Saturday, January 2, 2016

My Love-Hate Relationship with Altra Running Shoes

If you haven't heard of them before, Altra makes running shoes characterized by no heel-to-toe drop, and a wide toe box.  After reading feeling a bit wrecked after my 2012 Bighorn 50-miler and reading Chi Running, Altra's flat and wide shoes that allow for natural foot movement and body alignment made complete sense.  Nearly every pair of Altra shoes I've owned (up to 7 pairs now!) have felt extremely comfortable and allow for a nice, smooth, Chi Running stride.  There is a bit of an adjustment period, and after running in high-heel running shoes for years, your lower calves will be a bit sore for a while, but for me this adjustment was met with the rest of my body feeling better than ever.  Within just about 7 months of running in Altra shoes, I had a great, low pain (for a 50 miler!) 2013 Bighorn Mountain Run.  Unless you have insane levels of overpronation, I would highly recommend you switch to Altra shoes and give them a chance.  If you have some major structural problems, I would still argue that you should try a several-year progression that gets you into a flatter, zero-drop shoe.  Altra even has stability shoes and a wedge that can help bridge the gap.

Though Altra shoes are unique, innovative, and very comfortable, they also drive me crazy.  First, most of their shoes I try besides the Lone Peak have massive durability issues.  Most suspect is the current version of the Superior.  After about 50 trail miles and 30 road miles, the upper was so torn that my foot was about to stick out the side!  This problem was also characteristic of their first generation Superior.  Second, the durable Lone Peak was a great shoe in its first two generations.  Unfortunately, then Altra moved in a direction of uber-squishiness (why Altra?! Why?!).  I still run in the Lone Peaks since they are freakishly durable and have a smoother ride than traditional shoes, but my nagging arch injury seems aggravated by the unstable, squishy platform of the Lone Peak.  Fortunately, the Provision 2.0, which is primarily a stability road shoe, has helped alleviate some of the arch problems-- but unfortunately the Provision is a road shoe that is slick and would get shredded on the trails.

So what is the purpose of writing this?  First, you should try Altra shoes, as your purchase is a vote in the running shoe industry to support wide, flat shoes that allow for a natural stride.  You're likely to find out just how weird and uncomfortable most of the shoes you've used your whole life are (assuming you also make an effort to learn more about good running form).  If you can weather the imperfections and help provide a barrage of feedback to Altra, maybe they'll begin to consistently make stable, durable shoes.


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