Kara Goucher signs with Altra!

Altra Lover wrote:

Kara has signed with Altra. I wonder if this means she will do an ultra soon - she has hinted at it in the past.

Soccer moms and fat hobby joggers are the only one's that will care

All professional athletes sign with the best deal including runners. They then try to work with the sponsor to alter a shoe or find one that works. Secondly, altra does not have the R&D budget that Nike does so why would their shoes be better? Nike wants runners to stay healthy so that they buy more shoes. Altra caught a fringe part of the running community who believes that vaccines cause autism.

There are companies with huge R &D dollars that can’t figure it out. As a matter of fact Nike who is king in this department but not when it comes to sales in running specialty. Reebok is non existence.

We haven't moved to Denver yet. We are still finding/building a space. Maybe by mid-2019 or so. Half of us are not moving to Denver.

rungolden1 wrote:

Yeah, and the idea that wearing braces won't change your teeth is ludicrous too! ;)

The shape of Altra's footshape was a composite of the shape of tracings of many many runners with NO history of foot problems or foot pain.

Turns out that those with feet that haven't been changed by shoes, have more healthy shaped feet.

The genetics comment is insane...look at the feet of any of the billion people on the planet that don't wear modern footwear...their feet are all wider at the tips of the toes than at the ball and most wouldn't even come close to even fitting in an Altra toe box.

Not the same thing at all.

The people who don't wear modern shoes have different genetics.

Altras are not just for fat feet. Most of my runs are in Bostons. I just like the Torin every couple of days for a relaxed feel on some days; using a different proportion of tissues.

old dude wrote:

Altra Lover wrote:

Kara has signed with Altra. I wonder if this means she will do an ultra soon - she has hinted at it in the past.

Soccer moms and fat hobby joggers are the only one's that will care

Kara is only about the $$$$$, not the sport.

well,, wrote:

The problem with Altra is that they are so completely different from other shoes. I have tried them and I couldn´t run in them. The low drop killed my achilles and the ridiculously wide toebox felt very akward when I was trying to run fast. I guess she must have tried them and liked them. You just don´t switch to Altra for the money.

Same here. Tried them twice, and aggravated hips and back both times. Went back to 8-10mm heeled shoes and no problems. I don't think it's possible to undo 20+ yrs in non-zero drop shoes. You're losing out on a huge portion of the population by making only zero drop shoes and not having more options.

Plus they felt awkward trying to run fast in them. The wide toebox may match the 'static' foot shape, but when you run fast and toe-off on your big toe you don't need all that space. I think there's good reason for having more of a tapered toebox to better match dynamic running movement, as seen in traditional brands. I like a wider toebox or even go up 1/2 size, but Altras were overkill.

What is Altra? Do they make wheelchairs, walkers or canes?

Solstice solstice solstice.. best shoe ever made!

It’s almost a flat, well besides being literally flat, it’s their cheapest model and a great intro to altra shoe imo

I wear my Escalante around the forest where I live as day to day shoes, unforunely I have to wear loggers boots with a heel for work :p

Love Altra too wrote:

IFonly wrote:

2 out of 3 ain't bad. Too much cushioning in Altra. I haven't tried the Escalante yet though. Whats that like?

Escalante is light and very soft underfoot - I liked both those things. But I wasn't a huge fan overall as the upper was to soft/loose and the last seemed narrower/less stable. Favourite casual sneakers though.

That said the Escalante 1.5 and Escalante Racers both seem better. Might be worth a try.

If you don't want something feeling too cushioned, yet you still want light, definitely get the Solstice. One 2.5 was very light but very cushioned. One 3.0 was heavier and way too firm. Solstice is a happy medium.

Looks pretty good , the solstice. I like the nike free 4.0 and 5.0 but with my trail runners & long road run shoes being Altras, I am considering those solstice and maybe even the Vanish-R. Solstice looks a lot like free 5.0, but zero drop instead of 6 MM?

Gravy wrote:

I like the fit of their shoes, but the quality is pure crap.

Agreed! The upper ripped in the middle of the shoe where it meets the outsole. The heal at the toe box was the only thing holding it down.

Although the toe box is wide, it is also shallow. My big toe presses uncomfortably up against the top of the upper.

And back to the topic of the post, I understand that Kara's name will help sell product to people outside Altra's normal customer base, but I wish Altra invested whatever they gave her on up and coming runners whose last PR is not in the past.

well,, wrote:

The problem with Altra is that they are so completely different from other shoes. I have tried them and I couldn´t run in them. The low drop killed my achilles and the ridiculously wide toebox felt very akward when I was trying to run fast. I guess she must have tried them and liked them. You just don´t switch to Altra for the money.

I know a lot of people who run in Altraś (they´re kind of a fad where I live) and no one is fast.

Kara can get the hobby joggers to buy the shoes.

So far the best running achievement in Altras is the stroller Marathon record.

Altra OG wrote:

Solstice solstice solstice.. best shoe ever made!

It’s almost a flat, well besides being literally flat, it’s their cheapest model and a great intro to altra shoe imo

I wear my Escalante around the forest where I live as day to day shoes, unforunely I have to wear loggers boots with a heel for work :p

I bought the Solstice as my first Altra to give them a try and they are the worst shoe I have worn in recent memory. Poor durability and longevity, they felt like they had no pop if I wanted to run faster, and caused pain in my entire ankle region, not just the Achilles. I don't think they are shoes made for faster runners.

On the other hand, the zero drop design and flat bottoms make for great walking shoes. I will look for low drop shoes on all my casual and hiking shoes from now on.

Also wanted to add that Altras were not my first ride on low drop shoes, as I have a few pairs of 4mm drop shoes. I just think there is a point where lowering the heel-toe drop for running no longer is beneficial.

rungolden1 wrote:

Yeah, and the idea that wearing braces won't change your teeth is ludicrous too! ;)

The shape of Altra's footshape was a composite of the shape of tracings of many many runners with NO history of foot problems or foot pain.

Turns out that those with feet that haven't been changed by shoes, have more healthy shaped feet.

The genetics comment is insane...look at the feet of any of the billion people on the planet that don't wear modern footwear...their feet are all wider at the tips of the toes than at the ball and most wouldn't even come close to even fitting in an Altra toe box.

hmmm if braces work for teeth then all those people with Pes cavus feet should just put on some corrective altra and problem solved!

As a long time runner without a shoe contract I average about 10-15 races a year. I haven't seen Kara's race schedule recently. How is Altra going to get any money back on their investment in Kara if she's not racing on the roads or does some trail or ultras?

M.A.G.A.

S.O.W.P.

D.D.M.P