Six Things I Love About the Altra King MT

Choosing the Right Running Shoe

by Dr. Selina Sekulic, Final Kick Ankle & Foot Clinic

It has been years since I’ve fallen in love with a trail shoe. At one time, I did the majority of my Wasatch trail runs in the Altra Superior 2.0. However, the upgraded 3.0 version lost a bit of its low profile feel, and caused blisters. Since then, I had given up my search for a replacement, and wore the Altra Escalantes (a road shoe) during all my trail runs.

I recently fell while descending on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. After posting a few graphic pics on social media of my lacerated knee, and the skillful primary closure, which I performed on myself, a friend suggested that I find shoes better suited for trail conditions. Although, the fall was most likely a result of tired legs rather than the shoes I was wearing, I agreed that it was time to check out the new wave of trail running shoes.

I discovered the Altra King MT at my local running store. The shoe immediately fit like a glove, and reminded me of the Escalantes. Needless to say, I was very excited to lace these up and hit the trails.

I chose a hilly section of the Bonneville Shoreline trail for my first run in the Altra King MT. Since then, I’ve run on a number of trails including: Pipeline, City Creek BSL, and Glen Wild. I am extremely happy to have found a trail shoe that accommodates my style and stride. I have outlined a review below:

PROs:

I love the minimalist tongue. Thick, padded tongues are not aesthetically pleasing to me.

2. The Vibram Mega Grip Rubber sole with 6mm outsole lugs provides great traction. I feel like the shoes climb well, and I also get some forward momentum on the flat and downhill sections.

The StoneGuard technology is awesome under my forefoot. I typically develop some lesser metatarsal phalangeal joint pain if my soles are too thin, or my shoes are wearing out. The StoneGuard provides ample protection on rocky terrain.

4. I like the foot lock strap that lays over the midfoot. My midfoot feels more stable on the technical areas of trail. I also like how I can secure my laces under the strap, and not worry about them brushing against my ankle or getting caught in trailside shrubbery.

I love Altra’s signature wide toe box. My feet stay comfortable, and I can run for miles without having to stop and adjust my laces. I also don’t develop blisters.

6. The low-cut ankle collar is great. I find that if the collar on a shoe is too high, it will rub the outside of my ankle, and irritate my peroneal tendons. Several months ago, I developed an acute bout of peroneal tendonitis after running for two hours in a pair of shoes (different brand) with a high-cut ankle collar. Still the Altra MT feels stable despite the low-cut collar.

CONs:

This is the heaviest shoe that I’ve worn in a while. Nevertheless, I still feel nimble despite the 8.4-ounce shoes. And if we really want to turn this into a PRO, training in a heavier shoe will make my legs feel like they are flying during my next track workout in spikes!