I have had my eye on Altra Zero
Drop from the company’s beginning, but I have always been hesitant to pull the
trigger on one of their models. As I’ve written about before, I have been a
minimalist runner for a few years, seeking flexibility first, ground feel
second, and concentrating on zero drop last due to the fact that I have been a
forefoot lander my whole life. Unless I’m exhausted, heel strike has never been
a thought or issue. For a few years I used a rotation between Nike Free Runs,
Merrell Trail Gloves, and Vibram Five Fingers Bikila, but I’ve been searching
for a full answer. Around November of 2012, I made the decision to dump the Nikes
on eBay and work on going
Zero Drop all
the time. Today my primary shoe rotation includes the
Skora Form, which gets the bulk of my miles,
the
Skora Core, which I use for speed
work, and now the Altra One, which I use for road runs and recovery.
Why hadn’t I pulled the trigger?
At first they were a hard shoe to nail down and put your foot in, plus they had
a reputation for running small (the One fits true to size). Another part of the
issue was vanity. Altra had yet to make a shoe that piqued my interest
stylistically. I loved the idea of a wide toe box, could deal with the odd look
it provided, but I wanted the rest of the shoe to have a dose of swag. Enter
the One—this shoe looks the part, a bright lime green color composed of mesh
that gives excellent breathability, a fact I actively seek out in Florida. Next
I had apprehension over flexibility, especially after having a negative
experience when I tried Newton Running out (the shoes were too rigid for my
tastes).
Flexibility was the first feature I looked for when I left traditional
shoes, and it allowed me to run primarily injury free once I acclimated. While
the One doesn’t flex as easily as my Skora models or the Nike Frees, the shoe
has a good amount of give, moving the way it should and bending as I go. The
shoe does not move as one box, but in sections, just as a foot does. The
lightweight, racing design (under 8 oz) adds to the shoe’s flex, for the shoe
is Altra’s racing model. All this in mind, I ended up with a pair.
So how does the One perform? In
terms of road running, I was very impressed. I use this shoe when my feet are
sore and worn down. The padding, a stack height of 18mm, gives them a reprieve
and a chance to aid my recovery. They are a shoe of choice for one run on days
I run multiple times. The padding took some getting used to, and on my first
run, I almost felt constrained by the lack of road feel—it is there, but not to
the degree I was used to. Yet, my legs felt good, there was no random pain, no
undue side effects, and all in all, the run went well. As I worked to
incorporate the shoe in, I grew to enjoy a day of less feel, a day to get my
feet back. At the same time, I loved putting my Skora’s back on, to feel the
ground again. I can’t describe why the juxtaposition feels so good, it just
does.
In terms of speed, I’ve used the
One for multiple Tempo workouts, and a couple interval based treks. Impact
wise, the shoe flexes, allowing my forefoot to land and my heel to the kiss the
ground. The shoe has a bulkier feel than my other models, a fact that can be
attributed to their build—they are a racing flat, not a foot glove—but you can
still move in it. They feel fast, which is a darn good thing considering they
are a racing model. I’m still reluctant to take it on the track, a surface
where if I don’t use spikes, I want a shoe that hugs my foot like a glove, and
with the numbed ground feel I would avoid the trails, but if you are a road
runner, one who wants to run fast, try this shoe out.
Pros:
- The
patented Altra Zero Drop toe box. They make a toe box that is wide, spacey, and
foot shaped. Your toes are not to touch, are not to crammed together, and I
often use one of their graphics, one showing the x-ray of a foot in Altra shoes
and one without to illustrate the differences in conventional versus minimal,
realistically shaped toe boxes.
- A
great zero drop shoe for those who want to have some padding under their feet.
Typically I run in shoes with a lot ground feel—these are not those shoes. They
are made for road running, have solid flexibility, but they do not push every
pebble, stick, or bump into your foot. If you want a soft ride with a zero drop
experience, this model is for you.
- At
$99, this shoe is very affordable. I am unsure on total durability, and
typically shoes with this style of padding tend to fade away around 400-500
miles.
Cons:
- The
tongue drives me nuts. It is composed of a thin fabric and pulling on or
adjusting it seems to have an adverse effect on the cloth at the toe of the
shoe, pulling it a bit taunt.
- In
with the tongue, it took a few runs before the lacing felt comfortable. I like
a tight shoe, but this shoe doesn’t conform to foot easily, thus I often felt
that I laced them too tightly and would have to spend time adjusting the lacing
system. On one run I had to stop and loosen them completely do to pain on the
top of the foot. A longer run in them resulted in a small bruising of the top of my foot.
- Lack
of ground feel. You have very little, thus keep this shoe on the road and off
the trails. I know I listed this as both a positive and negative, but it is.
- Rain. In a few recent rain runs, the shoe slipped a lot, you could hear it not holding on the way it should and my stride felt off.
- The turn my feet green, as in the dye leaks off of them into my skin. That cannot be good.
Yet, this form is far more complete than a local running
store, where a few questions are asked, a treadmill is used, and an employee
(typically a strong runner himself) quickly leads you into one or two models he
prefers. Optimal Run takes this process a step farther—they examine your
answers, pull from their stocks, and present you with a three minute video (in
my case) that not only describes in detail the models they have pulled for you,
but also why these models fit your profile. They matched my preferences (less
shoe, built in tongue, wide toe box) with models that I had yet to try, but
might fit me better, both of which seem interesting to me. What adds to the
intrigue is that they know I am an Ambassador for Skora Running and thus, instead of taking
the easy way out as often found in the local store, they searched for other
options in order to expand my horizons. 
say Altra doesn’t make a great
shoe, the One is in my rotation, just that sometimes these shoes aren’t working
for you and an attentive salesman, in this case the form you provide, will find
said information and lead you into a more preferable option. That said, Optimal
Run often runs weekly coupon specials, posting them on twitter, and if
available, they will give you a code with your recommendations. They have free
shipping and no questions on returns for a total of 40 days. I have undergone
the purchasing process, buying a pair of shoes for a friend, and also gone
through the return process in order to understand the ins and outs. They ship
priority in all directions, maintain a high level of communication and work to
create a satisfied customer.
