Australian Hiker

Rating

Altra Mont Blanc Women's Trail Running Shoe Review

If you’re looking for a pair of super lightweight but also durable hiking shoes, then the Altra Mont Blanc Women’s Trail Shoe is a great option.

The upper of this shoe is made from a breathable fabric which reduces the weight and ensures the shoe will dry quickly if it gets wet. While the padding has been pared down, its well positioned around the upper shoe edge and along the shoe tongue. There does appear to be more padding on the shoe insole does which adds extra comfort on such a minimalist construction.

However, that’s where the minimalism seems to end. This shoe has Altra’s new EGO™ MAX undersole which is deep and robust providing a high level of cushioning underfoot with a stack height of 30mm. The outersole is made of Vibram® LiteBase which is super tough and durable. Insole cushioning is a feature of all Altra shoes but they have beefed it up on this one.

The Coral/Black colouring of the Altra Mont Blanc Women’s Trail Shoe are the brightest and most colourful hiking shoes I’ve worn. That’s saying something given I have a range of very colourful street shoes in my wardrobe! We know Tim likes lairy hiking shoes and I have to admit I wasn’t so sure when I first set eyes on this colour – the problem was my size wasn’t available in the Deep Teal version.

I have grown to love the colour and was a bit disappointed the first time out when I got them dirty. The good thing is they wash up well in a bucket of soapy water but remember to remove the insoles first as Altra insoles tend to de-laminate when they get fully submerged during robust washing!

Back to shoe size; I made the error of purchasing a size 9 when I’m usually a 9.5 – the only thing I can say is that I must have a brain snap in that moment! So while I would have preferred a size 9.5, I have worn the 9’s in a range of conditions including 18.4km on the Guthega to Charlotte Pass Walk and they were still comfortable.

The Mont Blancs have most of the standard Altra features including the great designed for women ‘FOOTSHAPE’ and the wide fit for those of us with wide feet. There is also Altra’s Zero Drop feature which means your toes and heel are positioned at the same level. Most shoes drop down towards the toe but zero drop shoes give you a ‘barefoot walking’ experience and Altra’s ‘Balanced Cushioning’ ensures your feet are comfortable and supported.

There is a fabric hook at the heel to aid pulling on your shoes which assist in ensuring you won’t crush the heel of this super lightweight shoe. The positioning of the ‘GAITERTRAP’ Velcro is good and minimises dirt and gravel getting into your shoes. However, there is no loop at the front of the shoe to attach your Lycra gaiters so you need to hook them onto the laces. I don’t like this because it does impact the tightness of the lacing whereas a dedicated loop doesn’t. Of course it is the trade off between having all the features you want versus the lightest shoe available – something has to give!

I’ve often commented that the tongue on Altra shoes tends to slip sideways under the lacing from the first step. This shoe isn’t as bad as others in this regard but it does slip a little. This is not really a problem that impacts comfort or wearability – it just annoys me.

The RRP for the Mont Blancs is a hefty AUD $319.99 but you can get them for less then AUD $275 if you look hard.

These are a great shoe and suitable for most of my hiking in a range of conditions with the exception of cold and wet conditions.

We Like

• Great wide fit
• These comfortable and have a long lasting midsole cushioning is supportive even after 400km of hiking over a variety of terrain
• There is some cushioning on the tongue that adds to the overall comfort but these are essentially a pared-down shoe
• Toe guards are robust and there is moderate heal padding providing protection at the front and rear of the foot
• Great long wearing traction lugs that last in a wide range of conditions from wet to dry
• Breathable so your feet won’t overheat. They also dry quickly in warm weather if they do get wet
• Super lightweight construction which reduces the impact on the legs after long day of hiking

We Don't Like

• Removing the gaiter loop and replacing it with the lacing doesn’t make sense to me – it unnecessarily tightens the laces

Would I Use These Shoes for Hiking?

Yes, definitely! These shoes are great for all short, day, multi-day and even multi-week hikes in most conditions with the exception of very cold and wet or snow conditions

Best Use

For hikers who:

• Want a comfortable and hard wearing shoe on the trail that is also lightweight
• Have a wide forefoot
• Prefer zero drop shoes

Buy One

You can purchase the Altra Mont Blanc Women’s Trail Running Shoe at Wildfire Sports

Disclosure:  We may earn a small commission, at no additional expense to you, if you click through and make a purchase. Please note that our affiliations do not influence, in any way, the independence of our reviews. If we don’t like a product, you’ll hear about it from us!

If you have used the Altra Mont Blanc Women’s Trail Running Shoe or if you have questions, we’d like to hear from you. Post your comment or question below

Investment

AUD$319.99 RRP

Other Versions

• Available in both men’s and women’s sizings
• Available in the ‘Boa’ version which has a mechanical lace locking system (see Tim’s review of the Altra Men’s Boa here)

Women’s Mont Blanc Coral/Black colour

Women’s Mont Blanc Teal colour

Women’s Mont Blanc sole view (Teal colour shoe)

Women’s Mont Blanc side view

Women’s Mont Blanc inside view and insert

Women’s Mont Blanc front and rear view. This version has standard lacing and a gaiter trap like Altra’s other trail runners. The ‘Boa’ version doesn’t have a gaiter trap

Women’s Mont Blanc lace view

Disclaimer

This review was done with product purchased from a retail store by Australian Hiker

Shares

Related articles