I wanted to love the Mont Blanc, and I almost did. It’s light, cushioned, and grips beautifully on dry trails. But that lockdown, it severely disappoints . A promising ultra-distance trail racer with one Achilles heel (literally).

Key Specs

Weight: ~9.6 oz (272g) US M9 / 8.4 oz (238g) US W8
Stack Height: 32mm
Drop: 0mm
Category: Trail Racing
Outsole: Vibram Litebase with 3mm lugs.
Midsole Foam: EgoMax

Why I Tried the Altra Mont Blanc

I mostly stick to road running, and my go-to trail shoe has been the Lone Peak 7 for everything from weekend hikes to the odd trail race. But living in Hong Kong, where trail races are everywhere, I wanted a lightweight, race-ready trail shoe that wouldn’t break the bank. The Mont Blanc was on sale, so I figured, why not?

I’ve used it in a handful of 10 to 25 km races and a bunch of training runs on rocky, uneven terrain. On paper, it seemed perfect: big stack, decent grip, Altra’s signature wide fit and looks pretty slick too.

It’s technically been replaced by the Mont Blanc Boa and Carbon models. And after spending time in it, I can kind of see why.

Altra Mont Blanc Top down — *I was initially very excited to give these a go, very light in the hand.*

First Impressions: Looks Great, Feels… Loose?

Visually, I think it’s one of Altra’s better-looking trail shoes. I love the Altra logo running along the side, and feel very light in the hand. The upper is very thin and you can instantly tell this is a racing trail shoe. On foot, it felt cushy and surprisingly light for a shoe with a 32mm stack.

But something felt off from the start: the heel didn’t quite hug my foot. I chalked it up to needing a lace lock.

Fit & Comfort

The Mont Blanc uses Altra’s Standard FootShape Fit, which is meant to be touch narrower than the Original Fit in the Lone Peak. To be honest, I couldn’t tell much of a difference. Still roomy, still great toe splay. If you’ve got wide feet or like some wiggle room, you’ll be happy here.

That said, the fit around the midfoot and heel is where things start to unravel. Some people might need thinner socks just to make these feel snug enough. I ended up fiddling with lacing more than I’d like and really needing to pull the laces tight to get a snug fit.

The real issue? Heel lockdown.

There’s barely any heel structure. I tried runner’s knots, lace locks,taping the insole in and still had slippage. On descents, my foot would slide forward and mash into the front, and I got a blister after about 15 km.

Altra Mont Blanc Heel Collar — *If an effort to make a lightweight upper the heel collar lacks structure*

Upper: Breathable(ish) but Insecure

The upper for this shoe is decent. There’s some minimal padding around the collar, and the gusseted tongue is a nice touch. But the breathability could be better but didn’t have any major issues on trail runs in the warmer weather. The material is light and thin, race like on the top half of the upper which I do like the feel of in hand. The bottoom half of the upper is a thicker material. Overall the upper is comfy for a race day shoe and didn’t have any major issues

Laces could be better, they area stretchy nylon that are too long. I feel like they keep getting in the way and are too long.

Additionally, the upper to be flaking quite quickly around the midsole (even are 2 or 3 runs), so I am concerned about durability here and how long these will actually last

*Noticed a lot of flaking after the first few runs*

Midsole & Ride: EgoMax is the Hero

The EgoMax midsole is the best part of this shoe. It's bouncy, plush without being mushy, and actually feels responsive. It feels more responsive that the midsole on the Torin’s I’ve tested even though its the same compound.

Compared to the Lone Peak 7, this feels faster. More fun, but the ride isn’t perfect, there’s some instability on technical terrain. I felt a disconnect between the upper and that tall midsole stack, especially when things got difficult. It made me second-guess my footing, which is not what you want on a rocky descent.

On flat I did feel the bounce from the midsole which is a nice feeling when your legs start to get tired.

Altra Mont Blanc Side View — *Best part of the shoe this midsole*

Outsole & Grip: Excellent on Dry Trails, Not for Mud

The Vibram Litebase outsole is super grippy. On dry, rocky trails it’s phenomenal. I felt confident hopping from rock to root to gravel. But in mud? Forget it. The 3mm lugs are too shallow to bite into anything soft or slippery.

Durability-wise, the outsole does look in good condition even after 100km in these shoes.

Altra Mont Blanc Outsole — *Good durability but not the best in the mud*

The Verdict: Worth It?

If you only read one sentence: This shoe is so close to being great, but the heel lock down ruins it. The shoe has some great features

A lively, fun midsole
Excellent grip on the right terrain
Lightweight upper

But there are some things it does fall short on

The heel slip is really bad and frustrating
Toe protection is nonexistent
Getting the fit right can be a bit tricky.

Would I recommend it? If it’s on sale, you’re not running anything too technical and you need someone for the occasion trail race. If you need a better all-rounder shoe, I am sure there is more out there.

Altra Mont Blanc Review: So Close, Yet So Slippery