Altra Lone Peak Hiker 3 Hiking Boot Review

I wore the Altra Lone Peak Hiker 3 boots over three weeks of steep, rocky trails in the wilds of Wyoming, testing this over-the-ankle version of the thru-hiker favorite during 12-hour days with a 70-pound guiding pack. While my standard Lone Peak shoes probably would have sufficed, the Altra Hiker 3 felt more durable and added some support through the taller build without losing Altra's iconic zero-drop design and wide toe box. I work as a backpacking guide around the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and am always looking for new shoes to fit my awkward feet and bungled ankles. I appreciated the lightweight build paired with the mid-height ankle and well-padded upper, but shelling out extra money for a heavier shoe that only slightly outperforms the original means I will likely return to the original low-top Lone Peak shoes in the future. To learn more, I outline my experience with the Altra Lone Peak Hiker 3 below. To see how it stacks up to the competition, see our article on the best hiking boots.
 

Table of Contents

• Comfort and Energy Return
• Weight
• Traction
• Stability and Support
• Breathability
• Fit and Sizing
• What We Like/What We Don't
• Comparison Table
• The Competition

Performance

Comfort and Energy Return

I wore the Altra Lone Peak Hiker 3 nearly 12 hours a day for more than three weeks of nonstop guide work and rarely found my feet to be sore or tired. Whether I was walking down rocky trails or standing around a campfire at the end of the day, I didn't have the typical screaming desire to fling off my boots and let my feet breathe. Altra's selling points of a roomy toe box and zero (or minimal) heel-to-toe drop truly contribute to all-day comfort, and the only reason I wanted to take them off was because they were less breathable than a normal trail runner, and I was hiking in the heat of the day. Otherwise, the bottoms of my feet weren't sore, and I felt no pinching or constriction.
 

The flexibility of the Lone Peak Hiker 3 makes it easier to wear than heavier hiking boots, and it feels similar to a beefy trail running shoe. It definitley offers more stiffness through the upper and outsole than my low-top Altra Lone Peak shoes. This is a good thing if you’ve worn the Lone Peaks and found them collapsing on you through every twist and bend. The boot version was comfortable from toe to heel, and the added over-the-ankle collar helped keep my heel steady during extended descents better than my standard trail-running shoes. These are also far more energetic than a heavier, clunkier hiking boot where I personally tend to trip and drag my feet at the end of a long day. Finally, though the cushioning throughout the upper is more than adequate, I did find the underfoot foam lacking with the 25-millimeter stack. At the end of my first week, I was wishing for my custom insoles and ended up swapping out the factory insoles for my more supportive aftermarket pair.
 

Weight

I usually don't wear burly, waterproof hiking boots—they're too warm and too unforgiving on my feet—but I found the Lone Peak Hiker 3 to be a good midway option between a hiking shoe, trail runner, and boot. At 13.7 ounces each, the extra weight of the Lone Peak Hiker 3 over the standard Lone Peak 9 weight (11.15 oz. per shoe) is barely noticeable. I thought I might dread the extra drag in my step as early mornings lingered into late afternoons, but I never had a problem with tired feet. Compared to other mid-rise hiking boots, the Hiker 3 boots come in a few ounces lighter in each foot while still sporting a grippy MaxTrac outsole and plenty of space through the midfoot and forefoot where I usually get cramped. 
 

Traction

Most of my summertime work is in the mountains of Montana and Wyoming involves dry, loose dirt and rocky, steep trails, which can create traction issues. I'm happy to report that the Lone Peak Hiker 3 boots held up well on long descents and loose surfaces. My ankles still tended to roll on scree or off-kilter terrain, but they did a good job gripping rocks even after river crossings. This shoe doesn’t have particularly deep lugs compared to boots like the Salomon X Ultra 5, so I could see them wearing out faster (like my original Lone Peak 9 shoes), but they performed well in the off-trail Wyoming alpine, and the lugs are still sharp and fresh after more than 100 miles. 
 

Stability and Support

My feet tend to feel crowded and my high arches ache after long days, but the Lone Peak Hiker 3 boots allowed my feet to splay and stabilize better than narrower shoes. However, the more generous fit meant I was pushing harder during extended sidehills and descents, and I noticed hot spots cropping up where my feet shifted around. Ultimately the insole support wasn't enough, and I only made it through a single 5-day backpacking trip before I had to trade out the factory insoles for my custom liners. The Altra factory pair felt cheap and floppy compared to what my arches need, and too soft for the rockier terrain. My knee aches subsided after the changeup, and I didn’t have any support issues after that. My feet felt fresh (albeit sweaty) at the end of each day.
 

The taller height provides some additional support—I’m worried about ankle tweaks in low-top trail runners after years of ankle beatings—but I found the Lone Peak Hiker 3 boots supported my ankles only a fractional amount more than I would get with just a trail runner. The looser Lone Peak style made these less stable than other boots, and the ankle height could only do so much to add stability in the wider shoe. My foot was definitely more secure front to back with the mid-height ankle wrap and extended lacing, but I still found myself picking through scree piles rather than just charging ahead like I would in a sturdier hiking boot. 
 

Breathability

Summers in the mountains of Wyoming are the perfect testing ground for a shoe's breathability. The mornings start off cool and dry and then warm up by 40 degrees Fahrenheit before ending the day with a thunderous encore and pounding rain. The Lone Peak Hiker 3 boots stayed warm but not unbearable, with a breathable mesh that dries quickly. I tested the non-waterproof pair since I always seemed to have sweaty feet, and found the mesh paired with a reasonably lightweight build was able to shed water quickly after stream crossings. The boots were nearly dry within a few hours while remaining grippy through the outsole and comfortable in the upper. 
 

