Altra TIMP 3 Trail Running Shoes

Product Information

Topo MT 3: These are 3mm from heel to forefoot and have a more responsive feel to the cushioning. The toe box is rounded like the Timp 4 designed to allow you feet he room to spread on impact. Here is our review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/topo-athletic-mt3-review/ I find the overall fit of the upper to be really great, almost slipper-like in comfort and feel. This may be a bit of a detriment on more technically oriented trails, but it’s great for most anything else. The sides of the upper wrap further over the top of the foot, so the gap the laces span is shorter. Due to the extra cushion, all the Timp revisions will offer greater underfoot protection than all the Lone Peak revisions. Fit

The shoe felt a bit like running in sand. I felt like I had to adjust my stride from its norm so I could gain momentum, which was frustrating and decreased the enjoyment I got from these shoes. Fast forward a season and the Timp 2 felt a bit off, particularly in regards to sizing, which was noticeably narrower and shorter than the previous version. The midsole had a nice update and the outsole traction remained the same, but the overall feel just wasn’t quite right. That’s why we were excited to find that revisions to this spring’s Timp 3 focus primarily on the fit of the upper, which is very similar to the old-school sizing we first admired. That’s the nutshell review of the Timp 3. If you loved the original, you’ll definitely love this new version. The Altra Timp 4 may be in Altra's standard fit, but when compared to other running shoes, it's still exceptionally roomy. Mike P: The biggest element of the upper is of course, the space in the toebox. Previous Timps have been a bit on the narrower side relative to other Altra models. I’d say there’s a bit more volume in this toebox than previous versions. Definitely not Lone Peak-level space, but it should be suitable for most that do enjoy or need it. The mesh upper material in the toebox area is a bit looser, so I don’t feel any pressure either on the outsides or over the top of my forefoot. There’s definitely room to stretch as well, so as long as you are properly sized, toebox space should not be an issue with the Timp 4.I have been running in it now for a few weeks and it remains a very good shoe for what it is designed to do, as was the TIMP 2. Don't push it hard on wet, highly technical trails but for runs which are a combination of pavement and trails, especially in the dry what you get is a very similar ride to the Torin 4.5 Plush but with a more technical outsole. The Timp 3 has a gaiter trap at the heel and a loop at the base of the laces to take the Altra 2 point gaiters. The shoes have maintained that lovely flexibility so the shoes bend with your feet. You never feel like you are fighting against the shoe to get on your toes while running up a steep climb. For Hong Kong we position this as a "All-Terrain Shoe" something that will provide great longevity (ie wear characteristics on the outer) and yet still have good trail credibility. It is ALTRAs equivalent of the HOKA ATR Challenger. A go anywhere, do anything shoe. Mike P (9.5): I have V4. The Superiors in 9.5 feel a bit short to me, I’d likely go with a 10.0 for sizing comparable to my Timp 4’s in 10. Superiors are more stable due to being much lower to the ground. That said, they are much less cushioned and you will have much more ground feel, whether you like that or not. The Superiors version of MAXTRAC outsole and lug pattern offers much better traction.

The TIMP 3 would normally have been named the TIMP 2.5 but nevertheless the TIMP 3 does bring a few noteworthy improvements. Timp 4 upper wraps more over the sides of the foot, contributing to a slipper like feel. Also more upper material, looser in the front, MTN Racer 2 with very thin tongue does give some lace pressure across top of foot] Its also a much better looking shoe than the TIMP 2 and for many people this is very important. I love the grey colourway above and the women's shoes are also looking really good. VF is certainly improving that aspect of ALTRA. My first step-in feel was WOW. This is quite a soft shoe, with Altra’s signature ample toebox which to me has always felt great, and with enough shoe underfoot that I knew it would be do well for a variety of distances and terrain, but still light enough to appeal to those who don’t like the feel of a ton of shoe. I had high hopes for this Timp already. Inov-8 Parkclaw: A higher heel to forefoot drop of 8mm make these less of a midfoot running shoe. However, they have the same versatile outsole and cushioning. https://www.northernrunner.com/search/parkclawThe upper of the Altra Timp 4 has a solid width of 100.7 mm in the forefoot. This is roomier than the average 98.2 mm. The effort to improve the fit is welcome and the shoe felt very secure on my foot, uphill and downhill and my toes were free to roam as they should in an ALTRA. The fit actually feels a bit better than say the Lone Peak 5 because the Toe Box is still a little narrower. If you were to line up all 5 Altra trail running shoes by the amount of their cushioning, Lone Peak's would be right in the middle. Mike P: By far my favorite riding Altra shoe to date. In any type of terrain from smooth to moderate to semi-technical, smooth is the word. They definitely run lighter than their weight, the cushioning feels comforting underfoot, but never mushy. You can get into a groove and just cruise in these. Also of note - I found the cushioning in the rear substantial enough to allow a good amount of varied rear-foot striking on descents. I find most zero drop shoes tend to be a bit harsh in this regard, but no problems here.

