Altra Core 3 Technologies

FootShape™ Toe Box - Embrace The Space

Traditional running shoes feature pointy toe boxes that squeeze the toes out of their natural position –increasing risk of bunions, hammertoes and plantar fasciitis. Altra’s FootShape™ toe box allows the toes to relax and spread out naturally and the big toe to remain in a straight position. This enhances stability and creates a powerful toe-off to maximize running performance. We wish we could call it some scientific breakthrough, but we’re simply giving your foot the working space it needs.

Benefits of FootShape™ Toe Box

• Keeps big toe straight for greater stability and a more powerful toe-off
• Allows toes to relax and spread out naturally
• Allows foot to naturally stabilize excess pronation

Zero Drop™ Platform

Every Altra running shoe features a fully cushioned Zero Drop™ platform that places the heel and forefoot at the same distance from the ground. This natural balance aligns the feet, back and body posture for less impact. It also strengthens the Achilles and lower calf muscles that have been weakened over a lifetime of running on elevated heels.

Benefits of Zero Drop™

• Heel and forefoot are the same distance from the ground
• Promotes proper form to reduce initial impact by 3–5 times
• Natural Achilles loading for better propulsion
• 1-to-1 ratio naturally aligns feet, back and body posture
• Encourages better running technique
• Weight-balanced from front to back

Not Like the Others – For Good Reason

Altra’s complete line of Zero Drop™ footwear separates us from most running shoe companies that feature shoes with elevated heels. Running in elevated heels removes the foot from its natural position and encourages high-impact over striding.

Innovation at 300°

After countless customers entered his family running store complaining of pain and injury, Altra founder Golden Harper felt compelled to develop a solution. His college research on running injuries, combined with video analysis of running technique, made it easy to see that the design of traditional running shoes promoted poor form and excessive impact. Using a toaster oven, he began to melt the outsoles of customers’ shoes and carve out unnecessary heel cushioning. It was ugly, but it worked! Harper coined the term “Zero Drop™” to describe the level cushioning and perfect weight balance from heel to forefoot. Runners immediately felt the difference. It was their results and running success that fueled the creation of Altra Running.

Fully Cushioned

Altra Running is the only running shoe company to provide a complete line of fully cushioned Zero Drop™ running shoes. Our lightweight blend of EVA and A-Bound™ cushioning runs evenly from heel to toe and is weight balanced from front to back to encourage proper low-impact running technique.

Fit4Her™ - Gender Specific Technology

Women’s feet are anatomically different than men’s feet. Women have a narrower heel and midfoot, higher instep, longer arch and unique metatarsal spacing. While this has always been a fact of life, traditional running shoe companies have opted to make male and female shoe models virtually identical for years.

Altra is the first shoe company to introduce an entire line of truly female specific shoes. Every last of Altra women’s running shoes has been molded around the unique shape of the female foot. A shoe last is a 360-degree model of a foot used to create the shoe’s heel, instep, arch and toe box dimensions.

Female specific design combined with a cushioned Zero Drop™ platform and FootShape™ toe box allows a woman’s foot to remain in a natural, relaxed position throughout her run.