Trail-Running Shoes Buying Guide

When you want to feel agile on the trails, the men's Altra Superior 6 trail-running shoes provide plenty of grip and lightweight cushion to get you out exploring at whatever pace you like to run.
Imported.
View the Altra Superior Product LineView all Altra Men's Trail-Running ShoesBest Use | Trail Running |
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Trail-Running Shoe Type | Light-Trail |
Running Shoe Cushioning | Minimal Cushion |
Heel-to-Toe Drop (mm) | 0 |
Heel Stack Height (mm) | 21 |
Forefoot Stack Height (mm) | 21 |
Footwear Height | Ankle |
Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
Upper | Engineered knit textile |
Lining | Nylon |
Midsole | Compression-molded EVA |
Outsole | MaxTrac rubber |
Rock Plate | No |
Weight (Pair) | 1 lb. 4.2 oz. |
Gender | Men's |
7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
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U.S. Men's | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
UK | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
EU | 40 | 40.5 | 41 | 42 | 42.5 | 43 | 44 | 44.5 | 45 | 46 | 46.5 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51.5 |
Foot Length (in.) | 9.8 | 10 | 10.2 | 10.4 | 10.6 | 10.8 | 11 | 11.2 | 11.4 | 11.6 | 11.8 | 12 | 12.2 | 12.6 | 13 | 13.4 |
Altra’s unique FootShape™ toe box and zero to low shoes are built to place your foot in a natural position, with a stable and confident foundation to run on. When fitting, be sure to allow a full thumb’s width in front of your toes. If your feet are used to cramped toe boxes, Altra shoes may feel a little big at first. Give your toes some time to get used to the newfound wiggle room.
Altra offers a range of FootShape fits:
Original Fit: The fit that started it all, Original is the roomiest of the 3 options from Altra.
Standard Fit: The most common fit from Altra is right in the middle of Original and Slim.
Slim Fit: The slimmest-fitting Altra option still allows room for your toes to spread out naturally.
IS THIS SHOE TRUE TO SIZE? The product Features above will provide a suggestion if Altra advises you to size up or down in this particular shoe. If no such note exists, please order your regular size.
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I love Altra especially the Superior. They are my go to general purpose shoe. Unfortunately Altra seems to forgot the reason they got their reputation and popularity. Every generation of Superiors gets narrower and less toe room. This is the reason I tend to buy 3 pairs when I find a generation which are good. Still have a new pair from 2 generations ago. Will be returning these. Might have to check out TOPO when I return these.
The length and toe box of the shoe are sized just right, but the weird tongue makes the shoe really narrow across the top of the foot. A decision was made to sew the length of the tongue into the shoe with a flap of fabric, and this fabric folds over itself to create a pinch point. No matter how I adjusted the shoe, tongue, or laces, I could not get rid of the pressure point from that fold.
Love these shoes, but this is what I wish I knew while shopping: hopefully you know these are zero drop and great for running on the balls of your feet. They have minimal cushioning, but it’s still there. The insole is thin but dense and the sole is also thin and dense (but not hard). Tread on the shoes are soft and sticky. They will probably wear quickly on pavement but are great on trails. The tongue is sewn on both sides. The inside tongue seam is continuous with the shoe wall. The outside of the tongue seam has some extra (non elastic) material for adjustments. I do not feel the extra material when wearing them. Toe cap is firm but not as much as I’d like. The heel is also softer than I’d like. They sit pretty low on your foot. The material is light and breathable and the toe box is very roomy without sacrificing a snug fit.
This was the second pair of Altra’s I’ve tried. They fit in length and toe box room, but are super tight across the foot bridge. I have wide feet and these just don’t work. Sadly, I’ll be returning them.
This is a shoe you can sprint in, jog in, lift in, and scramble in. My chief complaint is overall build quality. The rubber on the bottom is deceptively sticky on rocks, and the cushion is a happy medium for people that like barefooting but need cushion on longer hikes.
Not sure why the negative reviews. Been using the superior five for quite a while. >500 miles on the AT with them. These feel even better. Tongue fits better, like the new updated lace lock system, still nice wide toe box. 
Nervous to try these (I am a Timp fan) but they have been fine. For my experience, I've had to break them in. I have never had a blister yet with Altras.