue slippage

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

Size Bought:

12

I like everything about the shoe except for the tongue slips, I wish Altra would gusset the tongues in all their shoes

Another Win for Altra

Used these to train for and run the LA Marathon. The insole felt weird at first on the inside of my right foot but after they broke in they were fine. Had a great race with no issues. Thanks Altra!

I didn't know shoes could be this comfortable.

I'm on my feet all day long and walk around on flat surfaces. I'm and out of a freezer and this is the perfect shoe in terms of comfort. It feels like I'm walking on clouds! The wide toe box is great and leaves nothing to be desired. 10/10 shoe

Buying again today

Bought my first pair last year, AMAZING! buying again now only due to the stench of my feet odor (working on that) wish they had more color options... you'd think they'd offer more after the reviews

I am planning to buy again.

I purchased my first pair of these for work and the were comfortable, so I purchased a pair for everyday wear.

A good, stable shoe for your base runs

I use this shoe for my base miles. I wear the Vanish Tempos for my speed work and long runs. They are fast, but slightly unstable. The firm, stable base of the Via Olympus helps my lower leg recover while maintaining enough cushion for my 225lb frame. My only complaint is that the tongue is too puffy. Even with a runner's lock, I cannot get these shoes to stay tight when I am tying them. Getting a good heel lock is very difficult and I think this leads to a lot of the wear issues people have on the inside of the shoe. It could also use a more aggressive taper at the toe to assist with toe-off.