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Great review Chad - I've had nearly every model of Timp now including the 5's. I wish Altra would go back to an original foot shape design for the Timp though. The 4's had notoriously horrible forefoot tread/grip, so the 5's have a very welcome Vibram addition. My only issue with the 5 is the comfort of the tongue compared to how tight you have to have the laces for heel lock - just like you said about how the top three laces bunch up. You nailed it on this one!
You run in some seriously beautiful landscapes. I like Altra but I’ve been using zero drop a bit less. After exclusively using zero drop for 2 yrs I started to develop some annoying Achilles injuries so I stick to the 4-5mm range. I really like the experience series though.
The Experience series is great! I just recently reviewed the FWD Experience and I'll soon be reviewing the Wild and Flow/Form. Thank you for checking out the video!
That might have been the prettiest run you’ve shared. The flowers were a very close contestant… Interesting shoe. I used zero drop back in the barefoot craze days but have since lingered in the 4-6mm range. For that reason, I think the Topo might be a better option. As always - appreciate the thoughts!
Thanks for the review Chad! I've been considering the Timp 5's for an upcoming 50-miler I'll be running, but you shared a few reflections that has me wondering if I should go for a new pair of Olympus 5's instead. You mentioned the drainage issue, which I haven't heard about from anyone else - Kudos for bringing that up! I think that's a dealbreaker for me. Having water retained in the shoe, combined with the reduced breathability sounds like a bad combination when far into an ultra. You also mentioned the snugness of the fit. I don't have very wide feet, but they aren't slim either. They tend to swell up, and the roomy toe-box of the Olympus has worked really well over the longer distances. I use the Mont Blanc's for runs up to 50k, but they tend to start pinching at that point, which relacing can help with. Any insights if that is comparable to your experience with the Timp's? Thanks again for the great review and footage!
Thank you for the comments! I haven't ran in the Olympus so unfortunately I can't compare it to that. The Timp 5 is slightly wider than many shoes but it seems to feel more average width at this point. The Topo MTN Racer 3 has a wider toe box but the mid-foot and heel are still narrow, which I personally prefer (my feet don't swell up very much deep into a long race).
Thanks for the review. Just thought I'd share my experience. Coming from Olympus 4s this shoe is much tighter in the toe box because of the shallower profile so if you have wide feet go up a half size. This is exacerbated by the thick and long tongue reducing the volume in the shoe and making it even hotter to run in the summer heat. Also I do not feel the cushioning to be as good as in my Speedgoat 4s. BUT the vibram outsole is a winner and even with the cons listed previously this is still a pretty good shoe for comfort, performance and protection. Not sure it's a Speedgoat killer as others have said though. Just my thoughts and not so different from yours I think. Mine were 80 UK pounds in a sale and for that good value.
There's definitely a lot to like about the shoe. I've seen it on quite a few feet of some other Ultra runners as well. Thanks for checking out the video!
I’ve had some metatarsal pain that my PT says may improve if I run in a wider toe box with zero drop. So I may stick to my timp 4’s for a good long while.
Thanks @seeChadRun for an honest review. I think if I was going to try/buy a new shoe it would definitely be on my list I was a Timp 1 and 1.5 runner back in the day, they were great shoes which I did pretty much all my trail miles in, they were also no very good at draining water either. It's great to see Altra making a comeback.however, but I think I would miss the roomier foot shape toebox ... I actually moved on to Topo. I think it will take a lot to get me to move off the Topo MNT racer 3, a real swiss army knife shoe
I love the MTN Racer 3 and would honestly choose those over the Timp 5 if I had to choose just one. I just did a review video of the MTN Racer 3 if you haven't seen that yet...
I picked this one because its the right amount of cushioning for long distance hiking in the mountains. I go on hikes that are up to 600 km / 373 miles and since I am about 90 kg / 198.5 pounds, the lone peaks just does not offer enough protection. I have worn out one pair of Olympus 5 and I am ready to challenge my feet just a little bit more for them to get stronger and for me to be able to use lighter shoes. I prefer the lone peak toebox and how the lone peaks drain out water, but what are you gonna do? So far, my strategy is just to wear thick wool socks to keep warm even though its wet in there. Tried the shoes in muddy terrain 3 x 40 km / 3 x 25 miles last weekend. I went one size up with these and it didnt give me any major problems with blisters other than my pinky toe which I just taped to the next toe to prevent rubbing. Draining water poorly and less wide toebox than other altra shoes is the main problems for sure. Since I had to go a size up to even fit properly in them, the lacing turned out to be a bit tricky to get right. I would rather just have a traditional lacing system than these two loops in the middle -- anyone can skip a hole to create this effect themselves so I dont see the need for it. Overall, I am happy with how light this shoe is for the amount of cushioning and grip it gives. The mesh does not breathe well, especially when you get them dirty. The insole is thin and lacks structure so it may start to move around when you are really pushing it through water and mud.
