Outdoor Retailer-Altra Zero Drop Road and Trail Running Shoes & Something for Bad Feet

Pete Larson at Runblogger  recommended I visit Altra Running a Utah start up with a new shoe line for:

•  the trail The Lone Peak (men and woman specific models). $99.95  
•  the road Instinct (men's) and Intuition (women's). $94.99

Both shoes are zero drop (heel to toe ramp), among the very first zero drop "shoes" along with the GoLite Flash and Amp as well as the upcoming Saucony Hattori.
Weight:  trail Lone Peak  10 oz (men's size 9 ), the road Instinct  9.1 oz.  Not the lightest but they appear quite durable both outsole and upper.
What is most striking about the Instinct and Lone Peak is the toe room width as illustrated here by a photo of the Instinct outsole.

Instinct Outsole

Altra Instinct

The toes will  have plenty of room to splay out and I think this will help cushion impact in a mid foot stride. While I am not sure the overall midsole cushion height is in my sweet spot I am willing to give them a try. 

For those who are "toe tappers", have bunions or other foot issues the Instinct will provide far more room up front than conventional shoes, and when combined with the zero drop from heel to toe, should tend to not mash the toes against either the front or side of the shoes.  The rest of the lacing system and upper is conventional so the foot will be very well held and stable.

The Instinct along with its zero drop has 12 mm of forefoot ( and heel) midsole which is 2 mm more than the GoLite Flash Lite  zero drop shoe that I found a bit firm and 2 mm less than the Saucony Kinvara's forefoot foam height which for my 168 lb frame I find not quite responsive enough for my pseudo minimal tastes. The outer sole appears very durable, likely more durable than the Kinvara's patches of longer wear material over EVA. 

Altra also has 2 super minimalist, velcro closure shoes the Adam and the Eve weighing less than 5 oz.

Instincts and Lone Peak will be on sale in spring  in stores and via Altra's web site, at slightly higher prices. 

Coming later this summer: 
Lace up versions of the Adam and Eve as well as firmer somewhat more stable versions of the Instinct and Intuition for bigger runners.

Correct Toes
Reinforcing the message that Altra may help those with bunions and other foot problems Altra also had samples of  Correct Toes ($65) a toe spacer developed by Dr. Ray McClanahan, a sports podiatrist. 

The idea is that modern shoes, and that includes most running shoes, can mis shape the foot  and can cause problems such as bunions, plantar's heels and hammer toes. Worn at night or in wide shoes such as Crocs or Altras during the day, these silicone spacers claim to help spread out the toes back to a more natural position. I am not sure they are intended to used while running.


My Utah running friend Nicole with whom I have been training for the Boston Marathon while in Park City is both a toe tapper, has bunions, and has considerable foot pain from running intervals on the tight turns on the Basin Recreation indoor track.  She is currently testing a sample of Correct Toes and will be writing a guest post here about her experiences with the product.

Outdoor Retailer-Saucony Hattori and Peregrine

Saucony Hattori
The Saucony Hattori is a true minimalist zero drop shoe coming this spring. Retail $80.  Weighing 4.4 oz it has 10 mm midsole height.  2 velcro straps: one across the mid foot one across the heel. Very light, soft almost sock like upper with welded mid foot reinforcements Saucony's theme for the Hattori is "Protection without Correction".  It will come in 5 very flashy colors for men (right)  and 5 for women (left). Much as my Vizi-Pro Orange Kinvara's attract attention, these shoes also make a fashion statement.

Saucony Hattori

Update 4/13: Road Runner Sports showing men's and women's Hattori as in stock.

The popular Pro Grid Kinvara has a 14 mm forefoot/ 18 mm heel height according to Running Warehouse.  The midsole material in the Hattori is same as the Kinvara and thus with the front to back 10mm  midsole height the Hattori will be a firmer ride which will put a premium on good mid foot placement. Saucony recommends starting with 1-2 short runs a week in the Hattori. The outer sole uses strategically placed, more durable outer sole materials in the forefoot and heel. I was told this is the same material as used on the triangular lugs of the Kinvara but in a different color.

Saucony Hattori Outer sole

Saucony Peregrine

The Peregrine can be thought of as the trail cousin of the Kinvara as it has the same 4 mm heel to toe drop. Peregrine midsole height: 10 mm forefoot. 14 mm heel vs. 14 mm forefoot 18 mm heel for Kinvara which makes sense as most trail runners have a low forefoot for better trail feel and stability. Weighing 9.1 oz vs. the Kinvara's 7.7 oz, as a trail runner Peregrine features a deeply lugged sole which should be great on snow and loose surfaces as well as a more rugged upper.  I was told it is water resistant.

Outdoor Retailer-Adidas CC Trail Running Shoe

Adidas is introducing a very cool, super flexible trail shoe the CC Trail.

Available in July for $95.  I was told they weigh about 6 oz. They will be providing me info on the heel to toe drop which appears quite low. CC stands for Clima Cool so these would be a very comfortable summer shoe. Tight, thin mesh similar to the Saucony  Kinvara so one would expect minimal dust sneaking in and great water drainage. They are very flexible and similar to Nike Frees. I wonder how well they will shed mud and small rocks, expect fairly well given the flexibility but testing will tell  I also wonder how well they will wear on rough rocky trails. Might be best for smoother trails  While maybe a bit too radical for my trail use, these may make a very fine minimal road shoe given their cushioning, light weight, and flexibility.

My 2010 Favorite Running Shoes

My 2010 Favorites:

1) Hoka One One Mafate-totally different yet minimal in a way. Clown shoe high, almost 2" off the ground yet in my view oh so cushy and natural. Great on the trails and on the road a feeling like running barefoot on grass  For long, long hauls road or trails and recovery runs.  Effectively zero heel to toe drop??

2) Saucony Kinvara-solid minimalism, light and cushioned, Good for every distance ( I ran my marathon in these) and speed. 4 mm drop

3) adidas Adizero Rockets- very light, fast and responsive yet also cushioned, firmly. The shoe that runs fast!  6 mm drop. Narrow over the instep and at the toes and hard to put on. Not for wide feet.

Runner ups:

Golite Flash Lite- first zero drop "shoe". Solid smooth trail runner. Road runnable. Very comfortable walker.  If you can only take one shoe for multiple purposes this is it.

Ascis Hyperspeed- similar to Rockets but not quite as snappy on the go. 7 mm drop

Inov-8 New Road Running Shoes- Road X Series

Inov-8's trail running shoes have been in my trail running quiver since 2006. I particularly like them for trail and mountain racing due to their low to the ground light, nimble feel ( the original minimalist trail running shoes) and the wide range of models for different types of terrain and speeds.

I can't wait to try their new range of road shoes out this spring.  Much as with their trail shoes the road models focus on a progression in weight and function.  The 3 Road X models  bring runners closer to near zero drop/barefoot from model to model by using a  three step progression from 9mm, to 6mm to a 3mm heel to toe drop .  I think I will start with the 233 (233 grams) which comes in at 8.3 oz and has a 6mm heel toe drop, quite similar to my Saucony Kinvara. Running Warehouse's blog has a preview article and pictures here.