Altra Olympus 4 trail shoes - supination vs neutral - break in time needed ?

[4sallypat]

After reading posts from others who have need for a larger toe box, I ordered a pair of Altra Olympus 4 for an upcoming camino later this fall.

Planning on walking my very first camino: Portugues from Tui to Santiago in fall this year - 6-8 days walking....

Questions:
1. How much break in time is needed for this type of shoe ?

2. Do I have to worry about getting podiatrist orthotics to change the foot cant to neutral on these shoes for the camino?

I have supinated legs/feet and when I used to ski - orthotics were used to make the foot cant neutral to the ski which helped tremendously.

Normally, I walk 1-2 miles without any orthotics in plain sneakers every day....

 

[trecile]

Altra a a "zero drop" shoe. That means that there is no difference in height from the heel to the toe. Most shoes have a slightly elevated heel. Since most of us are used to having some heel elevation our Achilles tendons can be a bit shortened or tight. Many people need to ease into wearing a zero drop shoe to let their tendons slowly stretch.

This article might be helpful

How to Transition to Zero Drop Shoes

Considering zero-drop shoes? Here’s how to transition to zero-drop shoes with as little pain and trouble as possible, plus the benefits.

thewiredrunner.com

 

[Phoenix]

I had a pair of them. Walked 5 miles right out of the box (I was accustomed to wearing the Altra Lone Peak 5, so was already accustomed to zero drop). They felt great and are considered a neutral shoe, which held true as I walked in them. However, you will need to evaluate whether they feel neutral to you.

The shoes needed no break in period, as they were comfortable from the first step. I did return them to REI after walking appx 25 miles in them, though, as they were a little loose in the heel for me and a half size smaller was too tight.

Buen Camino

 

[davebugg]

1. No, they do not need 'break in' in the typical sense of the phrase, and they will be walkable right out of the box. If they are not comfortable out of the box, are too tight, or are binding in any way, it will not go away. Synthetics do not respond to breaking in like a leather.

You do need to wear them and walk to assess whether they are a good fit and whether they actually will work out for you. Some people - like myself - who try a zero drop type of shoe find that they do not like them. Zero drop shoes are the only shoes that I had to stop gear testing for a manufacturer because I just could not adjust to them.

It is a good idea to wear your loaded backpack and walk 5 to 10 miles over a couple of days to see how the feel to you. A lot of people love them, so only by doing a bit of walking will you know if they are a good match for your needs.

2. The Altras, in general, tend to be a 'neutral' shoe. They are not specifically built with added corrections for either supination or pronation.

 

[Bob Howard]

I wore the Altra Olympus in 2016 and the Timp in 2018, and for 2022 either the current Olympus 4.0 or the Timp 4 which should be released in the next week or two. Comfortable right out of the box. As davebugg indicated above, the initial fit is the key. If the shoe doesn't feel good after strolling around the store, that is unlikely to change on the trail. I suppose I'm used to contemporary trail runners, but I'm still astounded at what we have today vs the olden leather boot days.

 

[antepacem]

Agreed re: the adjustment to zero drop, but I also wanted to add that you don't want to break in Altras much as they only have about 500ish miles in them to begin with. So if you walk 100 in them before you get to the Camino, you'll run out of their usefulness before the end. If you want to train with zero drops, you might end up needing a second pair.

 

[SeñorJacques]

I've been wearing Altra Lone Peaks (mostly the LP4s) for several years now and bought a pair of Olympus 4s a few months ago to wear on my upcoming Camino mainly because of the increased cushioning (aka stack height).

As others have said the zero drop will take some getting used to if you have not worn zero drop shoes before. In my own case I had to get used to the increased weight of the Olympuses, which felt considerably heavier on my feet compared to the Lone Peaks and seemed to slightly aggravate my achilles tendonitis as a result. My podiatrist recommended 1/4" (7 mm) cork heel inserts, which I have been using under the Olympus shoe liners for the last few weeks - and while I feel a bit silly essentially "cancelling out" the supposed benefits of a zero drop shoe by using heel inserts in them, they do seem to have helped with my tendonitis (that, and/or my foot muscles are getting used to supporting the additional weight of the shoes).

The main benefit of Altras for me is the wide toe box, and the toe box on the Olympuses feels not only wider but higher than those on the Lone Peaks, which means my toes have even more room to spread and flex as I'm walking. In my experience, no other shoes - not even Hokas or New Balances, which also have a good reputation for wide toe boxes - even come close in that regard.

I can't speak to the need for orthotics for these but also agree with others that the Olympuses feel neutral as far as contributing to any existing pronation or supination - but if you feel you might want to see whether orthotics will make a difference in the way they feel on you, you may want to consider a pair of Superfeet insoles, which are less expensive than custom orthotics but of comparable quality.

All of which is to say that the Olympuses will likely work out well for you once you get used to the zero drop and weight, which of course you should do well in advance of your Camino. Personally I look forward to the benefits of that extra cushioning and roomy toe box over the course of walking 500+ miles. Ask me again once I get back to Santiago after Finisterre and Muxia!

