Bushwalk Australia

I am very much interested in finding out if there are any runners/walkers/hikers in Adelaide/SA that may be interested in buying (or at least trying):

Altra footwear

https://www.altrarunning.com/

This brand has a particular design feature called a FootShape™ toe box -

https://www.altrarunning.com/run-better#FootShaped

You only need to do a brief Internet search to read some of the testimonials from people who have worn Altra footwear to see how well they accommodate broad feet:

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=Altr ... e+OR+broad

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=Altr ... e+OR+broad

Because I have extremely broad feet and wear orthotics, I am very interested in trying on various Altra footwear models in a store, but there are no retailers in Adelaide/SA that stock this particular brand. If there were a decent number of people in Adelaide/SA that were likewise interested in trying some Altra models, this would go a long way towards getting retailers in Adelaide/SA to start stocking them.

I really hope I can get some replies. Thanks.

I have medium- wide feet and I just bought some saucony peregrine trail runners and they seem reasonably wide to me - I have to cinch the laces down pretty tight. You can get them in kathmandu or athlete's foot if you want to try them. kathmandu obviously has their 20% price premium over any other retailer.

They aren't a zero drop shoe like the altra (they are 4mm) but are light, well padded, have excellent traction and a forefoot rockplate that works well. I have only used them for trail (and off track) running but I wouldn't hesitate using them with a pack on a bushwalk. My only caveat is they are lighter and less 'armoured' than, say, salomon - so they might not be the best option for scrub-bashing in really tough scrub.

maybe try them if you have no joy getting altra.

If you are set on Altra, but can't get any interest, you could try Amazon. When i was on the lookout for new runners last year you could Altra's reasonably priced on amazon - you might have to waste some dough sending a pair back but in the long run it is likely to be cheaper once you have your size dialed in.

Inov8 is available in australia (not sure about adelaide) and I think that they do a wide zero drop shoe similar to the altra.

good luck - you would think that someone would bring this stuff in - it's crazy that the big retailers are fixated on euro shoes/boots that don't fit the australian foot.

Doesn't look like there are any retailers of this brand in Australia. It might take a long time for them to be available at retail in Adelaide.

Altrarunning will ship direct to Adelaide, so if your interest is for a running shoe then it might be best to order a pair direct.

photohiker wrote:Doesn't look like there are any retailers of this brand in Australia. It might take a long time for them to be available at retail in Adelaide.

Altrarunning will ship direct to Adelaide, so if your interest is for a running shoe then it might be best to order a pair direct.

Wild Earth stock Altra.

So they do! And looks like free shipping!

Thanks so much for all the replies - enormously appreciated.

For some time I have been able to order Altra footwear (and other brands) online, but have deliberately avoided doing so thus far. Reason being, I really need to try on any shoes in a store before buying them - Altra or any other brand. Also, the main reason I am focusing on Altra footwear is that they're the only brand I've seen that has a truly wide toe box, other than http://www.keenfootwear.com.au/ (of which I own a number of different models). There are some brands that do accommodate wider feet, but don't really have this wide toe splay design.

Altra's may or may not be suitable for me, but as I mentioned above, the bottom line is I need to try shoes on in a store, not simply online mail order. If there's anyone in Adelaide/SA that has wide feet and might consider tying on some Altra's at some stage - I'd love you to post in the forum or PM me.

Again, thanks so much for the replies.

Thanx for posting the question, while I hadn't heard of Altra before I remember the Urth Shu well
I need a couple of pairs of these, finally shoes shaped like my feet

Moondog55 wrote:Thanx for posting the question, while I hadn't heard of Altra before I remember the Urth Shu well
I need a couple of pairs of these, finally shoes shaped like my feet

My apologies....I don't quite understand your reply.

If you hadn't asked the original question I would not have known about Altra.
I'm now looking to buy a pair or two.
Altra share a heritage with the Urth Shu because the last is shaped like feet in both cases and both have neutral heel lift

Moondog55 wrote:If you hadn't asked the original question I would not have known about Altra.
I'm now looking to buy a pair or two.
Altra share a heritage with the Urth Shu because the last is shaped like feet in both cases and both have neutral heel lift

Thankou for your reply.
May I please ask, are you located in Adelaide/SA....or elsewhere? Because that's where I live.

No I live in Geelong Victoria

Hi RA I think you should take the plunge and order a pair online in your usual Keen size.
If they don't feel right then return postage is probably only $10-20 to Wildearth.

Check their return policy or send them a message. An item needs to be unused with tags on so it can be resold. Trying them on at home on carpet would be no worries.

I tried a certain other pair today in a US 11, biggest the store had. Fit well except for the length so I'm trying to talk my wallet into ordering a US 12 online!

Neo wrote:I'm trying to talk my wallet into

LMFAO!

Well I'm too convincing. Find out Monday or Tuesday.

The right foot was all for the idea, but it's a bit gung-ho and can get the corresponding hip into trouble. The left foot was a little apprehensive as it's small toe is usually the one to suffer. All parties agreed that a new solution was required. The favourite summer shoe (Oboz Sundog) is very roomy up front but wasn't quite going to cut it for autumn and winter. They dry easily but soak up the rain. So the numbers won and the wallet ordered a new pair online.

