Have you ever had to use a company's product warranty? If so, let me know how it turned out! I'm always looking for a good company that sticks by their gear so I can support them!
I had the same experience with Altra. I had a pair of 4.5's that tore on the side and my fronts weren't even peeling as badly as yours and they wasted no time in approving a replacement, sending me a pair of 5's as well. Awesome company that stands behind their products!
It's great to know they'll honor the warranty! My 4.5's are deteriorating in about the same manner, but not as bad with the exception of a large rip on one of the shoes by the ankle. I have about 100 miles on mine and boy they are comfortable.
Crazy those kickplates messed up like that. I have 4.5 that had started to come apart a little bit on the side. I reached out to the Customer Service asking if it was covered under a warranty if it got worse, they replied back they were sending out a new pair! Customer for life!
I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the warranty claim process was. Some companies make you jump through hoops for theirs, but not Altra ... fill out the form, attach the pictures, and boom all set! I'm definitely a lifer too ;) Thanks for watching!
I also have the Altra Lone Peak 6's. Last summer I probably put about 50 Adirondack miles on them before they began to fail. So I could either send them back to REI , purchase another pair, and then wait to be refunded or I would have to make a trip to the nearest REI store. I didn't want to wait for shipping so after a 3 hour car ride they fully honored the warranty. I noticed on the new pair that they looked better out of the box. The first ones were my first trail runners ever and I assumed the loose threads coming out and the shoddy adhesive work were just part of the manufacturing process. However, thats where these seemed to fail, on the side of the mesh from rock abrasions and the front of the sole started to separate from the toe box. I'm a similar size/weight as you and I 100% agree that I will still never go back to boots(Merrell Moabs) again. I no foot pain, more endurance, and feel more agile. Plus, the water drainage is excellent. I would recommend you get their gaiters to both protect the delicate fabric and keep some rocks and mud out. Keep sending it!
That warranty is legit! I used to be a boots only guy but now I wear Inov 8 and love them from road running to mountain climbing. Game changer. May have to try the Altra’s one day!
I used to be a boots guy because that is what I was told I needed by boots guys ... the moment I switched to trail runners, hiking became a LOT more enjoyable. Just goes to prove that what works for one person may not for another.
At the end of the day these shoes cost about maybe 10 dollars to make and get from the factory in Vietnam to your door. They are marked up crazy because they are marketed to hikers. I personally would rather buy one good pair of shoes and not deal with having to warranty something every year. Plus imho boots provide better support and you don't walk around with gross muddy wet feet. For the crowd that says boots make your feet sweat a good pair of summer boots will not make your feet sweat all that much and you can always bring a change of socks.
Different strokes for different folks - I don't prefer boots unless it's winter time. I'm able to hike more miles, more comfortably in trail runners, and I haven't found the features of these particular trail runners that I like, in any other brands. I'm not here to yuck anyone else's yum, just share my experience.
I switched to Altra shoes fall 2021 on a recommendation from a friend. I love them! I had some slim fit ones and just purchased the Lone Peak 5 for women. Very excited to get them on the trail. Great info about their process. Thanks for sharing!
The Lone Peak line changed the game for me -- I was hiking in New Balance trail runners for a couple years and they were OK, but I still got blisters on my toes (I have hammer toes). As soon as I switched to the foot-shaped toebox on the Altra Lone Peaks, I never had to worry about that again! It's such a novel design concept to have footwear shaped like a foot, but it seems like Altra is the only ones who got it right! Thanks for watching, and I hope you enjoy your upcoming adventures!
Super glad there was no dog poop in the tread on the shoes. I have the Lone Peak 5's and they are fantastic. As you know, I had issues with my Gregory pack and although a local outdoor store was useless in helping me, Gregory was fantastic. Super easy to deal with and their response time was fantastic. I did have to send the pack back to them to look over but a new one is on it's way, less than a week after sending in the pack. Like Altra, Gregory is sending me an upgraded model pack. I'm glad you had a great experience with Altra.
Excellent! I'm really glad to hear that Gregory Packs is making it right -- it shows a lot of integrity that a company will take care of their customers like that! Now we just need to get the new pack out on the trail to break it in ;)
As I mentioned on your Instagram post….had a pair of Thorogood Boots do the same! They were about 16 months old……talked to Thorogood and they basically said “too bad so sad” sorry! $240 boots thrown away! Other than the front part of the sole coming apart and yes you get sticks, stones in there…the rest of the boot was still in great condition!! Now I have a pair of Georgia Boots….they are ok but don’t fit like those Thorogoods did.
That's a huge bummer about Thorogood --- it would have been nice if they tried to do *something* for you. I get 16 months is a long time, but those boots should have lasted much, much longer! Yikes
Just got a pair of the Altra Lone Peak 6's. My previous pair of boots (Merrell Moab's) were pretty comfortable and indestructible, but weighed over 2 lbs and would get even heavier when wet and muddy. Going to really test them next week on Gothics, Armstrong, and Upper Wolfjaw.
HAH you know, I almost asked for the yellow ones for the LOLZ that the first 10 seconds of meeting @kykehateshiking on the trail with them would give me 🤣