 

[SeñorJacques]

The shoes needed no break in period, as they were comfortable from the first step. I did return them to REI after walking appx 25 miles in them, though, as they were a little loose in the heel for me and a half size smaller was too tight.

I was in a similar situation when I first started wearing my Olympus 4s: the size was otherwise perfect for me but the heels felt a little loose, especially when I started wearing them with the heel lifts recommended by my podiatrist (see previous post). Then I remembered to relace them using the heel lock method, which I had done for my previous Lone Peaks but had forgotten about - and bingo, no more heel looseness!

Dial In The Perfect Fit Using These Running Shoe Hacks - Road Runner Sports

Learn how to lace running shoes the proper way today. Heel lock lacing can make a ton of difference when it comes to scoring the perfect fit.

www.roadrunnersports.com

The Heel-Lock Lacing Technique For Blister Prevention

The heel-lock lacing technique (aka lace-lock) is my favourite blister prevention lacing technique for heel blisters. Watch these 3 videos to find out how.|The heel-lock lacing technique (aka lace-lock) is my favourite blister prevention lacing technique for heel blisters. Watch these 3 videos...

www.blister-prevention.com

You may already be familiar with this lacing technique (I know it's been discussed on here before), but thought I'd mention it for anyone experiencing a less than ideal heel fit in otherwise well fitting shoes, whether they be the Olympus 4s or otherwise. It really does make a difference.

 

[Phoenix]

I was in a similar situation when I first started wearing my Olympus 4s: the size was otherwise perfect for me but the heels felt a little loose, especially when I started wearing them with the heel lifts recommended by my podiatrist (see previous post). Then I remembered to relace them using the heel lock method, which I had done for my previous Lone Peaks but had forgotten about - and bingo, no more heel looseness!

Dial In The Perfect Fit Using These Running Shoe Hacks - Road Runner Sports

Learn how to lace running shoes the proper way today. Heel lock lacing can make a ton of difference when it comes to scoring the perfect fit.

www.roadrunnersports.com

The Heel-Lock Lacing Technique For Blister Prevention

The heel-lock lacing technique (aka lace-lock) is my favourite blister prevention lacing technique for heel blisters. Watch these 3 videos to find out how.|The heel-lock lacing technique (aka lace-lock) is my favourite blister prevention lacing technique for heel blisters. Watch these 3 videos...

www.blister-prevention.com

You may already be familiar with this lacing technique (I know it's been discussed on here before), but thought I'd mention it for anyone experiencing a less than ideal heel fit in otherwise well fitting shoes, whether they be the Olympus 4s or otherwise. It really does make a difference.

Thanks. Yes, familiar with it from my running days... Unfortunately, I can only use this method for one foot as the other has some nerve sensitivity after knee surgery; it's irritating-painful to cinch the laces tightly.

 

[Keith H]

I was in a similar situation when I first started wearing my Olympus 4s: the size was otherwise perfect for me but the heels felt a little loose, especially when I started wearing them with the heel lifts recommended by my podiatrist (see previous post). Then I remembered to relace them using the heel lock method, which I had done for my previous Lone Peaks but had forgotten about - and bingo, no more heel looseness!

Dial In The Perfect Fit Using These Running Shoe Hacks - Road Runner Sports

Learn how to lace running shoes the proper way today. Heel lock lacing can make a ton of difference when it comes to scoring the perfect fit.

www.roadrunnersports.com

The Heel-Lock Lacing Technique For Blister Prevention

The heel-lock lacing technique (aka lace-lock) is my favourite blister prevention lacing technique for heel blisters. Watch these 3 videos to find out how.|The heel-lock lacing technique (aka lace-lock) is my favourite blister prevention lacing technique for heel blisters. Watch these 3 videos...

www.blister-prevention.com

You may already be familiar with this lacing technique (I know it's been discussed on here before), but thought I'd mention it for anyone experiencing a less than ideal heel fit in otherwise well fitting shoes, whether they be the Olympus 4s or otherwise. It really does make a difference.

Absolutely agree with the heel lock on Altras in general. I’ve used Lone Peaks, 2 different Timps and a couple different Hokas. The Altras really benefitted from the heel lock to keep my foot back in the shoe

 

[4sallypat]

@SeñorJacques
Thank you for the informative link !

I learned why all my sneakers have 1 or 2 unused lace holes.

Very useful tying & lacing info.

Hoping to give some feedback on these shoes on my training hikes.

 

[alipilgrim]

I bought a pair of Olympus a few years ago and at that time Altra included a little pamphlet inside the box with directions on how to wean yourself into wearing their zero drop shoes, ie. 30mins for a few days, 45 mins for a few more, etc etc. until your achilles/calves stretch enough so as not to cause injury. I'm guessing if you didn't find such a pamphlet in your box, you could Google it...