Altra Men's Via Olympus

I have been recovering from plantar fasciitis and needed a shoe that was neutral, stable, zero drop, and cushioned. After reading lots of reviews and based upon my own experience with Altra shoes, I chose this Via Olympus for a great price on Amazon. I read lots of reviews claiming the shoe ran small, ran narrow or had a big arch support, and yet I still ordered my usual size 9 Medium width. I can attest that the shoe fits perfectly with thin or lightly cushioned socks. It's no more or less narrow than the several other pairs of Altra shoes I've had over the years. In fact, it might be a tad roomier. I can't understand the arch support claim, as there is actually very little arch support in these shoes or the inserts that come with them (I use a PowerStep orthotic in mine new Altra shoes, which provides me with just the right support for helping with the plantar fasciitis problem). These shoes have lots of stack height, yet the cushioning is firm while still being comfortable, and the shoe is stable. It claims to have a "rocker" design, encouraging good toe-off, and it does that, too, although it's not terribly noticeable. The shoes fit very comfortably for all-day wear. I loosen up the laces near the bottom a lot, then tie a half not around the tongue loop that the laces pass through. This isolates the forefoot of the shoe from getting tighter, so I can tighten the top of the shoe snugly (see attached photo). Lacing the shoe this way allows for free toe movement, while retaining overall stability. Great shoe!

comfortable running shoes. fits great. enough cushion to add an inch to my height.

These shoes helped me run at my fastest speed. I love them

They feel nice on my feet. I wear a 10.5 Men’s vanish tempo, and got these in 10.5 as well. The fit is good.I will update the review later and move it up or down a star. The stitching seems really quite cheap as I show in my close up pic. This is why I gave these shoes a 4/5 stars.I got these for long distance slow runs, I will report back in 100+ miles and see how they are holding up.

I bought these shoes because I have purchased and wore 2 pairs of the same Altra Olympus trail shoes, with much success. These road shoes have the same generous toe box that the trail version has but are slightly less cushioned than the trail version. (I wanted a shoe that didn't attract dirt in the sole of the shoe) Don't get me wrong, they still provide the enough cushioning that is needed to satisfy my back, knee, and foot pain. All that being said, I'm very happy with these new shoes.

These are my 3rd pair of Altra's. The first 2 were quite comfortable, but after recently buying a pair of New Balance and Brooks shoes with fairly thick soles that provide an amazing cushion experience while walking/running I assumed these would be somewhere close to that when you see how thick the soles are on these.Unfortunately, the sole may be thick, but it is almost too rigid and solid. It provides very little to no cushioning while walking, especially compared to the 2 other shoes I mentioned. Overall the shoes "look" really nice. I almost bought a pair at a local store that sells a decent selection of Altra shoes, and these looked almost exactly the same...giving me the impression the cushioning would be just as soft as the pair I almost bought. These were on sale here at amazon which is why I went this route. Had I known how stiff they would feel, I seriously wouldn't have bought them. For me, comfort is king and if you can make my walking around a good experience, I'm likely to wear them a lot and maybe even buy another pair. Unfortunately, I will not be buying another pair of Altra's without trying them on FIRST. These weren't too expensive (as far as what I tend to buy on average) but still, I expected more comfort. They are remarkably far too rigid for my taste.I am terribly disappointed...and considering how uncomfortable they are, I won't be wearing very often.

I've been faithful to Altra for years, but get tired, injured feet with Lone Peak and Superior. Had Olympus in the past and liked them but they were really expensive. Then Olympus was on sale so I got it. Made a huge difference immediately! I was able to increase my miles, and together with Runna app about to do a marathon for the first time. Running since 2007. I'll stick with the thicker sole Olympus and hope any future changes are for the best.

I had to order a size up for the men's Altra Olympus. These are very comfortable for walking if you have plantar fasciitis. I also have osteoarthritis and wear inserts. These shoes have more cushioning than some other models and the wide toe box is good for my toes. They are a bit wider than I need and my heel slips a bit, but still comfortable to wear.