Altra Timp 4 vs Timp 5
Updated August 7, 2026. Specs are men's US 9.
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THE SHORT ANSWER
Whichever your size still exists in. The Timp 4 is discontinued at retail, so remaining pairs sell against a thinning size run, while the Timp 5 has a full one. The Timp 5 lists $5 lower.
- Altra Timp 4Sizes running outMen's at AmazonWomen's
- Altra Timp 5Men's at AmazonWomen's
Availability last checked Aug 7, 2026. Prices and stock change without notice.
Every spec, side by side
| Spec | Timp 4 | Timp 5 |
|---|---|---|
| FIT AND WEIGHT | ||
| Weight | 10.7 oz | 9.5 oz |
| Two sources, both men's 9: Road Trail Run's sample for the 4, RunRepeat's lab for the 5. Altra's own published pair says 10.9 down to 9.8 oz, a smaller cut in the same direction, so the shoe genuinely got lighter however you measure it. | ||
| Widths | D | D |
| Upper | One-piece woven mesh with TPU overlays and a padded heel collar | Engineered mesh with structured midfoot overlays |
| The grief. Believe in the Run's tester wrote that the toe box feels way less voluminous from top to bottom and side to side, and Outdoor Gear Lab called the shape profoundly uncomfortable and told readers that previous fans of the Timp will find this version disappointing. Against that, RunRepeat's calipers put the toebox at 79.6 mm, wider than the trail-shoe average, and Doctors of Running graded the fit B+ and called it anatomic. Both readings are correct: it is a wide shoe by trail-shoe standards and a narrow one by Timp 4 standards. | ||
| CUSHIONING GEOMETRY | ||
| Heel stack | 29 mm | 29 mm |
| Forefoot stack | 29 mm | 29 mm |
| Drop | 0 mm | 0 mm |
| MATERIALS | ||
| Midsole | Altra EGO MAX | Altra EGO MAX, updated formula |
| Altra called the compound updated and no tester singled out a change in the foam itself. Where the 5 reads firmer than the 4, it is the upper holding the foot tighter rather than the midsole. | ||
| VALUE | ||
| List price at launch | $160 | $155 |
| A $5 cut in the same update that added a more expensive outsole, which is rare enough to be worth stating plainly. | ||
| OTHER CHANGES | ||
| Outsole | MaxTrac, Altra rubber | Vibram Megagrip |
| The first Vibram outsole in the line and the least disputed thing about the 5. Testers got grip on wet rock and roots where the MaxTrac versions slid. The standard Lone Peak still does not have this; Altra sells it there as the 9+ upcharge. | ||
Weighing whether to switch at all, rather than which of these two to buy? What replaced the Altra Timp 4 covers the verdict on the update, what loyalists made of it, and the closest alternatives from other brands.
Buy the Timp 4
Sizes running outDiscontinued at retail. Amazon carries what remains, so treat an in-stock size as a closing window, and expect prices to swing.
Availability last checked Aug 7, 2026.
Buy the Timp 5
Stocked at AmazonAvailability last checked Aug 7, 2026.
Questions runners ask
- Which is lighter, the Altra Timp 4 or the Timp 5?
- The Timp 5, by 1.2 oz in a men's US 9 (9.5 oz vs 10.7 oz).
- Did the price change between the Altra Timp 4 and the Timp 5?
- Yes. List price went down $5, from $160 to $155. Street prices differ: the older shoe usually sells under list once its successor ships.
- Do the Altra Timp 4 and Timp 5 come in the same widths?
- Yes. Both run in D for men's sizes, so a width that fit in the Timp 4 carries over to the Timp 5.
- How do the stack heights compare?
- 29 mm heel and 29 mm forefoot on the Altra Timp 4, against 29 mm and 29 mm on the Timp 5. Same platform under both.
- Is the Timp 5 still the newest Timp?
- No. The Timp 6 replaced it in 2025, so the Timp 5 now sells as an older model and usually below its $155 list price.