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. TAYLOR: Max cushion on the trails is pretty much owned by a singular company that provides ample top-notch options. If you run, we don’t have to tell you who (but yeah we’re talking about HOKA). But let it be known¬– “they” are not the only ones slayin’ the game as of late. 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-free

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. 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! 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. The upper is engineered mesh with a few strategically placed overlays for reinforcement, with minimal foothold reinforcement. The heel and toebox are where you’ll find most of the reinforcement, with the heel massively built up over last year.

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. 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. Some may chalk up the Olympus 5’s updates as purely cosmetic, like an underhanded attempt to lure customers into upgrading their shoes for the sake of staying up to date with the newest-looking model. I’m sure many shoe companies are guilty of this ploy, it’s not exactly an original grift after all, but I think Altra is innocent in this case. The Olympus 5’s restructured upper, specifically its sturdier heel collar, gusseted tongue, and gentle engineered mesh, demonstrate the brand’s willingness to smooth out the remaining wrinkles left in the highly-regarded Olympus 4. 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 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.

All 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 Altra Olympus 4.0 fits true to size. I wear a medium size 9.5 (US Men´s). Roomy toebox and foot-shaped design 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. 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. OK so the cushion is great, the ride is great. Shoelaces? A length that is perfectly acceptable! Outsole? The always-reliable, super grippy Vibram MegaGrip. Now on to the womp womp part. Sho Altra Olympus 4 – Men Shop Altra Olympus 4 – Women The BadYou won’t confuse it with the Brooks Catamount (or even the Nike Pegasus Trail 2) for really fast stuff, but don’t expect a lumbering, stiff ride. I was able to keep up with RTR contributor Don Reichelt for 4 miles in them (full disclosure, it was his easy easy day, and I was gasping for air nearly the whole time) so they can’t be *that* slow. 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. So where does this wide-toe-box, high-cushion trail shoe fit in my trail running lineup, and how does it compare with other options on the market? After about 75 miles in the shoe, I have some thoughts about where the Olympus does well, as well as where I’ve found myself reaching for a different pair of shoes. The tongue is on the thinner side, but you would really have to crank down the laces to get any direct lace feel. Altra’s Olympus 5 is a subtle renewal of the previous shoe - so subtle it wouldn’t have surprised me if it got Altra’s _.5 treatment instead of a new number. The midsole and outsole are effectively unchanged, while the upper got a little more structure, and the laces shrank by about 8”.