ALTRA Men's ALM1895H Smith Boot

I bought this shoe because I am an extremely happy owner of the Altra Lone Peak 4 RSM shoes—both the low and mid versions. I find their wide toe box, cushioned sole and gentle arch support to be incredibly comfortable. Compared to the Lone Peak 4, the Altra Smith Boot is not quite as cushioned with reduced arch support and a toe box that is not quite as wide. This is not to suggest that the Smith Boot is not comfortable; it is. It's just not as comfortable as a running shoe. No surprise there. I wear a size 12 in the Lone Peak 4. I found a 12.5 to be more comfortable in the Smith Boot.I find the look of the Smith Boot to be very attractive. My wife agrees. I bought them in black. The leather is high quality and color contrasts nicely with the light sole. The construction and materials all seem top notch. The fit is sloppy. What I mean by this is that they remind me of wearing a pair of slip-on Keens. You'd have to have a pretty high-volume foot before you could lace them down tight. And the laces don't go up the collar of the boot. The collar is for style. It won't hold your foot in place. The result is that you won't be playing basketball in these shoes. They will, however, make you look good and will never leave your feet feeling confined or constricted.The bottom line is that I recommend the Altra Smith Boot for both dress and casual situations. If you like other Altra shoes, you should like these too, as long as you have appropriate expectations. If you've never worn Altra shoes before, it is worth noting that these are zero-drop shoes which, if you're not used to them, will probably feel like they have no heel for the first week you wear them. After you get used to this, they'll feel great!

I read the reviews here and learned that these have a tendency to run a half size small. This was 100% accurate. I'm a 9.5, I bought a 10, and the heel-to-toe distance was perfect with the extra half size.Next, expect the surprisingly stout leather to take some time to break-in. I helped it along with a boot stretcher that also had some metal bits that plug into the outside to help with targeted stretching. For me, the tightest spot is the seam that crosses on top of the ball of the foot, which makes sense—it's two layers of leather.They start tight, but for a good fit, you kind of want to let it stretch to fit for a more comfortable but snug wear over time. All-leather shoes used to always require this. We don't see it as much any more, but it indicates higher quality materials and build, and you have to wear them in. I've worn them several times since the boot stretchers and they are getting to the point they are much more comfortable.I'm sad that these are discontinued. I may buy another pair in my size just to keep them around for the future. They are awesome like that. I will probably keep wearing Altras until a competitor offers the same fit in other styles or something. Altras are the best thing to happen to my feet and toes, ever.

I've been wearing these for nearly a year as my main daily footwear. They've held up well and are quite comfortable, though my freakishly wide foot isn't a great fit in any mass manufactured footwear. The sole is beefy enough to protect well from parking lot shards (gravel, glass etc.) that more true barefoot shoes do not. I was initially disappointed with these when received, and I immediately replaced the soft cotton laces and gave them a heavy coating of oil. And then again. On the third oiling they seemed to be in pretty good condition, so the wear started. The insoles are not kind to wide feet, biting across the top of the metatarsal region. Within 2 weeks, the sole began to separate on the left boot, mostly because I use that heel as the anchor point to maneuver my office chair. This was easily repaired with a bit of heavy-duty adhesive. 11 months later, I'm looking for a replacement which will likely be a different option due to my feet, not the product.

Since finding Altra shoes a few years ago, I've gone through 2 pair of Lone Peak low-trail runners. Currently, I have 2 pair of water resistant Lone Peak mid-trail runners that I use for light hiking, another pair of Lone Peak low for walking and the gym, and a black sneaker for casual everyday wear.With the exception of a walking shoe model that ran extremely small and felt uncomfortable in a larger size, all models have fit perfectly at my 10.5 men's size. I enjoy the wide toe box and the "zero drop" that Altra touts.My only complaints have been that the shoes are expensive and did not seem to have the durability/longevity of other brands.These boots are great! Perfect fit immediately. They feel like a running shoe from the inside, rich oiled leather boot top, Scotchguarded as well, on the outside. Before trying them on, I took the boots to my shoe repair person. I did not want a leather one-wear throwaway boot. My shoe guy assured me that he will have no problem resoling the boot, thereby extending it's life for as long as the leather lasts.

I am a big fan of Altra running shoes and the theories behind Altra and their natural foot shaped shoes. When I found out about their Lifestyle line, I was super excited and took a chance by ignoring all of the reviews of their weird fit. Lo and behold, the reviews were correct. If you have a wide foot and/or want to widen your feet to their true natural form, this shoe is not the shoe for you. If you have a very narrow foot, then these will probably work for you.While the length and toe box were certainly true to size and let me wiggle my toes around, the rest of the shoe posterior to the toes is totally off. Getting the shoe on was a struggle. The tongue seems to hinge at a really awkward spot compared to other shoes making it hard to slip on and off. Furthermore, the width of the shoe at the metatarsal region was way too narrow thus compressing my foot and not letting it expand to its natural stepping width; super uncomfortable and not conducive to the "natural foot" mantra.On the plus side, they look sweet and according to some, "beauty is pain."

I'm an avid distance runner, who has experienced injuries related to restricted range of motion due to cramped toes. I switched to Altra Torins six months ago after reading about the foot-shaped toe box, and they changed my life! All of the big-toe issues went away. I've run a few thousand kms in them, include a marathon. I can no longer wear any of my casual or dress shoes, however, as the foot pain returns within hours. Hence my purchase of the Altra Desert Boots. I've also purchased the Cayd. They're great. I typically wear a 10 in most shoes (although I wear an 11 in ASIC running shoes). All of my Altras are 10.5, so I recommend a half-size up from your usual size.

The shoes has a defect a foot of the corect size is too tall to fit ( can't even slide the foot completly in ...i'm a size10 so 10.5 should of fit... I even tried to gift it to someone with size 9.5 loose and he can 't put his foot either of them in ?