In production · road · Daily / Long run / Recovery · $170
Rockered low-drop max cushion — Altra comfort for heel-strikers.
Built for daily, long run, recovery, at a target pace of 8:30–11:30 /mi on road.
The midsole is EGO, tuned very soft (5/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is above average: the midsole rebounds well without feeling unstable. 37 mm of heel stack is the modern daily-trainer sweet spot — enough foam for long miles without losing contact with the road. Combined, the ride reads as lively at 3/5 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 low 4 mm drop encourages a midfoot landing and keeps the ankle working through a fuller range. The rocker is aggressive: the sole is curved and stiff enough to tip you into the next stride on its own, which saves the calf on long runs but feels strange when you slow right down. Forefoot flex is middle of the road. 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 450 miles from the outsole, about $0.38 per mile at $170.
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
269 g / 9.5 oz
6 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
37 mm
1 mm taller than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
4 mm
2 mm lower than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$170
10 pricier than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
5 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
4 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~450 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Altra line it is lighter than the brand's median (294 g / 10.4 oz) and sits taller than its median stack (30 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Hoka Skyflow
283 g / 10.0 oz · 39 mm · 5 mm drop · — · $170
Plush, smooth cruiser slotted between Clifton and Bondi.
New Balance Fresh Foam X Ellipse
272 g / 9.6 oz · 40 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $150
Soft, rounded easy-day cruiser built for relaxed cruising miles.
Mount to Coast M1(2025)
280 g / 9.9 oz · 36 mm · 4 mm drop · — · $180
Ultra-focused daily with a wide platform and dual-density comfort.
On Cloudsurfer Max
292 g / 10.3 oz · 37 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $170
The plushest Cloudsurfer yet — big stack, silky transitions.