Altra Lone Peak 7 First Look: End-of-Year Upgrades Outshine the LP6

Not everyone likes the natural footshape of Altra shoes. But for all the Lone Peak trail shoe lovers out there, pay attention. The LP7 has arrived with some stellar upgrades to the upper and outsole.

I’ve been running in — and really enjoying — the Lone Peak 6 shoes since just before they came out in May 2022.

Then on December 15, 2022, Altra dropped its latest iteration: the Lone Peak 7. I ran in them through the end of December (and into January), which can be a pretty hit-or-miss time of year to test trail shoes. Most of my local trails in the mountains of Colorado were covered in packed snow or sheets of ice.

However, I was still able to find some sunny dirt and rock sections of trail (no spikes needed) to test the LP7’s stuff. I ran mainly on neighborhood gravel and dirt trails — a good enough mix of flat, steep, and rockier terrain to get a feel for the ergonomically shaped shoe. Here’s what I love about the Lone Peak 7 so far.

In short: The Altra LP7 is a comfortable and responsive shoe that has quickly become one of my daily driving, running, and walking shoes. While the grippiness of the Lone Peak 6 was already pretty good, the Lone Peak 7 has a potentially better MaxTrac outsole and a different lug pattern that caught my attention fast.

Altra Lone Peak 7 Review

(Photo/Mary Murphy)

Specific Upgrades

Altra Lone Peak 7 Specs

Upper: New stitchless upper, mesh
Midsole: Altra EGO (no change from prior shoe)
Outsole: MaxTrac rubber (new lugs)
Stack height: 25 mm
Drop: 0 mm
Verified weight: 1 lb. 2.1 oz. per pair (size 8)

Lone Peak 7: Worth It Over the Lone Peak 5 or 6?

lone peak 7 running — Author running in the Lone Peak 7; (photo/Mary Murphy)

Comfort and Fit

Out of the box and on the first run, these shoes were comfortable. I did need to cinch up the laces quite a bit, but the tongue, ankle cushion, and heel cushion all felt comfortable. I experienced no rubbing or pinching and didn’t have to overly fidget with the tongue or laces on my runs.

That’s not just because of the cushy yet responsive Altra EGO insole. It’s also because of the brand’s signature Original FootShape Fit, which has a wider toe box and is Altra’s roomiest shoe fit. But both of those were previous features of the LP6. What makes the LP7 any different from its predecessors?

Grip and Durability

My second and next several trail runs, as well as a couple of hikes in the Lone Peak 7, are where I really noticed the upgrades to the outsole and lugs. Most especially on undulating and uneven trails — the kind where you are constantly watching (or should be watching) your footing. The traction of the new MaxTrac lugs gripped well on rocks and didn’t slip in gravel.

It’s a hearty outsole without being heavy.

And the new “stitchless” upper is much, much cleaner than the prior LP6 version. The lightweight upper has proven really durable in testing so far. Without those pesky stitches or seams to fail, we’re hoping it’s even tougher than the LP6.

The one drawback to the new upper? On several of the models, it’s an unfortunate, very light white/tan, which is a tricky color for trail running shoes. Beware if you venture onto wet/muddy trails.

Conclusion

altra 6 vs 7 outsoles — The Altra Lone Peak 6 (left) vs. the Lone Peak 7 (right) outsole; (photo/Mary Murphy)

The Lone Peak trail runner didn’t necessarily need an upgrade, but after running on the new outsole, we’re sold on version 7. The new pattern and directionality of the lugs offer really good traction, and the rest of the shoe (fit and feel on trail) is sound. When I finally retire my Lone Peak 6 (~150 running miles and counting), the 7s will be a welcome replacement.

Or, who knows, maybe now I’ll switch over and make the Lone Peak 7 my go-to trail shoe and save the Lone Peak 6 for a backup.