Discontinued · road · Race day / Tempo · $150
Second-generation zero-drop racer with a more secure upper.
Built for race day, tempo, at a target pace of 5:45–8:00 /mi on road.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is Altra Vanish Pulse.
Altra tuned this midsole firm (2/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is above average: the midsole rebounds well without feeling unstable. 22 mm of heel stack keeps you low and connected, with more ground feel than most current trainers. Combined, the ride reads as snappy at 4/5 responsiveness.
There is no plate here. The midsole does all the work, so the shoe flexes naturally and stays versatile across paces — easier on the feet day to day, but without the snap of a plated shoe when you want to roll.
A 0 mm drop is close to level. That loads the calf and Achilles more than most runners are used to, so ease into it. The geometry is fairly traditional and flat, so the shoe follows your foot rather than steering it. The forefoot flexes easily, so the shoe adapts to slower, shorter strides. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.
The toe-box is wide, with space for the toes to spread late in long runs. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 280 miles from the outsole, about $0.54 per mile at $150.
For the foams and plates Altra uses across its line, read the Altra brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
224 g / 7.9 oz
51 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
22 mm
14 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
0 mm
6 mm lower than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$150
10 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
4 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
2 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
4 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~280 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Altra line it is lighter than the brand's median (294 g / 10.4 oz) and sits lower than its median stack (30 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Topo Athletic Fli-Lyte 6
210 g / 7.4 oz · 23 mm · 3 mm drop · — · $110
Low, nimble shoe balancing ground feel with a touch of cushion.
Topo Athletic ST-6
190 g / 6.7 oz · 18 mm · 0 mm drop · — · $125
Zero-drop, low-stack speed shoe for strides, track and gym work.
Altra Escalante 5(2025)
275 g / 9.7 oz · 24 mm · 0 mm drop · — · $140
Knit, flexible and natural — Altra's springy minimalist-leaning daily.
Saucony Kinvara 16
198 g / 7.0 oz · 29 mm · 4 mm drop · — · $140
Saucony Kinvara 16: 29 mm heel stack, 4 mm drop, 207 g — specs from independent lab testing.