Altra 2022 Trail Line Guide: Eight Shoes From Classic to Race Day

Introduction

Altra’s 2022 trail lineup covers a wider range of runners than ever, and it is worth understanding where each shoe sits before you pick one. The family spans from a barely-cushioned speed shoe for confident trail runners all the way to a waterproof mid boot and a race-focused model with a dial-based closure system. Here is how each model fits into the range, along with stack heights, weights, and pricing where available.

Altra Superior 5: The Lightest and Fastest

The Superior 5 is a carryover for 2022 with no updates beyond new colorways. It keeps a 21 mm stack height and a removable stone guard, so you can take that stone guard in or out depending on how much protection you want underfoot.

This is Altra’s lightest, fastest, lowest-cushion trail shoe, which makes it the pick for runners who want maximum ground feel on smooth, non-technical trails.

Altra Lone Peak 6: The Original, Still Going Strong

The Lone Peak 6 launched in January 2022 with few changes, and that consistency is exactly the point: if you liked the Lone Peak before, you will keep liking it. It remains the original Altra trail shoe, launched a decade ago and still one of the brand’s top sellers.

One detail many people miss is that the Lone Peak is now offered in a wide version for even more room. Altra offers wide fits on the Torin, the Outroad, and the Lone Peak, and those are the brand’s top two selling shoes. The Lone Peak brings technical performance touches like nubby lugs and a full-length sandwich stone guard.

Altra Outroad: A Road Shoe With Traction

The Outroad is the new shoe in the lineup, built for a specific reality: many newer trail runners do not live in high, rocky mountain terrain. They leave their front door, run a mile to the trail, cover a few miles of dirt or gravel road, maybe touch a bit of singletrack, and run home. Think of it as the gravel bike of the shoe world.

It is essentially a road shoe with traction, based on the Rivera road model with an Ego midsole, more secure fit, and additional lug surface area that also works well on pavement. It uses Altra’s slimmer fit, making it the snuggest trail shoe in the lineup in terms of volume. The upper is a tighter trail-style knit that keeps out dust and debris, with trail-shoe mesh but without a traditional toe-cap stone guard. It weighs just over 10 oz, runs smooth, and launches in June at $130 to $135, a very approachable price point.

Altra Timp 4: A Burlier Overhaul

The Timp 4 is a huge overhaul. With the Outroad covering the mellow end of the spectrum, Altra pushed the Timp in a more technical, gnarlier direction. You get a much more abrasion-resistant upper, mesh panels with drain holes in the forefoot, dedicated downhill lugs and uphill lugs, and a burlier, more durable build overall.

The stack height stays at 29 mm, gaiter attachments remain, and there is a pull tab for easy on and off that genuinely works. The shoe was developed with Altra athlete Jeff Browning, and the fit is dialed in, sitting closer to the Timp 3’s roomier feel than the snugger Timp 2. It is priced at $140 with plenty of tech features for the money.

Altra Olympus 5: Max Cushion That Still Runs Nimble

The Olympus 4 exploded in popularity last year as Altra’s fastest-growing SKU in percentage terms, and the Olympus 5 builds on that success without changing what people loved. The outsole is the same Vibram Megagrip, the stack height is still 33 mm, and the fit is unchanged. Your foot sits down inside the thick midsole, with double-sided guardrails keeping it stable.

The updates are all in the upper: added toe protection for durability, TPU overlays on both sides for stability, and a premium liner with a slip-in pull tab and a nicer design. There is even a small reflective hit bearing the coordinates of Mount Olympus. The result is a shoe that is more durable and better looking while keeping the same fit and performance. The key trait that made the Olympus line popular holds: despite being max cushion, it runs nimble and fun rather than clunky, with a smooth ride. The Olympus family launches in July at $190.

Altra Olympus 5 Gore-Tex Mid: The Waterproof Family Expands

The Olympus is becoming a family: the standard mesh version, a Gore-Tex low-cut, and the Olympus 5 Gore-Tex Mid showcased here. The mid version adds a fairly stiff heel counter and a plush, supportive upper, all lined with Gore-Tex for premium waterproofing and built for rugged durability.

The midsole foam is a little firmer than the standard model, so it is not quite as soft and flexible, but you gain mileage and durability in exchange. The design is functional and looks strong, with a solidified fit that makes sliding in and out easy. It shares the Olympus family’s July launch window and $190 price point.

Altra Mont Blanc: The First True Race Shoe

Part of Altra’s Project 275, the Mont Blanc is made for UTMB-style racing: 100 miles over nasty terrain as fast as you can possibly go. It has a really lightweight, very breathable upper that trades some protection for speed, plus a gusseted tongue and a ripstop mono-mesh construction.

The Vibram Megagrip outsole uses a light base with lugs only where you need them, maximizing downhill and uphill traction. Stack height is 31 mm, right between the Timp and the Olympus, and the weight is almost the same as the Superior, which is a striking combination of cushion and lightness. Like the Olympus, it is surprisingly stable and nimble for its stack. The shoe has been tested by Altra’s elite athletes including Jeff Browning, Amanda Basham, and Ryan Montgomery. It launches in March 2022 at $180, and it fills a real gap: the line previously had no race-specific shoe with a tuned race fit and feel.

Altra Mont Blanc BOA: Precision Fit for Racing

The Mont Blanc BOA shares the same outsole and midsole as the standard Mont Blanc, but adds a partnership with BOA and its double precision fit system. The construction feels like a slipper: a gusseted slip-on inside, with four points of contact wrapping over the top of the foot, no overlays underneath, and no traditional straps down the top.

The practical payoff is fit adjustment on the fly. You can loosen the toe area while keeping the rear cranked down, snap and tighten mid-run, and one useful race pattern is keeping the fit a little looser on climbs and cranking it down for descents. The design trades a bit of everyday versatility for a genuinely second-to-none performance fit. It launches in May 2022, a couple of months after the standard Mont Blanc, at $215, the BOA and Vibram premium showing in the price.

Which Altra Trail Shoe Should You Buy?

Match the shoe to where you actually run. If your routes are smooth and you want ground feel, the Superior 5 is the lightest option. For classic all-around trail duty with an optional wide fit, the Lone Peak 6 remains the safe bet. Doorstep-to-trail mixed surfaces call for the Outroad, while rocky, gnarly terrain is the Timp 4’s territory. If you want max cushion that does not run clunky, the Olympus 5 is the standout, and the Gore-Tex Mid extends that into wet and rugged conditions. For racing, choose the Mont Blanc for speed-focused performance or the Mont Blanc BOA if adjustable precision fit matters to you.

Conclusion

Altra’s 2022 trail line now covers nearly every trail scenario, from sub-10 oz ground-feel shoes to waterproof mids and a purpose-built racer. The two clear headline additions are the Outroad for the huge group of runners mixing pavement, gravel, and trail, and the Mont Blanc family for the racing crowd. Whichever direction you lean, there is now a model in the range shaped for it.