Discontinued · road · Race day · $240
Earlier generation of the Altra Vanish Carbon line, kept for replacement lookups.
Built for race day, at a target pace of 5:15–7:30 /mi on road.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is Altra Vanish Carbon 2.
Altra tuned this midsole soft (4/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 33 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 snappy at 4/5 responsiveness.
A full-length carbon plate stiffens the forefoot and works with the foam as a lever: it smooths the transition off the toes and cuts the effort of holding fast paces. It also asks for speed — at easy paces a carbon plate feels stiff and does little for you, and it is the main reason super-shoes wear out sooner than trainers.
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 rocker is moderate — enough curve to smooth the roll-through without dictating your footstrike. The forefoot is stiff, so it rolls rather than bends — a lever, not a slipper. It is a neutral platform with no built-in correction.
The toe-box is wide, with space for the toes to spread late in long runs. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 220 miles from the outsole, about $1.09 per mile at $240.
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
221 g / 7.8 oz
54 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
33 mm
3 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
0 mm
6 mm lower than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$240
80 pricier than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
4 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
4 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~220 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.
Altra Vanish Carbon 2(2024)
229 g / 8.1 oz · 36 mm · 0 mm drop · Carbon · $260
A zero-drop carbon racer — rare, and the only super shoe with real toe splay.
Altra Vanish Carbon 3
200 g / 7.1 oz · 36 mm · 0 mm drop · Carbon · $260
The only true zero-drop carbon marathon racer.
Altra Vanish Pulse
215 g / 7.6 oz · 34 mm · 0 mm drop · — · $180
Zero-drop tempo trainer with springy race foam and no plate.
Skechers Aero Tempo
241 g / 8.5 oz · 37 mm · 4 mm drop · Carbon · $165
Hyper Burst racer with a full-length carbon winglet plate.