In production · road · Daily · $125
Entry-price low-drop trainer on Altra's new SmoothStride foam.
Built for daily, at a target pace of 9:00–12:00 /mi on road.
Altra tuned this midsole balanced (3/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 28 mm of heel stack keeps you low and connected, with more ground feel than most current trainers. Combined, the ride reads as calm at 2/5 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 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 unusually roomy — foot-shaped rather than tapered, which suits splayed or bunion-prone feet. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 400 miles from the outsole, about $0.31 per mile at $125.
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
302 g / 10.7 oz
27 g heavier than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
28 mm
8 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
4 mm
2 mm lower than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$125
35 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
2 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
3 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~400 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Altra line it is heavier 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.
Adidas Questar 3
306 g / 10.8 oz · 29 mm · 5 mm drop · — · $80
Adidas Questar 3: 29 mm heel stack, 5 mm drop, 295 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Saucony Freedom 4
269 g / 9.5 oz · 28 mm · 4 mm drop · — · $180
Saucony Freedom 4: 28 mm heel stack, 4 mm drop, 227 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Altra Torin ST
294 g / 10.4 oz · 28 mm · 0 mm drop · — · $160
Zero-drop stability Torin with GuideRail support and EGO Max foam.
Skechers GO Run Elevate 2.0
270 g / 9.5 oz · 30 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $80
Ultra Go daily trainer with an easy, soft footstrike.