Altra Olympus 3.0

Name: Altra Olympus 3.0
Brand: Altra

Trail · Neutral · 10.7 oz

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Altra Olympus 3.5 replaced it

How it ranks

The Altra Olympus 3.0 sits about average for trail shoes in our data. Cushioning and comfort are its strongest sub-ratings. The rating rests on 4 runner reviews and 10 other rated shoes in the Olympus product line. Another 8 reviews would set the confidence on this shoe's own reviews.

Decent

78/100

Overall

Decent 78

Cushioning

Very good 90

Comfort

Good 83

Value

Below average 69

Durability

Below average 64

Appearance

Bottom-tier 53

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence will score low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

44/100

Low 44

What runners say

“The wide toe box and max cushion help me go beyond 100 miles with minimal foot issues”

4/5 Full review 100 mpw came from the Altra Timp

“Cushioning is fabulous for long runs on uneven surfaces, and pounding downhills”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for ultramarathons

“The ankle cushion is so high/thick it's uncomfortable—if I wear any sock lower than crew it pulls my sock down”

4/5 Full review 20 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Altra Olympus 2.5

“Vibram outsole that has good dry and wet traction”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for ultramarathons

“Cushioned, Vibram sole is nice and grippy, big toebox (high and wide)”

4/5 Full review 20 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Altra Olympus 2.5

“The Vibram outsoles are a huge improvement over their own outsoles”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Altra Olympus 2.5

“Humans do not have a symmetrical foot shape and that a lot of long distance trail runners have wide feet”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Altra Olympus 2.5

“They let in SO much dirt/gravel”

4/5 Full review 20 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Altra Olympus 2.5

“Could use more reinforcement/overlay for the technical trails in New England”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for ultramarathons

Prefer this shoe over another

60% 3/5

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Reviewers praise the cushioning for long runs, uneven ground and downhills.
A wide, high toe box suits runners who want room up front, one going beyond 100 miles in it.

Cons

Durability draws the lowest ratings of any dimension at 3.3 out of 5, with reviewers reporting the thin upper sides tearing.
The Olympus 4.0, 5 and 6 after it score 91, 97 and 80 against its 79.

Olympus 3.0 rates 78. This shoe has low certainty. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Altra Olympus

Each dot is one version of the Olympus, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

40 60 80 100

81 2014 76 2014 78 2018 90 2020 90 2024 97 2022 81 2024 84 2026 78 2017 91 2019 84 2025

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.

Olympus 275

2025 · 0 reviews

84 Good

20 Confidence
Olympus 3.5

2019 · 2 reviews

91 Very good

49 Confidence
Olympus 2.5

2017 · 1 review

78 Decent

39 Confidence
Olympus 7

2026 · 0 reviews

84 Good

22 Confidence
Olympus 6

2024 · 2 reviews

81 Good

49 Confidence
Olympus 5

2022 · 4 reviews

97 Excellent

78 Confidence
Olympus 4

2024 · 2 reviews

90 Very good

54 Confidence
Olympus 4.0

2020 · 4 reviews

90 Very good

58 Confidence
Olympus 3.0 This shoe

2018 · 4 reviews

78 Decent

44 Confidence
Olympus 1.0

2014 · 3 reviews

76 Decent

13 Confidence
Olympus

2014 · 1 review

81 Good

26 Confidence

Reader Ratings

4 ratings

5/5 0

4/5 4

3/5 0

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 10.7 oz
Release: 2018 Q2
MSRP: $150

Runner reviews

Write a review

Altra Olympus 3.0

4/5

Overall

Been running the Olympus since 1.0. Pros: cushioned, vibram sole is nice and grippy, big toebox (high and wide), drain pretty well. Cons: overall appearance (i swear they try to make it look even bigger than it is), they let in SO much dirt/gravel, the ankle cushion is so high/thick it's uncomfortable--if I wear any sock lower than crew it pulls my sock down, and the lugs aren't terrible but could be better. Feels a bit more stable than previous versions. Colors get a bit better with each revision but are still not the best. Altra makes a big deal of not "shrinking and pinking" their women's shoes, yet every model comes in at least one shade of pink. Ugh.

Anonymous runner · Jul 23, 2019

20 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Altra Olympus 2.5

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 4/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 4/5

Great trail running shoe for people that want a wide toe box and cushioning for long runs

4/5

Overall

At least one running shoe company recognizes that humans do not have a symmetrical foot shape and that a lot of long distance trail runners have wide feet. The Vibram outsoles are a huge improvement over their own outsoles. The main features missing from this shoe are overlays/reinforcement on the sides for foot protection, abrasion resistance, and to prevent the classic Altra upper blow-outs. Buy a tube of Shoe-Goo with this shoe to reinforce the sides.

Portsmouthrunner · Jul 6, 2019

40 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Altra Olympus 2.5

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 3/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 4/5

Good for really long migrations

4/5

Overall

I mainly do multi day foot races and need cushioning and room in my shoes. The wide toe box and max cushion help me go beyond 100 miles with minimal foot issues. Shoe doesn’t last very long but helps me achieve my race goals.

Anonymous runner · Jun 19, 2019

100 mpw came from the Altra Timp

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 4/5
Durability: 3/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 4/5

Nice cushioned trail shoe with great fit for wide feet

4/5

Overall

Nice improvement over Olympus 2.5 with a Vibram outsole that has good dry and wet traction. Small improvement with a little reinforcement at sides of uppers to reduce tears and blowouts, but definitely could use more reinforcement/overlay for the technical trails in New England. Cushioning is fabulous for long runs on uneven surfaces, and pounding downhills. Wished the tongue was a little longer. Overall a great trail shoe!

Anonymous runner · Sep 30, 2018

30 mpw training for ultramarathons