I was a big fan of Timp 1.5. Unfortunately, the next version was very narrow and I couldn't get a proper fit even after sizing up. I do however, still like the Olympus and even the Mont Blanc.
Question says it’s got so much cushioning and it’s flat. You know like some shoes will have a curve in the front kind of a thing. How does it feel? Is it cause I’m sure it’s probably not flexible but I’m used to a zero drop shoot is really flexible I’m sure it’s not flexible and so do you still get ground field on that thing or not I was also thinking about the same thing about topo pursuit that I wondered how much how it runs as it runs smooth still and it’s your ground fill is it flexible at all but you know the mountain racer also has a high stack height like that but it’s not a zero drop shoot, so I was just kind of curious
The Topo Pursuit 2 is ever so slightly more flexible than the Altra Timp 5. Both have a rocker shape, but the Pursuit 2 has a more pronounced rocker shape, which in my experience offers a slightly smoother transition through toe off. From what I recall (It's been a minute since I ran in the Timp 5) both have similar ground feel and protection. I never felt that ground feel was lacking but I also still felt protected underfoot in both shoes. All that said if I had to choose one zero drop trail shoe, be the Topo Pursuit 2 as I found it to be more comfortable in the upper for my foot. Hope that helps!
I have them. Like them for mellow runs that aren’t too steep. Zero drop aggravates Achilles on heavy climb runs. Disappointed the toe cap is delaming on one shoe. Altra can’t seem to figure out their glue issues. I sized up half and they fit great
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Great review Chad - I've had nearly every model of Timp now including the 5's. I wish Altra would go back to an original foot shape design for the Timp though. The 4's had notoriously horrible forefoot tread/grip, so the 5's have a very welcome Vibram addition. My only issue with the 5 is the comfort of the tongue compared to how tight you have to have the laces for heel lock - just like you said about how the top three laces bunch up. You nailed it on this one!
Thank you for the feedback/comment and for watching the video! The Vibram outsole seems to be the game changer compared to the previous version.
Would love it if they could reduce the toe spring, and also go back to a wider shape
You run in some seriously beautiful landscapes. I like Altra but I’ve been using zero drop a bit less. After exclusively using zero drop for 2 yrs I started to develop some annoying Achilles injuries so I stick to the 4-5mm range. I really like the experience series though.
The Experience series is great! I just recently reviewed the FWD Experience and I'll soon be reviewing the Wild and Flow/Form. Thank you for checking out the video!
Zero drop in theory are good for strong achilles, as they stretch it
That might have been the prettiest run you’ve shared. The flowers were a very close contestant…
Interesting shoe. I used zero drop back in the barefoot craze days but have since lingered in the 4-6mm range. For that reason, I think the Topo might be a better option.
As always - appreciate the thoughts!
Thank you Chad! It was truly a beautiful run. And to think that I almost bailed on recording the video!
Thanks for the review Chad! I've been considering the Timp 5's for an upcoming 50-miler I'll be running, but you shared a few reflections that has me wondering if I should go for a new pair of Olympus 5's instead.
You mentioned the drainage issue, which I haven't heard about from anyone else - Kudos for bringing that up! I think that's a dealbreaker for me. Having water retained in the shoe, combined with the reduced breathability sounds like a bad combination when far into an ultra.
You also mentioned the snugness of the fit. I don't have very wide feet, but they aren't slim either. They tend to swell up, and the roomy toe-box of the Olympus has worked really well over the longer distances. I use the Mont Blanc's for runs up to 50k, but they tend to start pinching at that point, which relacing can help with. Any insights if that is comparable to your experience with the Timp's?
Thanks again for the great review and footage!
Thank you for the comments! I haven't ran in the Olympus so unfortunately I can't compare it to that. The Timp 5 is slightly wider than many shoes but it seems to feel more average width at this point. The Topo MTN Racer 3 has a wider toe box but the mid-foot and heel are still narrow, which I personally prefer (my feet don't swell up very much deep into a long race).
Thanks for the review. Just thought I'd share my experience. Coming from Olympus 4s this shoe is much tighter in the toe box because of the shallower profile so if you have wide feet go up a half size. This is exacerbated by the thick and long tongue reducing the volume in the shoe and making it even hotter to run in the summer heat. Also I do not feel the cushioning to be as good as in my Speedgoat 4s. BUT the vibram outsole is a winner and even with the cons listed previously this is still a pretty good shoe for comfort, performance and protection. Not sure it's a Speedgoat killer as others have said though. Just my thoughts and not so different from yours I think. Mine were 80 UK pounds in a sale and for that good value.
