I will soon need a replacement for my Go Trail Ultra 3s, which are very soft and bouncy, having remained so for almost 500 miles. This might read as contradictory to my point about the Olympus 5’s heft not really mattering much considering its intended use as an ultra-ultra-distance shoe, but weight is no longer inconsequential after a certain point. It’s too bad, because there are some promising updates here, but I’m not risking an injury to run on Abound. This leaves just the foam of the midsole and a perimeter of rubber to grab the ground from arch to heel. The midfoot and heel areas are very snug-fitting whereas the toebox offers an enormous amount of space.

Like its predecessor, the Olympus 5 is built on their Original last, the broadest of the bunch, which corresponds with everything else maximal about the model. My first run in the Olympus was 11 miles in Phoenix, and it was just under 100 degrees by the time I wrapped up. are relatively close together and aren’t super big — which works great on the smoother trails that the Olympus is designed for. The midsole and outsole are effectively unchanged, while the upper got a little more structure, and the laces shrank by about 8”.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.

Though it is indeed big, the Olympus rolls very smoothly through each stride at low-to-moderate paces.Do not even try to twist this into a larger metaphor of who would crush the other in a monster street brawl, and definitely do not make this a political matchup… it’s a shoe review, dangit! The Olympus 5’s brightest attributes are the areas Altra didn’t touch, and while that may be unglamorous, it’s worth celebrating. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. You 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. Well, that’s not really the point of this review, I guess, but leave a comment if you want to answer.

Despite an obvious reduction in bounce, the thick midsole was still going strong when most others are little better than cardboard. In a word (or a few words) “well cushioned and unremarkable” is the best description of how the shoe rides.Put through the ringer over 700 miles of varied AT tread, it became clear to me that the thru-hiking community was not wrong. The Stinson also brings a little more squish to the table, which can be felt later in a 3+ hour run, but doesn’t have the traction or breathable upper of the Olympus. Disclaimer: The video shows 1 out of 5 takes that we make with the flexibility measurement tool to ensure accuracy. While it's true that more cushion generally results in more comfort as either the distance to cover gets longer, or the individual gets heavier, or the trail gets rockier etc.