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Due to the Through Olympus 2, I spent the latter half of this yr working extra miles in a zero-drop shoe than I ever have earlier than.

After taking a while away from working, I used to be extra open to zero-drop footwear, as it will be much less of an adjustment than leaping in from a full season of working in 4mm-drop footwear. In case your winter runs are quick and centered extra on sustaining a baseline, these are an enticement to check out zero-drop footwear.

For background, the Through Olympus is Altra’s roadie tackle the Olympus, its max cushion path shoe, now in its fifth version. They share the identical footshape, 33mm stack peak, and related uppers. Nevertheless, the Through Olympus has a extra emphasised rockered form, a bouncier midsole, and swaps lugs for a wholly new outsole with beneficiant grooves for better flex and to chop weight.

I examined the preliminary run of the Olympus and located them intriguing, however slightly sloppy when pivoting and never as cushioned as they seemed. Apparently, I used to be not alone.

The largest change to the Through Olympus 2 is that there’s extra cushioning underfoot, particularly below the forefoot. Like different Altra footwear, my toes really feel a type of grip forward of a extra cushioned footbed. The cushioning below the heel is forgiving with out being squishy, and remains to be most likely extra agency than different max cushion footwear available on the market.

In brief: Altra softened the Through Olympus 2 midsole cushioning to extra align with what runners anticipated from its fattest highway shoe. For followers of zero-drop, the upper stack and rockered form make the Through Olympus 2s a high consideration for long-distance highway working.

What’s New?

(Photograph/M.T. Elliott)

My critiques of the debut Through Olympus have been that it was an excessively agency experience for what I anticipated from a max cushioned shoe, and located some slop within the match when pivoting.

That has modified within the Through Olympus — which is why you’re seeing this evaluate. The EGO Max midsole remains to be not the softest midsole, however the up to date shoe now has a softer touchdown with a superb quantity of vitality return — which is helped by the rocker form, too.

I can’t affirm whether or not the additional cushion is the place this shoe picked up weight from its predecessor, but when so, it’s a most welcome 0.4 ounces.

Through Olympus Operating Efficiency

Consolation and Match

The Through Olympus 2 and the cushioning felt broken-in tender proper out of the field. The shoe appears to be like increased than it suits, which is true of different max-cushioned footwear, too. The high-sided soles add to the general stability of the design.

The heel collar is inflexible sufficient to present help, and I had no points with rubbing or stiffness there. Any points with my ft sliding round whereas pivoting and turning seem to have been resolved within the sophomore Olympus.

I’ll additionally notice that the tongue stayed in place and the shoelaces stayed tied, even after I didn’t double-knot them. (Sure, that is nonetheless a nag with different footwear out available on the market.)

Testing the footwear on a winter jog on combined pavement and highway; (photograph/M.T. Elliott)

Experience and Sturdiness

Altra could tout this as its highest stack of cushioning, however I hesitate to name it max cushion, a minimum of not when in comparison with manufacturers like HOKA. There’s loads of midsole beneath, nevertheless it’s not probably the most cushioned. As famous above, the cushioning below the toebox, the place my ft strike most frequently, positively felt softer than below the heel — which is sensible to me. And each felt softer than the earlier mannequin.

That firmer-than-expected midsole gives ample rebound, which together with the rocker form makes the Through Olympus 2 peppy sufficient for working drills like pick-ups (a minimum of for runners who prepare in maximal footwear).

Sure, these are highway trainers, however my coaching runs happen on a mixture of asphalt, sidewalk, packed dust, and crushed gravel. The Through Olympus 2 carried out properly on all of these surfaces. I dare say they carried out higher than lugged path footwear on patches of leftover snow and dirt, as they offered extra floor contact and the only’s flex grooves acted as siping for the muck.

A view of the tread (post-testing) and normal footshape of the most recent Olympus 2; (photograph/M.T. Elliott)

After 100 miles in them, the outside of the midsole has minor cracks from use, but maintains its cushion underfoot. The outsole appears little worse for the damage, with tread nonetheless seen on the smallest segments of the only and below the heel. That’s an indication of extra sturdiness than many max-cushion footwear that use foam on the only and previous Altra highway footwear I’ve examined.

Moreover, I predict my pair will end out their lifespan as strolling footwear.

Who It’s For: In Conclusion

Anybody who has seemed away from Altra as a result of they need a extra cushioned highway working shoe ought to now take a re-examination. The usual Altra foot form accommodates wider ft, and the zero-drop is all the time an adjustment for runners used to 4mm drop footwear. Winter miles are all of the extra cause to deal with that adjustment.

And in the event you’re already a fan of Altra and need a max-cushion highway working shoe and on a regular basis coach, I doubt you’ll high the Through Olympus 2.