Arrived today. Had been for a two hour walk in the WP Tevas which was nice (planned to test a new rain jacket but didn't actually get rained on). I skip the first crossover on those laces which makes them OK for width but have found them slippery on metal walkways and river boulders. They suit my feet for a short walk or around town.

Testing the new shoe at home (Hi-tec Flash Flo i) I've quickly done my preferred lacing on the left only and all is well. They are not a particularly wide fitting but similar toe shape to Keens in this model. Happy to venture outside soon, no returns.

I've got ducks feet too and a couple of months ago I bought a pair of Altra Lone Peak 3.0s from Wild Earth in Brisbane. Wildfire Sports in Brissy also stock them. I'm in Sydney so I took a punt in buying them online.
I couldn't be happier. They're the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned. They are light weight trail runners and aren't designed for hardcore bush bashing but are fine for general bushwalking. They do a water proof version of that model too, the Lone Peak Neoshell.

G'day R/A,
My location is south of Adelaide and my left foot is wide at the big toe. Right foot is normal.
Previously I have had to buy 2 pairs of tennis shoes so the left shoe is large enough.
Lucky my hiking shoes are just large enough for my left foot while not too small for the left.
Trying the Altras would be of interest

Sorry, meant to say not too large for the right.... third line of my post above.

Here are a few lacing styles. Just tried a version of the Sawtooth on my left shoe and it pulls the instep tight with the outer not as tight. Feels like an improvement so far.

https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/lacingmethods.htm

..

Well after 40km or so and different lacings the v lite flash give my left little toe enough grief to almost give up on them. Awesome grippy sole unfortunately. Should have ordered the Altras! Saving up...

Still hard to find wide shoes instore, need to try on something if it's new to me. Any common brand I can tell it's lack of width just by looking at it, and I don't have monster islander feet!

So went for some Keen again, Targhee II. Point of this post: here is a lacing style I just thought up. Left foot slightly bigger and hereditary bunion shape on the big toe knuckle. Saweet

Neo wrote:Still hard to find wide shoes instore, need to try on something if it's new to me. Any common brand I can tell it's lack of width just by looking at it, and I don't have monster islander feet!

So went for some Keen again, Targhee II. Point of this post: here is a lacing style I just thought up. Left foot slightly bigger and hereditary bunion shape on the big toe knuckle. Saweet

Thanks for the message.

I already own some Keen Targhees, and as far as width goes, they're great. The problem is the heel-to-forefoot drop (which is way too high)....this is what's causing me issues.

Ever tried not lacing across the bottom eyelets?
Start one row up and leave the bottom row free.
Works a treat for me with wide feet, for what its worth.
On my third pair of these
http://www.wiggle.com.au/inov-8-trail-t ... gJj-PD_BwE
no where near as wide as Atra Lone Peaks *(bought one pair for $70 US and one pair for $30US from Amazon) which I have but wideish for sure and pretty tough depending on your use.
Definitely tougher than the Lone Peaks, which holed (clear hole) around 350ks.
Inov8s holed (small hole in mesh took ages to grow) around 750ks, but still useable

Yeah have tried completely missing the front row!

One day I'll spot Inov8 or Altra on a shelf and check em out in person

Minor update on the Keen Targhee 2 in the photo above.
Added a little loop of bungee to the missed lace tab so it doesn't stick out.

Happy, so have lashed out on Keen Mackenzie shoes, same style with the chunky toe but a mesh fabric. As expected the WP ones are hot as, so this other model will be my summer walking shoe. Cheers!

Link? Always looking.

Try the walking company website.

Even Keen site doesn't list them so might be an older model shoe.

The main problem I am experiencing is finding a trail shoe that is suitable in both width and "drop" (https://goo.gl/e9XmFe).

Because I have a extremely broad feet, very few shoes accomodate the width of my feet, and Keen seem to be ideal. But the problem I've found is that Kee's trail range have an excessively high drop (heel to forefoot). I have some Targhees where I believe they have a 15mm drop. This is fine when I'm going uphills and I'm on the balls of my feet, but when I'm on flat ground or going downhill, it causes problems for me. I am not necessarily looking or a Zero Drop shoe (although I wear orthotics that do give me some heel elevation), but I need a lower drop shoe than the Keen trail range....and with adequate width.

I tired on a pair of Oboz Men's Sawtooth, and they seemed great. I loved the fact that they didn't have a TPU chassis (thermoplastic polyurethane), as this made the shoe more flexible through the sole - superb -

https://www.kathmandu.com.au/oboz-men-s ... shoes.html

But they just weren't wide enough for my feet.

I've seen the Keen Terradora, and they seem ideal -

https://www.keenfootwear.com.au/search/?q=Terradora

But they're only in women's models.

The drop on the Inov8s is 8mm, much less than the Keens, but they are definitely not as wide as the Lone Peaks, but avoiding the bottom row seems to cover that issue and the new one I linked above does not have the overlay above the wide part of the foot, but I don't have much use to review them yet.
In fact as my right Achilles tendon is not as flexible as my left I use a gel heel insert in the Lone Peaks and they are really good then, durability is still a problem, that might or might not have been fixed with the 4.0 -latest model.