Customer Reviews Altra Duo

Great hybrid shoe for road and trail, I'm a high mileage runner and have had no issues with durability

Great shoe for me. Some people have had durability issues, but I have over 300 miles on mine and no issues. I like the firm cushion, lightweight and really breathable.

When I found out Hoka recently re-released the Clifton 1 I got a pair immediately. I've been switching back and forth between the duos and the 1's and I have to say that while the midsole isn't quite as soft of the Clifton V1, the Duo is actually a better shoe in almost every respect. Better toe box, lighter more unobtrusive upper (though it did need to 'break-in'). All in all the Duo is a fantastic shoe with room to improve. The welded inlays on the upper needed to relax a little but once they did the shoe feels fantastic.

I ended up with a pair of Duos after the style of Torins I ordered turned out the be out of stock. The regular Torins (haven't tried the knit version) are my favorite Altras. Always up for trying something new, the Duo is a very comfortable shoe and it's aggressive and firm. The Torin is more plush even though it has less cushioning material. After trying both I'd say the Duo is now my favorite Altra alongside the Torin 3.0. It's nice to have two different rides in the stable and I've been using the Duo for shorter faster runs and the Torin for longer ones. Anyone on the fence about the Duo short give it a try. But as another reviewer cautioned, don't expect a super soft ride.

There are three major misconceptions about this shoe that I feel runners should know 1. This is a serious running/racing shoe. This shoe is designed to go fast. Therefore this shoe is going to be stiff and be on more firm side of things. Even though this is a "max cushion" shoe it's a more firmer max cushion shoe for speed and responsiveness. 2. Running fast is key with this shoe. This shoe really excels with a sub 8min/mile pace. If you're in the high 8 min/mile or higher I'd stick with a more plush shoe like the Torins. Also if you're not running at least 5k when you run this shoe isn't going to do you any justice. 3. The upper and the sizing isn't as bad as people say. The Duo has long laces for double knotting. That's why they are longer then generic running shoes. That's why the laces are also slim/skinny so when you double knot you will not have an uncomfortable experience around the foot. The sizing appears off but isn't as bad as people say. I wear a 10.5, but my foot is more like 10.75; therefore, the 10.5's by Altra feel great. Most people complain cause they're in that half size range and don't know if they should. Go to a Running store get a good fit before spending $100 plus dollars on running shoes. I have well over a 100 miles on my Dous. They have the usual wear spots on the mid to fore foot. I also have many a more miles left, but I'm also only 175lbs. If you're in that 225-250lbs range you might have more wear and tear than my self. I have had very little issues with pebbles getting stuck on the bottom of the shoe. With a proper shoe fit, fast enough pace, and determination this shoe will truly excel. That being said this shoe isn't for everyone. The shoe collection: Instinct Torin Solstice Dou Superior

I own the Torin 2.5's and 3.0's, Escalante's and now am the proud owner of the Duo. I might be slightly biased, but I love every product I have purchased from Altra and the customer service is the best in the industry. I use the Duos as my recovery/easy day shoe and my body has been grateful for the cushion they've provided. The weight and quick return of the shoe often make my easy runs fly by. I was worried that I would be tripping over the stack height, but you don't even notice once you start moving--in fact, you hardly even notice the shoe is on your foot. I've logged over 200 miles on mine now and they've shown expected wear-and-tear, but nothing unusual. If you are searching for a light, cushioned trainer, you have found your shoe. What are you waiting for, just duo-it!

If you have high volume, wide feet, BUY THIS SHOE! At 6'3", 215lbs with high volume, wide feet, it's very difficult to find a good fitting pair of running shoes. The Altra Duo is fantastic. Love the cushion! The cushion is different than the Torin. I'd say it's more comparable to the Hoka Clifton I or Bondi. The Torin has a more marshmallow feel (which I also like). For a high cushioned shoe, the Duo feels weightless (under 8 oz). It makes you want to run faster. As usual with Altra shoes, the foot shaped toe box is near perfection. One more note: the Duo doesn't really feel like a zero drop shoe (runners world actually measured it as having a 2.7mm drop). I love the Torin, but it does strain my calves and Achilles. I get very, very little strain from the Duo. Overall, 5 out of 5. I'm in love with this shoe!

