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Altra Olympus 5 vs Salomon Quest 4 GTX

Weight and specs compared for 2026 — and which one to choose.

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These are two different kinds of shoe.

The Altra Olympus 5 is a trail running shoe; the Salomon Quest 4 GTX is a mid-cut hiking boot. The lighter one saves 610 g a pair, but they are built for different kinds of hiking, so the lightest is not automatically the better buy.

What the extra 610 g of the Salomon Quest 4 GTX buys you

  • A waterproof membrane (GORE-TEX), so wet grass, puddles and rain stay outside.
  • A higher cut that covers the ankle.

What the Altra Olympus 5 offers besides the lower weight

  • No membrane, so it breathes better in the heat and dries faster after a stream crossing.
Spec
Altra Olympus 5
Salomon Quest 4 GTX
Weight
700 g 1.54 lb · per pair (medium-sized pair)
1,310 g 2.89 lb · per pair (medium-sized pair)
Type
Trail running shoe
Mid-cut hiking boot
Made for
trail running
trekking, hillwalking
Waterproof membrane
No
Yes, GORE-TEX
Cut
Low
Mid / high (covers the ankle)
Outsole
Vibram Megagrip
Contagrip
Lug depth
not stated
12 mm
Midsole
Altra EGO
EnergyCell
Heel stack height
33 mm
not stated
Drop
0 mm
not stated
Upper
synthetic
leather, textile

Weights are per pair as Alpinetrek lists them, usually for a medium size, so a few grams either way can come from the size they weighed. The other specs were checked on 19 October 2026 against Alpinetrek (Altra Olympus 5) and Alpinetrek (Salomon Quest 4 GTX). "Not stated" means the source does not mention it, not that the shoe lacks it. List prices are the full price shown by that source, not a sale price; where sources disagree we show none.

Trail running shoe

Choose the Altra Olympus 5 if…

…you move fast on trails, run some of it, and want the lightest and most flexible shoe; it gives little ankle support under a heavy pack.

See it in your base weight Full details
Mid-cut hiking boot

Choose the Salomon Quest 4 GTX if…

…you carry a multi-day pack on rough or wet ground and want the ankle covered and a stiffer sole.

See it in your base weight Full details

Building a pack? Add either one to your HikeLoad list, or drop its weight into the base weight calculator, and see what it does to your total weight.

See where both rank against everything else in this category on the lightest footwear page, or browse the full gear weight database.

More footwear comparisons