Altra Lone Peak

First. let me say that it's weird reviewing these shoes on this site, because they are not at all minimalist shoes. The only things they have in common with most minimal shoes is a wide toe box, and zero drop.
Having said that, these are by far the best trail running shoes i've used yet. I've used them for hiking, and trail running, on lots of different terrain. There is no ground feel, but in the mountains where i run, that's a good thing. The shoes have a great tread, and a sturdy rock plate. Your feet will be fine for as long as you can run, without getting torn up by rocks, roots, etc. As mentioned, the toe box has plenty of room, and the shoes are made gender-specific for either men or women. The upper is protective without feeling too bulky. The shoes are great for steep downhills, but the tread will slip on wet rock or ice, just like every other shoe/boot i've worn.
My only issue is that i find that the ankle cuts are a bit high, and rubbed my ankles when the shoes were new. Now that they are broken in, it hasn't been an issue, although i can still feel it if i wear the shoes for longer runs. The rep at Altra told me that this issue would be addressed on future productions of the shoe.
Overall, i would say that if ground feel is essential for someone, they should go with the Trail Gloves. If you're looking for a shoe with more protection, but still zero drop and room for the forefoot, then these shoes are worth a try.

I know, it's bad form to review a shoe before you've even owned a pair. You might consider it double bad form that I'm biased - I've known all of the guys in the company for quite a while and want to see them succeed at what they're doing. But I did get a chance to try on a late prototype nearly identical to what Altra is going to be selling in a couple months and jogged around a bit in it, and here's what I've got to say about it. There's no Lone Peak reviews out there that I know of, so take it or leave it.

There are so many differences between this shoe and anything else I've ever used it's hard to summarize it all. First of all, this shoe lacks a lot of the aesthetic and technological junk that most shoes have. There's no beefy heel cup, no extra layers on the upper with logos and such, no heel lift, no gushy midsole foam, and no huge lugs on the outsole. Then there's what they do have: it's foot shaped (!), sectioned rock plate that isn't right next to the outsole, resilient midsole, snug heel and midfoot, and roomy toe box. The ones available for me to try on were a size too small but there was still a surprising amount of room up front. The midsole was on the firm side, but not much different than some other shoes I'm used to, like La Sportiva Fireblades. Since that's what I run in most, I think it's perfect. The heel tab is new to me, but it certainly wasn't in the way, and the extra rubber isn't much. These shoes felt quick and stable. They felt downright comfy.

I just love that everything in this shoe has a meaningful function. I'm looking forward to buying a pair as soon as they come out!