REVIEWS
68 Reviews
Unhappy C.
The Olympus, and Altra in general, have been my go-to for a long time, possibly 30 pairs. The Olympus is a shoe I am very familiar with and enjoyed without issue up until this single addition of this stitched heel pad. It is a blister disaster! The stitching caused severe and debilitating backcountry blisters unlike any other model of the Olympus. This new addition to the Olympus is a disaster. One can only see this in the fact that it was immediately removed from the next model. Good work. But don't offload these to unsuspecting customers. They are garbage and you need to own the mistake, not pass it on.
seth r.
Not sure why everyone complains about blisters but ive done close to 140 miles this year on them and not one blister for me. but for such low miles the shoe seems to be getting beat up pretty good. That might just becasue of the northeast trails. overall great shoe
Josh M.
Absolutely love these shoes! Super comfortable, supportive, and great for long walks and hikes. The wide toe box makes a huge difference. Definitely one of the most comfortable pairs I’ve owned.
Rick
Love the support of these newly revamped shoes. Went a half size up for proper fit. Had them a year now. The roomy toe box and toe spread they offer is outstanding. Best athletic shoe ever.
Willie
I had worn Olympus' before and loved them, so ordered a pair of Olympus 6 not expecting any problems. The shoe fit well and felt great underfoot, but in less than 30 minutes on my first run I could feel the interior heel counter rubbing my heel raw. After a two hour drive to mountains I had to cut my run short to attend to my feet. The second run was no better. . . very disappointing. The heel bar needs to be rounded or broken in the middle. It's always a shame when poor execution ruins a proven shoe, in this case costing me a lot of money.
BA
I bought my first pair of Olympus 6 several months ago for this summer hiking season. First use of them was yesterday, I went on a 21 mile hike in the Sierras. This is a twice a week thing for me. 3 miles in I had a heel blister develop. I taped it and continued on. Really disappointed. The 5s had bottom durability issues but didn't have the heel blister issue. Why would Altra change the heel? It appears the 5s aren't being made anymore either. Ugg.
Brian B.
These shoes absolutely roasted my heel and raised a huge blister within 1. 5 miles of a very mild hike at moderate pace. Seems a common issue. Since I actually bled in these shoes I obviously can't expect the shop that sold them to me to take them back. Why that padded ridge is included in the back of the shoes is beyond me. I guess I'll cut the brand new shoes up and try to get by. Obviously sucks for the money I spent.
Saquon
Olympus 4&5 would wear through the rear heel area in about 100 miles and form plastic like balls that would cause major ripping of the skin of my heels. I’d have to cut the balls out of the heel to try to prevent injury. The Olympus 6 is a BIG improvement 485 miles and the heel area is just starting to deteriorate. Please keep this heel design my heels appreciate it. Just wish the soles would last a bit longer now.
Kevin G.
I recently bought this pair of Olympuses to replace the Olympus 275s I had been wearing, and overall they work pretty well, with a couple of minor issues. The padding is excellent without making you feel like you're trying to run on platforms. The classic wide toe box/zero drop works great for my wide, flat feet. The heel cushion is . . . potentially problematic. I'd seen complaints about the cushion that wraps just above the heel and how it was rubbing some people raw, and on my first outing I could feel my heels rubbing against the cushion, especially on my left foot, which is slightly shorter than my right. I was able to fix this by using the extra pair of eyelets to make a "heel lock" or "runner's loop," but that then created a second problem--the laces are too short. I need to use double knots to keep my laces from coming undone, but there's so little lace left after making a runner's loop that getting a double knot is a challenge. Other than the issue of getting my shoes tied properly, however, the Olympuses fit well, feel comfortable, and give me a good combination of cushion and stability. They are also easier to slide my foot into than the 275s, where the collar that keeps out debris can get shoved inside the shoe.
Tyler S.
Same as most other people. I'm a trail runner and love everything about the shoe except the heel pillow. Very severe blisters after 10 miles of running. I tried removing the heel cushion but it's just not designed with any cushion besides the Achilles pillow. Really disappointed because everything else about it is great, it is a decently expensive shoe for me, and was really needing it to last me a few hundred miles at least.
Jeff C.
No issues! Comfortable out of the box and so far have held up well! Hard waring for several months trail hiking and work on concrete. Had to upsize by a half size because of heal pad.
John C.
I bought a pair of these and really liked them but then after about 200 miles the cushion gave out rapidly and went to near zero, my other shoes all have lasted 500 miles at least so I bought a second pair and they made my heel bleed very disappointed.
Hunter
I have a pair of experience flow 3, experience wild 3, and lone peak 8. They are all great shoes. I cannot get past the awful blisters I'm getting in my heels from these shoes. I've never had this problem from any of my other shoes. Ran about 25 miles on them and gave up on them. Which sucks because everything about them is great other than that.
Robert C.
First pair of Altras and I love them! The fit, finish and comfort are all on point. Was worried about the heel pillow but it worked fine for me. Will continue to buy these as long as they make them.
Me23
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] First pair of Altras, and they’re amazing! Very comfortable and they wear quite nicely.
Read All Reviews (68)
*Online only. First-time subscribers only. Returning subscribers will be resubscribed for marketing/promo emails.
*Online only. First-time subscribers only. Returning subscribers will be resubscribed for marketing/promo emails.
© 2026 Public Lands
If you are using a screen reader or other assistive technology and are having problems using this website, or if you have any other difficulties accessing this website, please call 1-844-890-0896 for assistance
*Donations are based on purchase price, excluding taxes or other charges. The Public Lands Fund is a program of the DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charity. Learn more at publiclandsfund.org.
