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Altra Running Shoes

2,811 Views | 17 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by Wife is an Aggie
Geriatric Punk
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AG
I've seen a few people on here mention them. I know a few of you don't do zero drop shoes and so they aren't an option. Are there any of you that run in them and like them?

I am flat footed so I need a wide(r) shoe with no drop. I also supinate a little bit, so there can't be any pronation control at all (which is why I can't run in an Hokas, except the old Stinson ATR 3 - which was a great outlier. Oddly, it was a trail shoe that was too unstable to run on the trail, but worked great on the road. That's all beside the point, though).

I'm looking at these:



Any thoughts? For reference: I'm about a 15-20 mile a week runner. No interest in doing anything more than a half any time soon.
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c-jags
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i'm not a fan of 0 drops. but a lot of better runners than i love them.

i've tried both altra and hokas on and liked the Altras more. Hoka was just a very weird feeling shoe that i wanted nothing to do with.

i ended up with the New Balance 1080s instead, but am open to trying Altras in the future.
Geriatric Punk
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AG
I'll give you a report.

And I get what you are saying about Hokas. They are different, for sure. But, I enjoyed those Stinsons. They were great. Only complaint is that they wear out pretty quick and you can roll your ankle easily if you aren't careful (hence, why they suck on a trail).
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O.G.
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Love mine and love the wide toe box. Partially because I love saying #widetoebox.
bert harbinson
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AG
I like mine. First pair was Escalante, now in Torin 3.0. Wide feet and bunions sent me searching for a shoe with a wide toe box, rather than just the E width of other brands (had run mostly in Asics, and I have Brooks Ghost 10s that I can wear for shorter runs). I typically have bunion area foot pain on runs longer than 6-7 miles, especially if there are a lot of turns or rough pavement.
The zero drop transition was brief and easy, and the wide toe box really helps with the bunions and toe smash. The Escalante had a more comfortable, forgiving fabric upper (though not much lateral support for sharp turns), but the Torin has more cushion for hard pavement. I'd be happy with an Altra that incorporated the best of these two models. They're a bit odd looking, but all in all great shoes that work well for me and seem to hold up fairly well. I got well over 400 miles on the Escalantes; still some life in them but tread wear makes me feel the road more than I'd like.
c-jags
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SAWgunner said:

Love mine and love the wide toe box. Partially because I love saying #widetoebox.
didn't realize how much i liked wide toe boxes till i tried them.

bigtruckguy3500
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Yup, I need a wide toe box as well. I tried some altras at one store, didn't totally like them, and found topo at another store. Very similar wide toe box, low/zero drop. They felt great. Haven't put a ton of miles on them, but so far no problems.
tmtxco
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AG
I really like Altras. I use the Escalante for road and Lone Peak for trail. I find they tend to keep me honest with my running form more than some of the higher drop and higher cushioned shoes. The wide toe box is great, too.
K Bo
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AG
I really liked my Torin 3.0 but had a bad experience so not sure if/when I'll give Altras another shot.

The bad (my fault): I switched from Brooks Ghost 10 to the Torin at the beginning of my training for a half marathon and the combination of increase in mileage, increase in speed, and drastic shoe change led to achilles tendonitis.

The good: The Altras were incredibly comfortable from the fist time I put them on. I really enjoyed walking in them, to the extent I thought about buying a pair for casual wear. The wide toe box was great - I have a neuroma in my right foot and the way the Altras allowed my toes to splay was very helpful in avoiding pain. The wide toe box also allowed me to wear a half size smaller than my Brooks so I didn't feel like I was wearing boats on my feet. Finally the build quality was top notch.

Again, I really liked the Altras, mostly for the wide toe box, and would like to try them again as I also found they kept my form honest. If I do try them again it'll be a very slow transition from my Brooks 12mm drop shoes.
MikesFamousJava
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AG
I haved loved my Altras. I tried barefoot/super minamilist for awhile (barefoot, Five Fingers, VivoBarefoot Evo) but wanted some cushioning since my running was all on concrete. Altra gave me that while keeping zero drop and a wide toe box that allows the toes to splay, etc.

My first Altras were The One...they looked like a clown's bowling shoes, but I loved the way they felt, and they were super light. My current pair is the Escalante. I like them also, but I miss the super light weight of The One, and will probably go back to The One for my next pair (they've improved the looks a lot also). I may also try their new racing flat model, the Vanish-R, since I'm not doing a lot of higher mileage runs right now. That shoe is only 4.2 oz.

