What replaced the Altra Timp 4?
Updated August 7, 2026. Specs are men's US 9.
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THE SHORT ANSWER
The Altra Timp 5 replaced the Timp 4 on January 31 2024, after a year with no Timp at all. It swapped Altra's MaxTrac outsole for Vibram Megagrip, cut about an ounce, and cut $5 off the list price. Reviewers rated it the better shoe and said so loudly. Owners of the 4 largely did not, because the upper came in tighter and the toebox lost volume.
- 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.
At a glance
- The Timp 5 is 1.2 oz lighter
- Drop is unchanged at 0 mm
- New midsole foam
- List price down $5
Every spec side by side, with the reason behind each change: Timp 4 vs 5.
Stay on your shoe, or switch?
Changed characterA better trail shoe and a worse Timp, depending who you ask. The Vibram outsole is a straight upgrade and the shoe lost more than an ounce getting it, which is why Believe in the Run titled the review Actually, Call it a Comeback and RunRepeat scored it 82. The fit is the argument. The upper gained structure and the toebox lost volume, and on a shoe bought specifically for toe room that is the spec that settles it. Reddit has the 4 at 81 percent positive and this at 67.
Stick with the Timp 4 if
- You bought the Timp for toe room; the 5 has less of it, and reviewers who liked the shoe still said so
- Your 4s are still going and you run mostly dry trail, where MaxTrac is enough
Move to the Timp 5 if
- You slip on wet rock and roots; the Vibram Megagrip is the real upgrade here
- You wanted the 4 to be lighter, since this cuts about an ounce and $5 with it
Where the Altra Timp is now
Two updates on, the Timp 6 (2025) is what sits on shelves today. Against the shoe you own rather than the one that directly replaced it:
- The Timp 6 is 0.5 oz lighter
- 1 mm more heel stack
- Drop is unchanged at 0 mm
- New midsole foam
- List price up $5
What loyalists said about the update
The split here is unusually clean: professional reviewers and lab calipers say roomy, owners say tight. The retail reviews carry the blister cluster, including 60 miles of testing where loosening the laces did not help, a blister on a 22-mile run from a runner who had never had rubbing trouble in Altras, and one report of the ankle area chafing enough to draw blood. Reddit aggregates 67 percent positive across 109 reviews, down 14 points from the 4, and the recurring one-liner is that the Timp is too narrow now. In its favour, a 1,100-mile review on r/Ultramarathon reported the shoe holding up well, which was never the 4's strength.
Still want the original?
Buy remaining Timp 4 stock
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.
Ready to move on?
Beyond the Timp 5, these come closest to what the Timp 4 did.
- 10.4 oz
- 0 mm drop
- 25 mm heel
- $140 list
The same shoe with 5 mm less foam, and the comparison every Altra buyer actually makes. Both are zero drop with a FootShape toebox; the Lone Peak sits at 25 mm and keeps the StoneGuard rock plate, the Timp sits at 29 or 30 mm and does not. The Timp has run a Vibram Megagrip outsole since 2024, which on the Lone Peak is still the 9+ upcharge. Coming off a Lone Peak you notice the extra foam first and the lost ground feel second.
Against your Altra Timp 4: 0.3 oz lighter, 4 mm less heel stack, the same drop, $20 less at list.
- 9.6 oz
- 5 mm drop
- 40 mm heel
- $165 list
Cross-shopped constantly and built on opposite premises. The Speedgoat stacks 40 mm on a 5 mm drop and holds the foot still; the Timp sits at 30 mm, zero drop, and lets the toes spread. Both run Vibram Megagrip, so grip is not what decides it. Drop and toebox are, and neither converts quickly to the other.
Against your Altra Timp 4: 1.1 oz lighter, 11 mm more heel stack, 5 mm more drop, $5 more at list.
- 9.2 oz
- 0 mm drop
- 28 mm heel
- $160 list
The same platform without the lugs, and Altra's best-selling road shoe. Zero drop, Standard FootShape, 28 mm of foam on the current version against the Timp's 30. Timp owners who run road sections to reach the trail lost that option at the Timp 6, when the recut Vibram tread made it trail-only; the Torin is where Altra expects those miles to go now.
Against your Altra Timp 4: 1.5 oz lighter, 1 mm less heel stack, the same drop.
Questions runners ask
- Is the Altra Timp 4 still available?
- For now. Amazon still lists the Altra Timp 4, but the size run is thinning and prices swing with remaining stock. If your size is there, this is the late window, not the early one.
- Is the Timp 5 a downgrade from the Altra Timp 4?
- Not a downgrade, but a different shoe. The Timp 5 scores well with new buyers while changing the ride that Altra Timp 4 loyalists bought it for. Read the spec changes before assuming it will feel familiar.
- How much lighter is the Timp 5?
- 1.2 oz lighter in a men's US 9: 9.5 oz against the Altra Timp 4's 10.7 oz.
- Is the Altra Timp still made?
- Yes. The current version is the Altra Timp 6, released in 2025, 2 versions on from the Altra Timp 4.
- What is the closest current alternative to the Altra Timp 4?
- The Altra Lone Peak 9. The same shoe with 5 mm less foam, and the comparison every Altra buyer actually makes. Both are zero drop with a FootShape toebox; the Lone Peak sits at 25 mm and keeps the StoneGuard rock plate, the Timp sits at 29 or 30 mm and does not. The Timp has run a Vibram Megagrip outsole since 2024, which on the Lone Peak is still the 9+ upcharge. Coming off a Lone Peak you notice the extra foam first and the lost ground feel second.