Altra Men's Superior 5 Sneaker, Medium

Product Information

So in my case, at least, this concern has proved to be largely hypothetical. Runners with touchy toenails might find the shallow toebox to be a real problem. This is more of a personal gripe from someone who is new to this shoe. Personally, I loved the Quantic midsole in the Timp 2. In the Superior, it is such a boring feeling! It’s just a thin layer of midsole. In a world of super foams (or even Altra’s new EGO midsole), a little bit of bounce wouldn’t hurt, would it?! I do realize that these types of foams could take away a little bit of that beloved ground feel. That is more important to the integrity of this particular shoe anyways.

The Superior has firmed up its game compared to the previous version and the squishy Superior 2.0 I’ve used in the past. Even comparing the shoe to its road counterpart, the Escalante, and the trail brother the Altra Lone Peak, it’s undoubtedly firmer. Of course how wide any shoe is to you depends on the width of your feet. If you have a broad foot and usually buy 2E width running shoes or have a high volume foot then the snugger fitting Altra shoes like the Superior 4.5/5 might not have enough volume in the upper for you. The tongue itself has a little more padding than the average tongue. It is a one-piece tongue that’s seamlessly part of the upper. The upper continues from the medial arch side of the foot, up and over the top of the foot and is connected to the upper on the lateral side of the foot. So, it literally wraps the foot like a burrito. This is very nicely done on a comfort and performance level. In the end, it’s simple. If you’re looking for more ground feel, want to shed some weight from your feet, and still feel nimble over technical terrain, then the Superior will be entirely up your street. In the past, I’ve had Altra’s where I’ve ripped out the side walls in 400km, and whereas some people believe that’s a reasonable distance for a shoe, I feel we need to push shoe companies further to build more sustainable and durable shoes.Altra has three different fits. Original, Standard and Slim fit, with the original fit having the most width and volume. However, it’s worth trying different Altra styles in our experience because it’s not an exact science. For example, the Superior 6 is made in the Standard fit, the same as the previous versions, but in our experience it is as wide as the Lone Peak 7 on the Original fit. Neither of these are minimal shoes. They both hold far too much cushion to be given that name, but in many other aspects, they are close to a barefoot feel.

At the end of this post, I’m also giving my super simple formula to help you decide which shoe is for you! What’s Different about Altra’s? The toe box of the Superior 5 has less height. So, the Superior 4.5 felt more roomy initially and it felt like my toes where able to move more freely. The toe box of the Superior 5 doesn’t have the overlays that the Superior 4.5 has and there is a little bit of stretch in the mesh. Once running in the Superior 5 they felt plenty roomy and not at all restrictive in the toe box. The midsole is very flexible. This means that it flexes where your foot does not at a pre-determined place. So, whether you have long toes or short toes the Superior will flex at the right point. This gives it a very natural feel. Dom: For the uninitiated, the Superior is notable for being a soft, flexible shoe with a compliant, unstructured upper. It has a relatively wide toe box, but fit is generally less spacious than traditional Altra shoes. In regard to fit, compared to the previous iteration, version 5 is slightly tighter-fitting, which seems to be due to three factors: a more voluminous footbed, increased padding in the heel, and a shallower toe bumper. Offsetting this is a little more stretch in the forefoot fabric.For a trail running shoe, it is exceptionally light (8.8 oz/249g). Most trail shoes have an average weight of 10.4oz/296g. The super grippy MaxTrac outsole provides great traction and grip on technical trail. This version has a better tread pattern with canted lugs that have been strategically placed and oriented to increase grip. The MaxTrac rubber and PowerClaw lug pattern has not changed for many iterations, and compared to the competition is certainly not one of the most aggressive or grippy outsoles you can find. If you look close, you can also see how many of the lugs on our pair are damaged or slightly torn. This is one area of this shoe that could certainly be better. Dom: As ever, I feel obliged to caution that this is not a shoe for everyone. Altra may have made it more mainstream, but the Superior remains far from a mainstream shoe. It is light, soft, flexible, and provides only modest protection. The shoe is neutral and unsupportive. But in return you get a sublime trail feel and wonderful, natural running experience. Yes, it’s that good. I’ve never had any rubbing on the heel from the Altra Superior, but that’s not saying too much because it’s not an issue I often face. But it should be known that this heel counter is pretty stiff, for an Altra shoe. If you’re coming from the road lineup, and in particular the Escalante, you’ll notice a big difference in the heel.