I also own the Hiit XT, their "CrossFit"-type shoe, which I use for lifting, and I like it a lot so far. Before that shoe, I used the Adidas Powerlift. It had a very narrow toe box which I hated.

I have found Altra's customer service and return policy to be excellent, which is helpful since there aren't a lot of stores around that carry them. I had to order the Hiit XT without trying them on, and they ran a little larger than the Escalante. I called and they sent me a new pair and a return envelope no problem.

All in all, I highly recommend Altra.
Aggietaco
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AG
I've run through a few pair of Lone Peaks, but I think I'm finally done with them for longer runs. I have fairly poor form with a mid foot strike transitioning to a mid-heel strike when I get tired and the zero drops just get too slappy for me. If your form suits a zero drop, I liked the Altras, except for I wore all of them out too soon with holes through the upper and the got loose when they were soaked via rain or water crossings. No experience with them on road use.
Endo Ag
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AG
After three pairs, I developed some arch pain and migrated to Topo shoes and they've been great so far. Nearing the end of my third pair.
91AggieLawyer
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AG
Quote:

Quote:

I also supinate a little bit, so there can't be any pronation control at all (which is why I can't run in an Hokas,


I don't understand this. I supinate and wear Hokas. Right now I'm wearing the Challenger for hiking but will get some Cliftons this summer. Both of these are neutrals.
Geriatric Punk
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AG
91AggieLawyer said:

Quote:

Quote:

I also supinate a little bit, so there can't be any pronation control at all (which is why I can't run in an Hokas,


I don't understand this. I supinate and wear Hokas. Right now I'm wearing the Challenger for hiking but will get some Cliftons this summer. Both of these are neutrals.
I'm glad you've had a different experience, but the most recent Hokas I used were anything but true "neutral" to me. They felt like there was additional cushioning on the inside part of the heal and left me with blisters on the arches of my feet. Like I said, I've had positive experiences in Stinsons, but I've tried Cliftons and a few other "neutrals" and they don't work for me.
Life's an endless party, not a pushcart.
bigtruckguy3500
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Any of y'all been able to find a men's boot company that makes boots with wide toe boxes? I know LEMs makes some boots with wide toe boxes, but they're only available online and I really like trying stuff on before trying them.
harge57
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AG
Just ordered a couple pairs to try out for some trail running.
Geriatric Punk
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AG
Well, I ponied up and bought some Altra Escalantes. My first impression was that they were very comfortable. I don't get that feeling often, but these felt really cozy. The wide toe box was new for me but something I didn't know I needed. My wife has hammertoe, so when she's done with all of the damn incubating, I'm sure she'll be strapping on a pair to try.

The zero drop was different than I remembered. I ran in zeros in 2013(ish) and remember liking them. That's not to say I didn't enjoy my first 4 miles in these new zeros, but I had forgotten how different it is than, say, running in Hoka Stinsons. All in all, I enjoyed the stiff but supportive sole for its just right cushioning and zero correction. Would recommend (if you are in to running in zero drops).

Cheers.
Life's an endless party, not a pushcart.
Geriatric Punk
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AG
UPDATE - After running in the Altras for a couple of months now I've made the following observations:

1. If you are going for distance, it has to be an all or nothing commitment. You can't program your body to run in these and then switch to a regular shoe.

2. Ok for rotating if you are just doing short distances (ie - 4 miles or less).

3. The wide toe box is very comfortable, but you sacrifice a bit of responsiveness for it.

All in all, it is a great shoe. It definitely isn't for everyone, though, and is not "versatile" in my opinion. I don't know anything, though. As great as it is, I don't think I'll buy anymore zero drops. My body likes extra cushioning.The aging joints due, anyway.

Cheers.
Life's an endless party, not a pushcart.
Wife is an Aggie
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Picked up some altras (Solstice) this weekend on a whim and ran in them for the first time during a 10K race. Shoes felt fine during the race & overall I really like them so far.

I have some Brooks Ghost 9's and while the cushion is nice at times I feel like I am running with bricks on my feet. Just a little bulkier than I like. I much prefer the feel of the Altras but am going to try and slowly transition into these.

Not a bad thing but I am amazed at how sore my calves are after the 10K this weekend which is 100% due to the zero-drop shoes... My calves never get sore after runs like this.
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