In October, professional runner Tara Dower became the fastest person to complete the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail. Dower ran the East Coast trail in about 40 days, beating the fastest-known time by 13 hours. Naturally, we asked her about her footwear…
Dower told Footwear Plus she wore a mixture of Timp, Mont Blanc Carbon, and Olympus sneakers by Altra, reporting that the shoes held up well to the challenge. “I found that the Carbons were not the best for the rocky and technical terrain, but the Tints held up really well during those sections,” she says. “My feet swelled during the run, and I went a half size up. The Tints created space for my toes in the front, which was ideal for those stretches.”
All in, she moved through several pairs of shoes throughout the run. In Pennsylvania, she switched to the highly cushioned Olympus sneakers. “That was the most comfortable shoe I had, and it held up really well,” she says, adding,” I did Pennsylvania in one pair of shoes every day doing 50-plus miles. I found that the cushion was perfect.”
Despite the state’s rocky terrain, Dower says the outsoles were up for the task and was quite durable despite the heavy mileage on such a challenging stretch of the trail. “I was so nervous for Pennsylvania because it’s so rocky, and it can throw your pace off,” she admits. “It’s rough on your feet all day on the rocks. The Olympus sneakers were my favorite, and I used them through the very end. I got four pairs, and they lasted my from Pennsylvania to the end.”
For now, Dower is in recovery as she celebrates her record-breaking run and rests for her next challenge. The athlete hopes that challenge will be the Black Canyon 100k in Arizona in February, but she wants to be conscious of how she’s feeling after the Appalachian Trail. If she makes it there, Dower says she will “of course” wear Altra sneakers, adding, “I’d probably use a faster, lighter shoe like the Mont Blanc Carbon.”