The sidewalls are made out of a flexible material that provides some water resistance. I liked that I could race through smaller puddles and dewy grass without getting super drenched. The sidewalls also did not compromise the ventilation of the shoe, which was nice. These are some extremely comfortable shoes, even right out of the box. They are so comfy that we often use them as our daily tennis shoes for wearing outside while gardening or when walking around town. The upper is very well constructed, and the burrito-style tongue, which is attached on one side and then wraps over the top of the foot, has no creases or weirdly sewn seams that can rub while running. It's honestly hard to imagine a more comfortable shoe. If you’re unsure which Altra trail shoe is for you, I’ve got you covered. Head over to my Altra trail running shoe round-up post, and I’ll lay out the exact formula for you to decide.Just a little bit of update there I want to draw attention to again. It does not weigh anything. It will not hinder your run at all if you decide to put it in for your trail stuff. Quite honestly, I do not know why you would just not put it on all the time, but that is just me. The upper material has also changed. The new mesh is designed to be more resistant to abra sion f rom the trail and dry faster. There is no plastic in the heel cup, so the heel of the shoes takes the shape of your heel. As in the previous m odel, the tongue wraps around and reduces the chance of getting debris in the shoes and helps give a nice comfortable fit. Altra shoes are designed to allow the foot to function within the shoes and allow you to run with a more natural midfoot strike and upright posture. This is achieved by making the shoes Zero Drop, which means that the height of the midsole at the heel is the same as the height of the midsole in the forefoot. The shoe is ‘flat’. The forefoot is broad and rounded to allow the foot to spread on impact when you land on your midfoot. This gives you cushioning, stability and natural ‘spring’ from your feet. Dom: I wear my running shoes exclusively for running, and typically pay little attention to their outward appearance, so it feels a little frivolous to remark on this, but the new Superior is a strikingly good-looking shoe.

Altra also makes all of their shoes with plenty of room in the toe box. If you’ve never ventured into “foot-shaped” running shoes, you’re in for a freeing treat! For die-hard Altra fans, I don’t think the slight increase in toe box width will be noticeable, but for those that have never run in Altras, it may feel slightly clown-shoe-like. I truthfully have no qualms with the shoe, as I really feel it shines at what it does (fast running for sub-ultra trail distances with a protective-enough midsole). Shop Altra Superior 5 – Men Shop Altra Superior 5 – Women Altra Superior 5 Conclusion With the new design sporting tough protection from the heel and around the side of the shoe, and then a relatively firm toebox, your foot is fully protected from the trail elements. With this sturdy protection holding you in place, I don’t think they’ll be any worry of feet ripping out the side of shoes anymore. The tongue is solidly attached to one side of the upper and gusseted on the other. The combination results in a tongue that stays put the whole run. Well done Altra!

Altra Superior 5

Altra Lone Peak 7: If you want a shoe that offers a bit more underfoot for longer runs but, still has room for foot function then these would be an option: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/altra-lone-peak-7-review-2/ The dynamic lace stays and super fat laces work well to cinch down the foot nicely. The tongue is integrated on one side and gusseted on the other providing a superlatively secure lace cage. If you’re new to Altra, it’s worth noting two specific (and unique) elements that set Altra apart from the other running shoes on the market. Scott Supertrac RC and Supertrac Amphib: A bit stiffer through the midfoot reduces some of the spring you’ll get from your feet. 4mm heel to forefoot. Longer lugs give much better traction in the mud. It still has the same sort of lacing pattern, but we did add that top eye hole. We will now be able to do the marathon loop and such on the five. Update for the Gaiter Trap