THE ALTRA STORY
10 YEARS OF INNOVATION
From inspiration to innovation to an evolution.
Altra Running was founded on an innovative approach to running shoes.
An approach that took us from the back room of a specialty running store to the front of the pack on roads and trails across the world.
An approach that has kept us going for a decade and aims to keep you running for a lifetime.
And an approach that ultimately inspired—and continues to inspire—every single Altra shoe.
Brian Becksted and Golden Harper discussing the beginnings of Altra Running shoes.
NICE TO MEET YOU
Naturally, Altra Co-Founders Brian Beckstead and Golden Harper met on the first day of cross-country practice their sophomore year at Orem High School in Utah. From there, it was off to the races, both literally and figuratively.
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We ran cross country and track, we practiced hard, we worked at the running store, and we just totally became shoe nerds.
- Brian Beckstead
Co-founder, Altra Running
THE TOASTER OVEN
When it comes to shoes, innovative thinking runs in the Harper family. So it was no surprise when Golden toasted a pair of shoes, heating them just enough to be able to remove the heel and form a Balanced Cushioning platform. What was surprising was the result: For the first time in his life, Golden was wearing a running shoe that he felt wasn’t obstructing the way he ran.
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For the first time in my life, I’m wearing a normal feeling running shoe. I don’t feel like the shoe is messing with the way I’m running.
- Golden Harper
Co-founder Altra Running
THE INNOVATION
Wide-lacing shoes inspired a FootShape™ design. A household toaster oven inspired Balanced Cushioning. FootShape™ and Balanced Cushioning inspired 1,000s of people to purchase brand new, unmodified shoes and take them to a shoe cobbler to hack them up and balance them out. That’s the foundation of Altra Running: innovative, disruptive thinking.
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It just got to the point where we’d show up at a local road race and almost half of the people at the starting line had their shoes with the lacing skipped open in the front half of the shoe.
- Golden Harper
Co-founder, Altra Running
WE'RE 10 YEARS IN...
WHAT'S NEXT?
We’re going to continue to innovate. Continue to inspire that break-free feeling of getting out there, far from expectation and constraint. We will continue to earn new perspectives by reaching new heights. We will continue to blaze trails and explore new roads. And continue to show up unapologetically ourselves as we encourage all who run to do the same.
Join us.