Altra AL0A4VR7408-7.5 7.5 Altra Lone Peak 5 Women's

I am a professional dog hiker (yes that's a job and it's awesome) and take packs of dogs off leash hiking on the mountain and foothill trails around the Salt Lake valley every day all year in every weather. We hike for an hour and a half, which is at least 3-5 miles. Additionally I love hiking in my personal life and have bagged many iconic peaks. In a couple weeks I will be hiking half dome in Yosemite and had heard so much about these shoes that I wanted to try them out to possibly use on that hike. After much research and trial, my favorite spring and summer hiking shoes are the Salomon XA PRO 3D V8's. My favorite winter full waterproof boots are also Salomon. They have proven themselves season after season. I have tried big name brands like Hoka One One trail runners and while they were fun while they lasted, they didn't even last a single season. For the money I paid, that's just not acceptable to me. In comparing the Altra Lonepeak 5's to my newest Salmon XA Pro 3D's, what I found is that they're basically the same weight (VERY light), but the Salmon's are MUCH more sturdy and substantial than the Altra's. For example, in the Lonepeaks the bottoms of my feet could feel every rock or branch I stepped on or accidentally kicked while in the Salomons the sole and fabric of the shoe offers more shielding from the elements (all of them, including water). For me this is really the lynch pin, as on a really long hike (I did Mt Timpanogos in my older Salomons last year), foot fatigue is what really gets you in the end, so for me, having a shoe that is just as light as the Lonepeaks while providing more substance to cut down on bottom of foot fatigue won out in the end. In addition to that, I LOVE the lacing system of the Salmon's over manual laces. It's SO convenient and laces the entire shoe evenly. There is no stopping to tie, no getting cactus stuck on the laces, no fraying and easy on, easy off. The Lonepeaks while similar in weight are slightly lower profile than the Salomons and combined with their light weight make it really feel like you don't have much on. That can feel really nice on trail when you're used to wearing boots - especially if you're a true trail runner, but there are some trade offs that might make you think twice. First, they will not last. FACT. Read all the forums or ask the sales people at your local sporting goods store and they will all tell you the same thing. These shoes just don't hold up well over time, so be prepared to love them and leave them. At $160 that's hard to do. Additionally, these shoes will make your feet and ankles work a lot harder on anything other than slab rock or very flat hard packed earth than other hiking boots or shoes. I noticed within 15 minutes of my first hike in them that the tiny muscles and tendons in my feet, ankles and toes were fatiguing a lot faster than usual and were sore the next day - and I hike EVERY DAY. That's just the nature of this shoe compared to others. Your foot will adjust with time, but don't expect to be able to go from a hiking boot to this shoe and be able to hike a huge mountain or run the wasatch 100 without training in them for a while. I also found that I was turning my ankles a LOT more in these shoes than my Salomons which are only slightly higher up on the foot. I will say the traction on the Lonepeaks is second to none. If you're looking for shoes that will grip like a gecko to any terrain, these will definitely fit the bill! However, I find the traction to be more than adequate on my Salomons as well, without having to deal with some of the drawbacks I've highlighted above (and at HALF the price)!! I also do like the wide toe box on the Altra's, but again, the room in my Salmon's is adequate as well. In the end, the XA Pro 3D's win hands (feet) down and they are what I will be wearing to hike half dome in 2 weeks and probably Machu Picchu next June as well. I sincerely hope this review has been helpful for someone else! And yes, I paid full price for these. Feel free to ask me any questions!