Olympus 6 vs Trabuco Max 4

The Altra Olympus 6 is a maximum cushioned trail running shoe built for going long and staying comfortable when the miles pile up. It pairs a deep, plush platform with Altra's signature zero drop geometry, so your heel and forefoot sit at the same height and your foot spreads naturally over rough ground. At 345g it is a substantial shoe, and you notice the weight on faster efforts, but that heft buys you real protection underfoot on rocky, root strewn trails. This is an ultra shoe first and foremost. It is happiest on all day adventures, long training loops and technical terrain where a wide, grippy outsole and a stack of soft foam keep your legs fresher for longer. If you want a lighter, nimbler trail tool the Altra Lone Peak 9 or the Hoka Speedgoat 7 make more sense. For runners who prize comfort and a natural foot position over speed, we rate the Olympus 6 highly.

The Trabuco Max 4 is ASICS at its most cushioned: a max-stack trail running shoe built for long days on your feet rather than chasing fast times. With a tall, soft platform underfoot it soaks up rocky, root-strewn ground and keeps your legs fresher deep into an ultra or a back-to-back training block. At 315g it is a properly substantial shoe, so this is not a nimble racer and it never pretends to be. What you trade in weight you get back in protection and comfort. The 5mm drop sits low for a max-cushion shoe, which keeps you closer to the ground than the stack height suggests and helps with stability on uneven terrain. It is a neutral shoe with a wide, planted base. In our view this is one to reach for when the run is measured in hours, not minutes. If you want a lighter, snappier trail option the Hoka Speedgoat 7 is the obvious rival, but for sheer cushioned comfort the Trabuco Max 4 holds its own.