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Altra Olympus vs Hoka Bondi -Initial Impression
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Background: Spent back half of '13 out with achilles tendonosis. Lots of downtime, eccentric calf exercises, graston scrapping, and changes to running form, I managed to get back to some level of running when I bought the Hoka Bondi 2. Just enough cushion to relieve some of the pressure. I have only 80 miles on the Hoka's when my new Altra Olympus arrived last night. Just did a 5k in the Olympus and here are my initial impressions:

Toe Box - As with the Instinct 1.5 I own, the toe box w/ the Olympus is welcoming. The Hokas are definitely narrower and hard to go back to when you have been wearing a wider toe box. The uppers on the Hokas feel more stiff.

Food Bed/Rocker - Both are very cushy but there is an interesting 'drop' at the toe of the Olympus that you feel when you first put them on. The Hokas just feel cushy all the way through. The interesting part is when you start running. It seems that the Olympus' "apex" (for lack a better word) is right at the ball of the foot where the Hoka feels like it is further back. I have to work to maintain a forefoot stride with the Hokas and I feel like I can easily cheat my form when I run. The Olympus, on the other hand, feels like there is little work to stay forefoot and I can maintain proper running form more easily.

Drop - As noted, I have been dealing with achilles issues so the 4mm drop of the Hokas have been helpful. The Olympus, of course, is zero drop and I can feel a bit of a 'twinge' in my left ankle cause my heel is going down farther. Clearly not enough saddle time yet to make a call.

Net/net - When I am done running with the Hokas, I want to take them off and let my feet "breathe". No such feeling with the Altra but w/ the drop, I will need to ease into them. Curious to see if others have tried the Olympus yet and their initial impressions.
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Re: Altra Olympus vs Hoka Bondi -Initial Impression [trytri3] [ In reply to ]
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very helpful review. thanks. I've been debating getting some Altra's (currently have Bondi B2's). Have put a lot of mileage on my Hoka's and am looking for something to replace. Seeing some good sales on Altra via leftlane sports so i'm tempted to pull the trigger. I read about the transition period going to zero drop, though. Didn't think it would be much difference going from 4mm to 0mm though, until I read your review and you could feel it. Thanks for the info.
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Re: Altra Olympus vs Hoka Bondi -Initial Impression [trytri3] [ In reply to ]
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I'm really interested in the Olympus, and may try a pair. Wondering if there are any offensive seams that would prevent running sockless for races.
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Re: Altra Olympus vs Hoka Bondi -Initial Impression [trigeekrusk] [ In reply to ]
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Those on sale are going to be a far cry from the Hoka. I have the original Intinct, the original Torin, and the Bondi 2. Only the new Olympus is going to come close to the cushion of your Hokas.
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Re: Altra Olympus vs Hoka Bondi -Initial Impression [Chucifer] [ In reply to ]
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Posted this in another Hoka thread a while back:

Tried on the Olympus and did a short run around my culdesac. Something weird about the tongue and where it attached to the upper inside the shoe that puts undue pressure on the top of my foot. I have VERY weird feet, so I think my issue wouldn't apply to most. They were definitely similar to Hokas in terms of the stack height, but "squishier" for sure. Not sure how that would manifest over time, but they would definitely cushion you.

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Re: Altra Olympus vs Hoka Bondi -Initial Impression [trytri3] [ In reply to ]
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I bet the outsoles on the altra's last twice as long.
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Re: Altra Olympus vs Hoka Bondi -Initial Impression [DC Pattie] [ In reply to ]
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Regarding no socks: I cannot say as I always run with socks (OCD that way). They feel the same as the Hoka Bondi on the inside so if you can run barefoot in those, probably can run barefoot in the Olympus. Just don't take my word for it as I have no experience here.

For an update, I've ran about 100 miles in the Hoka and roughly 60 in the Olympus. The last 8-mile run with the Olympus was cut short as my calf is notorious for cramping up on the outside and am still dealing with it. This is primarily due to trying to go down to a zero drop with a forefoot strike. My calf just isn't ready to take that kind of run form so it gets pissed and locks up. I don't blame the shoes specifically but rather my zeal to try to move to forefoot without proper strengthening.

With the Hoka, I have had zero problems as it allows my calf to "relax" a bit more with the cushion. I've taken three days off to get my calf to stop hurting and will run again tonight with the Hoka's. I will continue to use the Olympus on the shorter runs to ease into them more slowly. Just stupid on my part to think I can ramp faster. Right now, though, the 1/2 marathon coming up in 4 weeks will be with the Hoka.
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Re: Altra Olympus vs Hoka Bondi -Initial Impression [trigeekrusk] [ In reply to ]
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trigeekrusk wrote:
Didn't think it would be much difference going from 4mm to 0mm though, until I read your review and you could feel it.

it's a big difference.. either the Altra is actually negative drop, or we're all princesses..