Toe and Foot Protection

The Lone Peak Hiker 3 boots are styled directly from the low-top Lone Peak trail runner, making them lighter and less protective than a burlier hiking boot. You get the added ankle protection and a beefed-up upper, but still retain much of the flexibility of a trail runner. This means some sacrifice and less protection than heavier boots, but I found it worth it to save weight and increase breathability. The Lone Peak Hiker 3 has a raised rubber toe cap, which does a nice job relieving some of the sting from kicking rocks, and reinforcements along the upper part of the toes also help provide a nice cushion. While you can get even more toe protection with a heavier, full-model hiking boot like the Keen Targhee IV, the extra weight and bulk of those boots (more than a half-pound heavier per boot) likely isn't worth it for most hikers on moderate trails.
 

Build Quality and Durability

I’ve owned a half-dozen pairs of the original Lone Peak trail running shoes, and I return over and over for extended backcountry outings even though their build quality and durability have diminished over the years. I was expecting the Hiker 3 boots to fare about the same, with the tread wearing quickly and the sides blowing out. However, after over 100 miles the Hiker 3 boots are still faring well. The lugs are sharp, the outsole is still fully intact, and the reinforced uppers (less mesh than the Lone Peak shoes) have substantially less wear than my most recent pair of Lone Peak 9 shoes.
 

I pronate fairly aggressively and use high-arch insoles to help alleviate the issue, but I still find the inside of my tread generally wears down faster, and the sides come undone under the pressure of my gait. However, the Hiker 3 boots seem to be wearing evenly and the seams all holding up. Like I said above, the factory insoles hardly made it through one trip before they got hucked, and I have noticed cushioning throughout the upper has packed out somewhat, but the shoes still fit well and are energetic underfoot when I need to chase down a client who has taken a wrong turn. 
 

Fit and Sizing

The Altra Lone Peak shoe line tends to be roomy and fit without issues, so I went with my normal shoe size and felt they fit comfortably throughout the initial 5-day backpacking break-in. I did have to get used to my heel being locked in from the ankle-wrap lacing, and the wide toe box made my forefoot feel more floaty and less engaged with the front of the shoe, but that also meant that I wasn’t cramming my toes on steep descents. I have a wide last and like the feel of my foot splaying within my shoe, but I could see how people with narrower feet might feel these shoes are loose and sloppy. The only hotspots after 3 weeks of continuous wear were on the outsides of my big and little toes. This feels acceptable considering I threw them on right out of the box and set out for 17 days of backpacking work with a massive guide pack.
 

Other Versions of the Altra Lone Peak

The Lone Peak Hiker 3 boots are the only ones with this specific name, and they are also available in a women's version ($150, 1 lb. 8 oz.). You can also get a waterproof Lone Peak 9 in a boot height for $180 (called the Lone Peak 9 Waterproof Mid) in both a men's (1 lb. 15.9 oz.) and women's version (1lb. 10.9 oz.). Of course, the Lone Peak is an expansive line and come in standard low-top shoes in men's ($140, 1 lb. 6.4 oz.) and women's (1 lb. 3 oz.), as well as a waterproof option in both men's ($160, 1 lb. 13.7 oz.) and women's (1 lb. 7.6 oz), and a new 9+ low-top shoe that costs $15 more and features a reinforced upper and Vibram outsole instead of the MaxTrac. These are also available in men's ($155, 1 lb. 7.1 oz.) and women's (1 lb. 2.6 oz.) versions. Phew. Lone Peak lovers clearly have their options.
 

What We Like

• The roomy toe box and zero drop feel that people have come to love in the Lone Peak shoe, but in a boot-specific design.
• All day comfort with a price point just above the original Lone Peak shoe.
• Lightweight and flexible with a fit ready to go straight out of the box.
• Mid-height ankle wrapping and lacing stays secure on the steepest descents.

What We Don’t

• Flimsy factory insoles and a thinly cushioned midsole felt too flexible and unsupportive on burlier terrain.
• Not enough of an upgrade over the original Lone Peaks to warrant the extra money for such an activity-specific shoe. 
   

Comparison Table

The Competition

The hiking-boot-from-trail-runner category has plenty of options for hikers looking for the lightweight build of a trail running shoe paired with a tall collar. For folks looking for additional underfoot cushion, the Hoka Anacapa Mid 2 GTX is a solid option. Like the Lone Peak Hiker 3, the Anacapa Mid is the boot version of Hoka's popular Anacapa hiking shoe, and includes a beefed-up upper and an over-the-ankle build for more support. We've found it to be better padded than the Lone Peak Hiker, but those opting for a zero-drop design will prefer the Lone Peak, as the Anacapa Mid has a 7-millimeter heel-to-toe drop that can feel unstable paired with the taller midsole. The Hoka is also only available in a waterproof version, which reduces breathability and can be overkill for many trails. 
 

Another hiking boot borne from a classic low-top shoe is the Merrell Moab 3 Mid, which costs the same as the Lone Peak Hiker 3 but has a somewhat more classic hiking boot design. These are more than 8 ounces heavier than the Lone Peak Hiker 3, and while they are more rugged and supportive, you lose the flexibility and feel of a trail-runner-inspired design. Lastly, Altra's own Timp Hiker costs $25 more than the Lone Peak Hiker 3, but drops 3.1 ounces from the overall weight and has more cushion with the same zero-drop design (29mm stack compared to 25 in the Lone Peak Hiker 3). The Timp Hiker also has an upgraded Vibram outsole, which might seal the deal for hikers hitting scree-heavy trails.
Back to the Altra Lone Peak Hiker 3 Review  See Our Hiking Boot Guide