Altra LP Alpine - Women's Review

If you're familiar with Altra's high-performing Lone Peak trail runners and hiking shoes, the Altra LP Alpine is their city version. This shoe offers incredible all-day comfort thanks to its Balanced cushioning design with a 0mm drop to encourage your body's natural alignment. Your feet will thank you for the extra space in the toe box as well as the Duratread rubber that will provide enough grip to tackle any moderate, buffed-out trail system. Whether you're hitting the trails, walking your dog, running errands around town, or meeting your friends for happy hour, this breathable and comfortable design is a great choice.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

A signature FootShape design and trail-casual good looks are a big part of the appeal of the LP Alpine. All but the most narrow feet should find its unconventional athletic shape comfortable right out of the box. The forefoot has plenty of space for the toes to spread out naturally, while the footbed narrows to a reasonably structured and stable heel cup at the back. And while the soft, flexible hemp upper with suede overlays has minimal padding, it is easily secured around the foot using the flat, well-positioned lacing system and extra runner's loop eyelets located up top near the ankle.

A foam midsole and sturdy lug pattern on the outsole are laid out to create a balanced platform underfoot, positioning the heel and forefoot on the same level thanks to the 0mm drop design. The result is a sufficiently soft and supportive base to match the demands of average everyday outdoor activities, with enough style points to transition easily into indoor locations. Though this shoe is not our first choice for any technical mountainous terrain, we found the LP Alpine provided ample comfort and performance for most day hikes on well-maintained trails.

Support

What makes the LP Alpine particularly unique is its signature FootShape construction, specifically designed to accommodate the biological differences between men's and women's feet. This includes a spacious toe box that allows your toes to spread out rather than being crammed into a narrow space, in addition to promoting natural alignment and low-impact landings on the trail. We'd also like to give Altra a shout-out for moving towards sustainable practices by including BLOOM foam within their Altra EGO midsoles for added support through a renewable resource.

If you are unfamiliar with the minimalist Altra design and Balanced Cushioning, you may experience more fatigue in your calves as your body adjusts and your feet strengthen. We recommend slowly increasing your pace and mileage to minimize any additional fatigue or soreness. After adjusting to the structure of the shoe, we appreciated the flexible design, which squeezes and bends easily underhand (during our torsional rigidity test), and offers increased responsiveness under foot (which those who move fast and light will appreciate). Again, though supportive and stable enough to tackle most moderate day hikes and around-town missions, the unique support of the Altra design takes some getting used to and your feet may experience some fatigue as they adjust.

Traction

The signature DuraTread outsole on the LP Alpine is made of dense rubber with large lugs in a chevron pattern across the base. It's meant to offer a solid grip on both tame and technical terrain. This is the exact same outsole that we've found to perform well on other trail specific Altra shoes and boots that we've tested over the years.

During our spring testing period, we found the Duratread to successfully grip textured and decomposing granite as well as loose sand and thick mud. For standard outings without particularly challenging ups and downs, we experienced no issues, felt confident in our stride, and even dared to pick up the pace.

Water Resistance

Since the LP Alpine is not advertised as a waterproof shoe, and it is constructed out of a hemp canvas material with suede overlays, it was no surprise to discover the shoe was not prepared to handle moisture. That said, we tackled a few wet fields, snow patches, and stream crossings, and in no instance did we notice any moisture inside the shoe, rather, in some cases we noticed that water would bead off the suede upper. But when we stopped to submerge the shoe in a creek for several minutes, it took on water immediately.

We got the same result in our controlled bucket test, during which we submerged each shoe in 3 inches of water. Under those conditions, the LP Alpine began taking on water within mere seconds, absorbing it directly through the canvas upper and soaking our sock and foot immediately inside. In this case, it didn't matter if the water came in through the ankle opening (which sits 3 inches above the sole of the shoe), as everything inside was already soaked. If water protection is what you are after, this will not be the right shoe for the job.

Weight

The LP Alpine is among the lightest hiking shoes that we tested for this review. At 1.28 pounds per pair for a US women's size 8.5, they are practically featherlight and a wonderful option to just toss in a bag for casual outings bouncing between trails, picnics, and activities around town.

During our testing period, we appreciated the easy-to-wear design that offers ample comfort and excellent breathability on the trail, but maintains a city chic style that is perfect for running errands or meeting friends for dinner. Unfortunately, this lightweight design sacrifices some performance we've come to expect from our go-to hiking shoes. It's important to keep in mind that this is Altra's take on a casual shoe that is built for moderate days on the trail rather than extended trips into the backcountry.

Durability

While our testers like the looks of the LP Alpine and see its potential as more of a lifestyle shoe that offers enough stability and performance for moderate day hikes without a heavy backpack, it isn't a shoe we'd recommend for more committing days on a trail. Still, its soft, hemp canvas upper is reinforced with double-stitched suede overlays, and we saw no sign of flaws or compromises in that topside construction or around the outsole seams and connective joints.

We love that the lacing system appears to be high quality and either threaded through holes in the suede upper or reinforced metal eyelets. All that said, Altra designed this shoe with the city in mind, giving it enough trail features for moderate hikes while maximizing comfort. The soft and pliable materials within the construction are not built for aggressive hikes nor extended backcountry trips, however, your feet will thank you for the all-day comfort offered by the LP Alpine.

Should You Buy the Altra LP Alpine?

There's no question the LP Alpine is one of the most comfortable shoes that we tested thanks to the spacious toe box and the Balanced Cushioning design that features a 0mm drop which encourages your body's natural alignment. While the Duratread rubber gave us confidence with every stride, we ultimately decided that this shoe wasn't the right mix of support and waterproof performance we'd prefer for substantial trail adventures. But if you want a good-looking, super lightweight, versatile city hiker, this could be a great choice.

What Other Hiking Shoes Should You Consider?

Does a lightweight, city chic hiker appeal to you, but you know you need more stability and support out of the gate? Consider the Salomon X Ultra 4 Gore-Tex that boasts a much broader range of features including waterproofing, ortholite insoles for added support, and still comes with city-appropriate style. If your budget stretches further, another great option with excellent structural supports and waterproofing is the La Sportiva Spire GTX. Or if you're seeking low profile shoe that offers incredible traction on slippery and polished terrain, check the La Sportiva TX4. And finally, if you love the idea of a super comfortable combination between a traditional hiking shoe and a trail runner, check out the On Running Cloudwander Waterproof.