I just put heel pads in the Altra, adds a bit of extra cushion and creates a 3-4mm drop, no more problems..
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Re: Altra Olympus vs Hoka Bondi -Initial Impression [trytri3] [ In reply to ]
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Any updates from people who've put some miles on the Olympus? Curious to hear what people's experience has been so far. Thanks.
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Re: Altra Olympus vs Hoka Bondi -Initial Impression [trytri3] [ In reply to ]
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I haven't tried the Olympus (or Torin) yet but this is a good comparison

http://trailandultrarunning.com/...pus-hoka-comparison/


Rodney
TrainingPeaks | Altra Running | RAD Roller
http://www.goinglong.ca
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Re: Altra Olympus vs Hoka Bondi -Initial Impression [craigj532] [ In reply to ]
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I've put about 70 miles on my Olympus in the past two weeks and I really like them. They are a great "transition" shoe for running pavement that leads to trails, however I'm not all that excited about their ability to handle techincal single track. The tread is simply not agressive enough for that. But if you want to compare them to the Bondi then tread grip isn't a issue.

The two feel about the same when it comes to comfort and squishy-ness, I do notice a lot more room in the toe box in the Altra for sure. I had to lace up the first eyelets lind of tight just to get my foot to stablize in the big toe box.

I wore them around the house and the office for about a week before running in them. Then I only ran in them for about 5-6 miles each time for a week. I started to take them out on longer trails this week and did 18 miles in them yesterday. I've had no adjustment issues to the zero drop from the 4mm in the Hoka's. Like Sketchers, the laces are shit, you will want to replace them with some higher quality ones.


Dave Stark
dreamcatcher@astound.net
USAC & USAT level 2 certified coach
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Re: Altra Olympus vs Hoka Bondi -Initial Impression [karma] [ In reply to ]
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I'm looking for something to run pretty much exclusively on the road with. Is the tread pattern too aggressive or noticeable on the road?
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Re: Altra Olympus vs Hoka Bondi -Initial Impression [craigj532] [ In reply to ]
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Not at all. You could easily use the Olympus as a road shoe.


Dave Stark
dreamcatcher@astound.net
USAC & USAT level 2 certified coach
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Re: Altra Olympus vs Hoka Bondi -Initial Impression [trytri3] [ In reply to ]
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I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Altra's (all of them) and can't envision running in anything else now. I've owned Hoka's and they're good but the roominess in Altra is wonderful to me. I run in my Olympus, Torin 1.5, Torin, Instinct and I'll have the One^2 as soon as they're shipped to me.

I got 700 miles out of the Torin and just started in my new pair. They've been wonderful for everything up to an hour and a half and quite honestly I find the more comfy running than the Olympus. Just that touch of firmness makes my feet feel better.

I've got a couple hundred miles on my Olympus and I like them but the Torin is an incredible shoe for me. I think the new 1.5 might be better than the original

I can't say I'll ever run in anything without toebox room now
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Re: Altra Olympus vs Hoka Bondi -Initial Impression [jamgam] [ In reply to ]
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I think Ginger runner did a review on these......just can't get over the looks!

"I would definitely smell her seat after a century ride"
Rappstar wrote:
That might be the post of the year right there.
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Re: Altra Olympus vs Hoka Bondi -Initial Impression [craigj532] [ In reply to ]
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craigj532 wrote:
I'm looking for something to run pretty much exclusively on the road with. Is the tread pattern too aggressive or noticeable on the road?

It feels a lot more like a road tread; works much better for me on asphalt than on trails.

The wide toe box is dorky looking, but super comfy. As another poster mentioned, it's hard to go back to narrow toe boxes.

This is the squishiest shoe I've ever tried (feels like running on a wrestling mat). Saves a lot of wear and tear, but you can def. feel some energy loss when sprinting.

The taper at the toe feels weird when walking, but is fine when running (probably due to midsole compression).

The show is on the heavy side (11-12oz.), which is def. noticeable.

ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
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Re: Altra Olympus vs Hoka Bondi -Initial Impression [craigj532] [ In reply to ]
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craigj532 wrote:
I'm looking for something to run pretty much exclusively on the road with. Is the tread pattern too aggressive or noticeable on the road?


They are planning on releasing what is essentially a "road version" of the Olympus in the next few months. I had the chance to see the shoe in person and talk about them with one of the Altra co-owners at Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake (Seth Wold haha, the Altra guy from the Boston marathon...) The shoe's called the Paradigm. Has a little bit different look to it from an aesthetic standpoint, but stack height of the shoe is going to be the same (or at least within a couple mm) as the Olympus. Google image it "Altra Paradigm" and you'll see a few pics. I also just got a pair of the Torin 1.5's, they increased the cushioning in those as well since the last version and they've been great so far.
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Re: Altra Olympus vs Hoka Bondi -Initial Impression [jhoj] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for the tip on the Paradigm. Lots of good reviews out there already. I guess I'll wait a couple of weeks to pull the trigger.
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