The Altra FWD is the first Altra shoe to have a 4mm drop! I have been super excited about this shoe, and I put it through its paces in testing to come up with this review.
Gosh Chris you snapped them up pretty quickly!! I laughed when you mentioned Hoka 'cause my first thought when I first saw the FWD was oh is it an Altra Clifton?!!😂 I've used lots of Cliftons and a few Bondis and Machs too as I do LOVE a nice rocker!! When I travel and only take one or two pairs of shoes, the Clifton always comes with me!! ENJOY!!
That's so interesting, I tried the Cliftons and the toe box just didn't do it for me. I know everyone loves that shoe, but I'm so used to Altra now I think I'm stuck with them 😂
They need more volume across the ball of the foot as I have a high instep. I also want to mention they need better upper material. They gave me blisters.
I like mine for easy runs and shorter intervals. But for longer 5-10k pace not so much. The Tempo is way better for that. I do love how the FWD fits my foot. Lovely upper
Personally, I’m a big fan of barefoot shoes, but I don’t run in them. The logic of them makes sense to me, and I definitely notice my feet are more mobile and strong since wearing them. I’m sure this has positive effects on my knees, hips and core. I tried to run in them for a couple of years; I even worked my way up to ten milers with them, but I found it a fairly miserable experience. After a few miles, all I could think about was my feet! So I now run in Altras which help my forefoot splay, but give my underfoot some cushioning. This is the best combo for me; to wear Vivobarefoots for work, gym and casual, then run in Altras. I hope that helps! :)
I've run in zero drop shies exclusively for years. The only time i even wear shoes with a drop is playing cricket, and each time i do that for eome hours i end up with sorer calves than i'd expect from a similar load in zero drop. Occasionally i train a long session in the nets with zero drop shoes and I'm satisfied it's not all in my head. Zero drop was/is a game-changer for me. I've a very wide midfoot so won't be picking up these beauties, but it's interesting to see what they're up to nonetheless.
I love my zero-drop shoes too, but I'm curious to see what Altra start playing around with. I will certainly be using zero-drop most of the time, but I like to have a rotation and I think these shoes have their place in my personal line up. Happy training ☺️🙏
I bought these shoes and after one run I knew it wasn't going to work out. I got that calf tightness and fatigue very early, and my feet ended up in pain from the firmness. I got heel slippage until I really cranked the laces down, which didn't feel great either. Trying new things is a trap.
Bad luck, I hate it when you buy shoes and quickly realise they're not right for you. I still have mine as part of my rotation, and get on fine with them now, but I understand that no shoe is for everyone.
Ah, the Torin is one of the few Altras I haven't tried. Looking at the details, the Torin has an Altra Ego Max midsole, so you would definitely find the FWD more responsive and firm. This could potentially be a good thing for your faster runs, so I guess it depends on where you see it fitting in your rotation and if you feel you have a gap. I know the Torin is a great all-rounder, so maybe you don't need it, but I bet it would give quite a different feel. Good luck deciding ☺️🙏
Personally, I would say 'no'. I don't like the rocker motion in just walking, but I do in running. I also like more minimal shoes in walking as I like to have better ground-feel (I wear Vivobarefoot shoes just for walking, or the Altra Lone Peaks for long distance trail walks). I don't like this big stack-height just when I'm walking around. If, however, you think you like a rocker motion and big stack just for walking, then maybe they would be good 👍
It's NOT the first Altra shoe with a drop. The thing is that we blindly trust whatever the manufacturer (i.e. order placer) claims in the specs. Both Vanish Tempo and Vanish Carbon do have a drop of about 5 mm, according to World Athletics measurement guidelines.
