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Altra Minimalist Running Shoes – Adam, Instinct, and Lone Peak

By Nicole Gauthier ⋅ September 1, 2010 ⋅

New line of minimalist running shoes! Altra. They look cool. I don’t barefoot run but I’d use these for bombin’ around town.

This article was originally published on Runblogger

Altra Minimalist Running Shoes – Adam, Instinct, and Lone Peak: “

The minimalist running movement appears to be gaining steam at a rapid rate these days. Word is that the topic of minimalism was all over the place at the recent Outdoor Retailers Show in Utah, and more and more manufacturers are jumping into the fray with their own minimalist offerings. Even some of the big players in the shoe business are getting involved – most recently, New Balance unveiled their soon to arrive Minimus line of running shoes, and I suspect that it won’t be long before others follow suit.

To date, however, few manufacturers have gone so far as to produce a zero-drop shoe, which is considered by many minimalist runners to be the most critical feature of a minimalist shoe. Zero-drop means that the shoe has no heel lift, and thus the heel and forefoot are the same distance from the ground when seated in the shoe (i.e., the sole is flat). So far, the Vibram Fivefingers, Terra Plana Evo, and a few others are the only offerings out there that meet this criterion. I myself have come to realize the value of a zero-drop shoe, as the Vibram Fivefingers are the only shoes in which I can reliably land on my midfoot or forefoot. Any type of heel lift or excessive amount of cushion allows me to get sloppy and fall back on my heels when I run. While I’m a big fan of the Fivefingers, and don’t mind the toe pockets at all, I’m quite aware that the strange, foot-glove appearance is a turn-off for some people.

I was recently contacted by a representative from a small start-up shoe company named Altra. Altra has been working to develop a line of zero-drop minimalist running shoes, and they have some very interesting looking shoes ready to go into production (more on these below). On their website (which is still partially under development), Altra’s mission is stated as follow:

‘Our Mission is to bring proper running technique to the masses. Altra will provide zero drop footwear that will allow everyone from the hardcore minimalist to the person just getting off their couch to run with proper form, therefore making running easier, more fun, and less injurious.‘

According to Altra, their shoes should be available in late 2010, and their goal is to have them priced under $100. Initially, the lineup will include three models, with several additional models currently in development. Here are the first batch:”

(Read the full article / article originally published on: Runblogger.)

Original Article can be found here: Runblogger

Buy Vibram FiveFingers at these quality online retailers:

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Discussion

2 comments for “Altra Minimalist Running Shoes – Adam, Instinct, and Lone Peak”

Facebook comments:

I would totally get the Adam. That’s a good looking shoe, and I like the features.

Posted by Ed | September 1, 2010, 22:30
Thank you for reposting our initial review from Runblogger. We look forward to providing a great solution to this zero drop & minimalist market.

Posted by Jeremy Howlett | December 2, 2010, 15:27