Customer Reviews Altra Superior 5

I have been buying and sending back shoes for about 4 months, including two other Altra styles. At long last I have shoes that work for me. I use these for everyday walking. I am an elder with arthritis issues and balance issues. These shoes are absolutely perfect for my feet with the flexibility, support and stability I need. I'll be ordering more.

I'm only about 1 year in to my barefoot & minimalist conversion. I'm a soccer athlete & coach who has been locked in to wearing big brands for 20+ years & shoes that were too tight. The Superior 5 are 1 of my favorite pairs of shoes. Pretty close to feeling like I'm wearing nothing but a smidge of cushion underfoot so I can run some longer miles here in the city. More side to side support than the Escalante's (which are straight line- predictable movements only). The wrap tongue is comfortable & does not move & is probably, in part, why this shoe is a bit more stable. I do have a wide but thin (not meaty) foot, perhaps that's why it doesn't bother me like other reviews. The lugs on the bottom are probably not as stout as some trail runners may want. All I know is they are light, can handle & feel good on pavement miles, I don't worry about breaking an ankle, the toe box is perfect for my foot, heel cup feels fantastic, and I can wear these all day. I just wish I could find more colors in my size 9.

I have been dealing with a foot problem for a while, and have tried many tennis shoes lately and no luck! A friend told me about the Altra Superior 5 and OMG this is the best tennis shoes ever. I have been wearing it since the day I got it. I don't even remember I had a problem with my right foot anymore.

The only thing I would point out is this shoe can get slippery if they are wet. Other than that, like all my Altra shoes, I love the way they feel.

After a 10 mile rugged trail run in the mountains of southern Vermont, I can say, never trying another shoe. I have used this shoe usually in icy or muddy dirt road runs but yesterday this shoe went to work. I felt secure, I felt stable and I felt quick. Some of the trails were oak leave covered, no slipping. The brooks, easily navigated the slick rocks. I am happy with the performance!

I have been running with the Superior 5 for a few weeks on the loose granite trails in Colorado. Traction is really important when picking a shoe here, or else you will SLIDE! So far I haven't! If you want something light & fast this is a great option, It excels on mellow forest service roads to moderately technical trail. I did take them off trail a few times and think something more beefy like the Lone Peak would be better, especially if you plan on running on more sharp rocks, punchy roots, scrambles etc. They dry so fast after water crossings too. My only complaint would be the laces. They are so long...I would swap them out with laces ~10" shorter, but tucking them in to the lower laces works too. I have been running off and on with the stone guard but TBH can't feel much of a difference, I wouldn't mind if it was more rigid to add some more structure to the shoe for those times I plan on doing some more technical trail. It adds negligible weight to the shoe and is optional though. Can't wait to do a trail race and these and watch them really shine!

I love these shoes! I'm an avid hiker and these are perfect for the outdoors. They are very comfortable and lightweight. I love that the front end of the shoe is wide so my toes don't get squeezed. This also helps because my feet and toes tend to swell a little after hiking for many hours.

I'm an avid superior fan, but after 3.5s they went downhill in comfort. However, I was pleasantly surprised in the support and fit with great upper material, much better than 4.5s, which had no arch support and a terrible ride. These do run small, I'm a 10 in most shoes, 10 in lone peak 6, but a 10 in these my toe was right at front edge even when sitting. I will have to go with a 10.5. I did like the cushion feel, supportive mid foot feel and upper material in this model, so I'm happy to give them another try. I really like the colors too in this model!

I'm on my feet 12 hours a day. Use them mainly for work! Love them. My feet don't hurt when I get home!

These are so light weight and comfortable. The grip was great in the mud!

I've had Lone Peaks in the past and wanted to try the Superiors to see how they compared, so I ordered the current Lone Peak 6 and the Superior 5. In general, both shoes were comfortable on my feet. The Lone Peaks have more support and firm structure and, when I ran in them I felt that sense of reinforcement around my foot. The Superiors, on the other hand, felt much less structured and more like a glove than a shoe. If you are wanting to try the barefoot approach, but don't want to sacrifice the skin off your feet, then this might be the shoe for you. Overall I have enjoyed running in this shoe. I do experience a bit of sliding and movement within the shoe which I first attributed to the roomy toe box, but actually, I think that it may be because of the choice of fabric for the upper. One review that I read said that the fabric on the upper is too stretchy and I am inclined to agree. I questioned also whether the fabric would hold up on the trail, but after having the shoes for a month running on rocky, sandy, and sometimes wet ground, it seems the fabric is holding up well. When I first noticed a bit of sliding in the shoe, I wondered whether the width was too wide, but decided it was the freedom of movement in a wider toe box and the give of the fabric that was allowing a bit too much movement at times... like when you jump from one rock to another and are planting your foot at an angle. One of the first things that I noticed to be different about the Superiors was that they have a stiffer heel support than the Lone Peaks. After my first run in the Superiors I had a bit of a sore spot on one heel, but after taking the stone guard out I haven't had any more issues with that. I agree that the shoelaces are not the nicest to work with, but after getting used to the attached tongue they don't bother me so much. I think the complaints about the tongue may stem from the inconvenience of dealing with something that is so different from the way you have always been used to it being. Tying one's shoes is such an ingrained skill that the least bit of change makes things awkward. In any case, after just a week or so I now didn't mind it anymore. Probably my biggest concern with these shoes, as much as I like them, is with the size of the lugs on the ball of the foot. When jumping from rock to rock, especially after a rain, I have definitely experienced some slipping. I am not very concerned because I run at a slower pace on an easy to moderate trail, but for anything more aggressive, I would have to reconsider my choice. And this was a difference that I noticed between the Superiors and the Lone Peaks. The Lone Peaks have visibly thicker lugs for better traction. For now the Superior 5 suits me fine and I'm enjoying them; however, after reading the review of someone loving the Superior 3s so much that she owned 10 pairs, I really would love a chance to try those 3's.

I bought these at Hard rock on sale and was really excited but after one run, they horribly blister the top of my toes. Ive tried to break them in but they still chaf badly in thensame place. I wear trail shoes a lot and never had this issue. The way the seam is on the top, theres rough extra fabric that rubs and no amount of wear will fix it. Super sad that I cant wear these with that fond memory of HR attached.

I've had Lone Peak 3,4,5, Escalante Racers of various years, Timp 4, and have tried the Olympus 4---all in a size 10. I'm going to return these for a 10.5. They're just ever so slightly short in the toe.

Straight outta the box, the Superior 5 has been the most comfortable tennie I've ever worn. My feet, of average width but leaning towards wide, have the perfect amount of room to splay out and cover some ground as I go about my day. I've seen mention of folks complaining about the tongue setup; no complaints here! I think the design to be clever and unslippable. Yes, I'll be ordering another pair ASAP! One in every color!

These are comfortable shoes with a wide toebox. I have been wearing minimal shoes, but needed just a bit more cushion and these provide that perfectly.

I use these for every day at work I am a hairdresser and work at least ten hours a day most days longer. I love them

I purchased 1/2 size bigger and it worked. It took about a day or 2 for me adjust but they work for my needs.

I previously owned the 4.5 in this shoe which were great but little bits of stone and gravel would get in. The stoneguard is a game changer. I was concerned I would feel it in the shoe, but not at all! Definitely double know the laces just because they are SO LONG.