Great insight and feedback! Thank you!
Been loving the Timp 5 so far. Came from the 2 and 3 version.
There's definitely a lot to like about the shoe. I've seen it on quite a few feet of some other Ultra runners as well. Thanks for checking out the video!
Funny seeing you leave the footprints in the snow around Towers that I ran by not 30-45 minutes later in my Timp 4’s!
For a majority of the run I was the first person to lay down tracks! Such a beautiful morning, especially up in the fog!
I’ve had some metatarsal pain that my PT says may improve if I run in a wider toe box with zero drop. So I may stick to my timp 4’s for a good long while.
Thanks @seeChadRun for an honest review. I think if I was going to try/buy a new shoe it would definitely be on my list
I was a Timp 1 and 1.5 runner back in the day, they were great shoes which I did pretty much all my trail miles in, they were also no very good at draining water either.
It's great to see Altra making a comeback.however, but I think I would miss the roomier foot shape toebox ...
I actually moved on to Topo. I think it will take a lot to get me to move off the Topo MNT racer 3, a real swiss army knife shoe
I love the MTN Racer 3 and would honestly choose those over the Timp 5 if I had to choose just one. I just did a review video of the MTN Racer 3 if you haven't seen that yet...
ua-cam.com/video/IYfpKbL9GV8/v-deo.html
I picked this one because its the right amount of cushioning for long distance hiking in the mountains. I go on hikes that are up to 600 km / 373 miles and since I am about 90 kg / 198.5 pounds, the lone peaks just does not offer enough protection. I have worn out one pair of Olympus 5 and I am ready to challenge my feet just a little bit more for them to get stronger and for me to be able to use lighter shoes.
I prefer the lone peak toebox and how the lone peaks drain out water, but what are you gonna do? So far, my strategy is just to wear thick wool socks to keep warm even though its wet in there. Tried the shoes in muddy terrain 3 x 40 km / 3 x 25 miles last weekend. I went one size up with these and it didnt give me any major problems with blisters other than my pinky toe which I just taped to the next toe to prevent rubbing.
Draining water poorly and less wide toebox than other altra shoes is the main problems for sure. Since I had to go a size up to even fit properly in them, the lacing turned out to be a bit tricky to get right. I would rather just have a traditional lacing system than these two loops in the middle -- anyone can skip a hole to create this effect themselves so I dont see the need for it. Overall, I am happy with how light this shoe is for the amount of cushioning and grip it gives. The mesh does not breathe well, especially when you get them dirty. The insole is thin and lacks structure so it may start to move around when you are really pushing it through water and mud.
Thank you for sharing your experiences and expertise! This is very valuable and helpful to others.
I was a big fan of Timp 1.5. Unfortunately, the next version was very narrow and I couldn't get a proper fit even after sizing up. I do however, still like the Olympus and even the Mont Blanc.
Finally, Vibram Megagrip!
It makes a big difference for sure!
Heel lockdown has always been the Achille's heel of Altra shoes in my experience. The original Lone Peak was the worst.
Question says it’s got so much cushioning and it’s flat. You know like some shoes will have a curve in the front kind of a thing. How does it feel? Is it cause I’m sure it’s probably not flexible but I’m used to a zero drop shoot is really flexible I’m sure it’s not flexible and so do you still get ground field on that thing or not I was also thinking about the same thing about topo pursuit that I wondered how much how it runs as it runs smooth still and it’s your ground fill is it flexible at all but you know the mountain racer also has a high stack height like that but it’s not a zero drop shoot, so I was just kind of curious
The Topo Pursuit 2 is ever so slightly more flexible than the Altra Timp 5. Both have a rocker shape, but the Pursuit 2 has a more pronounced rocker shape, which in my experience offers a slightly smoother transition through toe off. From what I recall (It's been a minute since I ran in the Timp 5) both have similar ground feel and protection. I never felt that ground feel was lacking but I also still felt protected underfoot in both shoes. All that said if I had to choose one zero drop trail shoe, be the Topo Pursuit 2 as I found it to be more comfortable in the upper for my foot. Hope that helps!
Have 3 altras on my shopping lusr, just need towear out some asic speed, adidss boston 11 and adistars cs
I have them. Like them for mellow runs that aren’t too steep. Zero drop aggravates Achilles on heavy climb runs. Disappointed the toe cap is delaming on one shoe. Altra can’t seem to figure out their glue issues. I sized up half and they fit great
That's great feedback! Sorry to hear about the overlay issues. We'll see if my pair does the same thing.