I am not sure how the fit compares to previous models or other Altra running shoes, but it felt a smidge wider than the Mizuno Wave Rider 24 and New Balance Fresh Foam Beacon V3. Unfortunately, despite its comfort and spot-on fit, the Timp 3’s ride disappointed. With each stride, I felt like all of my energy was lost and it was hard to find a smooth transition into my next step. Altra’s Timp 4 is Altra’s road-to-trail type trail shoe and is next up for review. It’s made on Altra’s ‘standard’ last, which like all Altra shoes has a broad rounded toe box and is Zero Drop. Other shoes made on the standard include the Superior, Mont Blanc and Provision. The standard last is a snugger fit through the midfoot, has less volume in the upper and is slightly narrower in the forefoot than Altra’s ‘original’ last which is used for shoes like the Lone Peak 6 and Olympus 4. If you haven’t worn Altra running shoes before, then the Timp is still likely to feel a roomy shoe unless you have very broad or high volume feet. The width is similar to a 2E in a lot of other brands, yet a more rounded shape. TAYLOR: I would dare to say that the Timp has taken over, or equaled, the top spot for Altra’s number one preferred trail shoe. These things have gained a lot of popularity for creating a phenomenal balance in a shoe. For the foot-shaped zero-drop fanatics, it is pretty much a dream shoe that can handle the longest of races and the most technical terrain.Speaking of Hoka, for a moment I mistook the drainage holes on the lateral parts of the Timp’s forefoot to be something akin to Hoka’s earliest models, where the wearer could actually drill their own holes into the lateral aspects of the shoe’s foam to create more inherent stability. But that’s an aside. I didn’t get to test these guys out in wet conditions yet so am unsure how they would have drained, but it seems they thought of every trail condition with this shoe. Personally I tend to prefer less cushioned, more responsive feeling shoes but the flexibility makes these shoes so easy to run in that I find I am often reaching for them for my easier and long runs! A pleasant surprise and I judged them as initially as being too soft for me!

then the extra cushion in the Timp's are highly likely to make a positive difference for you - but not by a huge amount, because the Lone Peak's are also equipped with a fair amount of cushion. Traction The previous Timp was just kind of there, somewhat technically oriented, but not quite comfortable or cushioned enough to appeal to most. Altra seems to have focused on the technical mountain side of the equation with the new Mont Blanc, and moved the Timp more towards the smoother, comfortable, and cushioned side. It is definitely the most versatile Altra trail shoe right now, and should appeal to both Altra and non-Altra trail runners alike. The Quantic midsole is as soft and bouncy as it was in the Timp 2 so the Timp 3 feels very comfortable and smooth on tarmac. Perfect for a road to trail shoe that you want to perform well on both a variety of trail and road. The Maxtrax outsole gives a good grip on most trail surfaces. As with all outsoles of this type they aren’t going to get you round your local cross country but, then your cross country shoes wouldn’t be comfortable in a 10km road race. The Timp 3 has the ability to be serviceable on a variety of surfaces. Mike P (10.0): The T9 has a wide enough toebox to rival the Timp 4. I find it well suited to longer distances in terrain more technical than the Timp 4 can handle. Clear win for the T9 in the traction department - Asics Grip is great. The Timp 4 feels much more cushioned underfoot, and also feels like a more fun ride in moderate terrain. And the Timp's, having a little more cushioning than the Lone Peak's, would be placed right next to the them.This was my main beef with the Timp 1.5's, and it certainly is improved in Timp 2.0, but Lone Peak 4.5's are still a little bit superior in this department. The Lone Peak 4.5's fit slightly narrower compared to the Timp 2.0's in the upper. Width of the soles are the same (as it's with all the Altra shoes). Still a pretty incredible trail shoe for mountain running, just maybe not as good as the last version