Altra Via Olympus 2 - Women's Review

The Altra Via Olympus 2 is a high-stack, zero-drop shoe ideal for runners seeking prime comfort and spaciousness for long walks and slow jogs on unforgiving surfaces.

Performance Comparision

Landing Comfort

Looks can be deceiving, and in the case of the Via Olympus, they are. This shoe has a mighty 35 mm stack height but is not stuffed with pillowy foam. Instead, the underfoot cushion maintains a bit of rigidity, which helps to make the Olympus a wearable and runnable shoe. Even still, the ride that this shoe offers is a slightly acquired taste. The platform-style stack is great for overall joint protection and, as many of us learned in decades past, stylish. Typically, we expect a shoe with 35 mm underfoot to feel mushy and pack out easily, but the Via Olympus does neither. Its firm midsole, made of Altra Ego Max textiles, provides a comfortable landing platform and resists buckling on high mileage days. While there is an adjustment period when it comes to wearing a high-stack shoe with a zero-drop differential (though we measured 2 mm in our lab), if the Via Olympus checks the boxes you require, it is a reliable and comfortable shoe for long-distance excursions.

Responsiveness

While not a standout in the responsiveness metric, the Via Olympus 2 offers more responsiveness than one might think based on its large profile. Because of its slight firmness and comfortably subtle rocker, you can actually get moving in these thick-profiled runners. Is this going to be your go-to race shoe? Absolutely not. Can you lay down some serious training miles in this thick-soled running shoe? You definitely can. The weight alone (8.52 ounces per women's size 6.5 shoe) is enough to inspire longer, slower runs in this shoe. The rocker feels functional but is embedded between layers and layers of underfoot material, which hinders its functionality a bit.

Stability

While a typical platform shoe rides like a recipe for rolled ankles, the VIA Olympus has enough lateral meat to help you feel stable as you run. The lateral edges of the Olympus are thicker than the featherweight shoes that have become popular lately. While they aren't robust enough to correct your gait, you can run in comfort, knowing that your rear foot and heels will be snug and stable. The Olympus offers a somewhat toned-down version of Altra's infamous “foot shape” toe box style. The toe box on the Olympus is wide enough to be comfortable without feeling clownlike. This toe box tapers into a comfortably snug midfoot section, inspiring confidence and stability with each step.

Upper Comfort

From a completely tactile perspective, the upper of the Via Olympus is comfortable. The toe box is spacious enough without going overboard, and the midfoot is tapered but not narrow. The engineered mesh is durable and has enough integrity to hold up during the punishing depths of training for that coveted Boston Qualifier. Our only real gripe with the Olympus is that it runs hot. While not a dealbreaker on moderate days, warmer days take the upper from cozy to sweltering. You will likely enjoy the Olympus if your runs are not typically executed on hot days and unforgiving surfaces. But if warmer runs are your thing, we recommend investing in a shoe that won't double as a foot sauna.

Weight

Well, the Via Olympus is clunky. From its appearance to its 8.52-ounce weight, this is not a minimal or featherweight shoe. The adjustment period needed to adapt to the Olympus is mostly because of how all of this shoe's weight rides in its undercarriage. The platform-style stack offers a unique feeling, as does the weight you'll be toting underfoot. If a light and peppy shoe is what you are after, the Olympus won't be the one for you. If a bit of extra weight doesn't scare you, then the Olympus is worth taking for a spin.

Traction

With deep grooves and texturized rubber outsole, the Olympus offers decent traction on wet roads and slick grass. While none of the road shoes we've tested are perfect, we've found that the more stable, cushioned, and supportive the shoe, the better traction it offers. This is because their designs are less focused on tech and performance and more concerned with comfort and well-rounded function. The lug pattern and stability will help keep you upright and comfortable as your motor across rainy roads and other slightly damp terrain.

Should You Buy the Altra Via Olympus 2?

The Olympus is a unique shoe that will not be universally beloved. Its thick stack, hefty weight, and overbuilt body will suit runners seeking a long-lasting running shoe with plenty of joint protection. If you want a lightweight shoe that is primed and ready for race day, we recommend looking elsewhere. While we have loved slow jogs and long walks in the Olympus, its applications outside of these seem few and far between.

What Other Road Running Shoes Should You Consider?

If a comfortable underfoot stack is what you are after, Asics makes two options that our testers wholeheartedly recommend. First, the Asics Novablast 4 is a comfortably plush runner that offers more than the Olympus in terms of responsiveness and versatility. The Asics Gel Kayano 31 is another high-scoring road running shoe that provides exceptional underfoot comfort and strong stability. If you like the zero-drop profile of Altras but want more responsiveness for your next race, the Vanish Tempo is our recommendation. For an added performance boost, the bouncy Mizuno Neo Vista offers parallel underfoot cushion with a bit of pep that is more suited toward uptempo running.