I picked up the Duo about 3 weeks ago knowing I needed another pair of shoes in the coming months for training. I've run in the Torin, Torin 1.5, and Escalante over the last few years. This shoe has the perfect blend of cushioning and hold for my foot and preference. I found my foot sliding around a bit with the soft upper in the Escalante on longer runs, but the Duo seems to hold my forefoot in place very well. I've used it on runs ranging from 3 miles to 15 miles so far, and it has performed fantastically. I will not hesitate to purchase another pair in the coming months once my mileage stacks up on these. Great shoe so far!

A bit late to the party but I bought multiple pairs of Duo at a ridiculous discount. Online reviews suggested that the shoe wasn't all that great especially in the durability department, but at the price I was getting them for, even if they lasted 150 miles, I was getting bang for my buck. I'm almost 400 miles on my first pair, looking at 600 miles. What durability issues?!! Granted, as the reviews said, there were holes in the upper at 100 miles. But that doesn't make the shoe unusable. I'm not a runway model, I'm a runner. And once the upper tears a little, it stays that way. I was worried about the midsole getting fatigued, but hell no...it's still great. I'm a pretty average runner (175lbs, midfoot gait). Many reviews complained about the fit. I think, it's great for a shoe with a lightweight, no-frills upper. If you want a more snug upper, get the Torins. It's hard being a shoe company, if you make a great sock-like upper, people say it gets too stretchy. If they go the other way, it's too inflexible. I think Altra needs to do a better job of educating its consumers of where the shoe lies in its quiver, so that folks are making educated choices based on their needs. If the Duo had come out 7 years ago, it would be still be talked about reverentially like the Clifton OG. It's a great shoe. A lighter runner could use it as daily trainer and a heavier runner as a racer. I use it for both and can see myself taking it upto 50k without any issues. I see the Duo 1.5 is out. Any future iterations of the shoe, Altra needs to ensure that it sticks to what the Duo represents...lightweight cushioning (yet responsive). Good job, Altra!

I love how stiff this shoe is while still having cushion. I had a ligamental release surgery on my foot for Morton's Neuroma and this has been the only shoe I can even consider running on the road with. It's pretty much everything my doctor wanted me to find in a new running shoe, cushioned, stiff and a wide toe box. The only thing I wish there was a tad more support in the arches and the upper didn't feel so cheaply made but I haven't had any major issues with the shoe.

This shoe combines many of the features that I have been seaching for in a good running shoe: zero drop, cushoning, light weight. I have not found any other shoe that match the Altra Duo - and I have tried many. This is my preferred shoe for all long distances. Only minor issues with wear and tear.

I love running in the Duo! It is comfortable, supportive yet cushioned, light weight, and roomy! Unfortunately, I cannot give 5 stars because around 80 miles the uppers started tearing on both shoes on both the inner and outer sides of shoe near the joint between the metatarsals and toes. At 105 miles the one shoe had a tear in the upper that is approximately 1.5" long. I have ran about 15 miles with that 1.5" tear, so now at 120 miles. Considering trying to somehow patch the tears so I can get a few more miles out of them since I love how they feel. As great as they feel, I can't justify spending that kind of money on another pair that only last 100 miles. Hope to see some improvement in this area on future versions.

I primarily run trails and this shoe performs exceptionally well on everything from buffed out trails to technical single track. The shoe is extremely light and very breathable. The only negative was the super thin laces. They were too long and constantly needed to be adjusted. I replaced them with a Nathan speed lace and that solved the problem. Altra nailed this one. Go get it!

I really wanted to love these shoes, but alas it was not meant to be. After putting ten miles on the road over three runs I have come to the realization that this pair is just not meant for me. The right shoe rubs on the bottom of my ankle and it just bothers me too much to trust it for longer runs. I am used to lacing up my new Altras and forgetting about them, heaven straight out of the box. Not so with this pair. The left shoe feels great. Overall they seem like a fast, light road shoe. I'm exchanging them for a pair of Torins of which I've had no such issues in the past (same goes for the Escalantes, One's, Paradigms, Superiors or Timps). I think it may have something to do with the lack of an eyelet at the very top of the shoe. I just can't seem to get that "locked down" feeling of the other Altra shoes. As usual though, Altra customer service is right there for support and makes the exchange process truly simple.

I've ran just over 150 miles in these so far and I've been very happy with them, the cushioning protects my feet but is still very responsive. The toe box is especially roomy which I also like. The upper is a bit stiff on the top of my foot, even with the reduced stress style of lacing. Regarding the rock magnet comments made by other reviews I've seen, I have had this happen a little bit but not to the extent others complain about it. All around a great shoe.

I love Altra and they're shoes. I've owned probably over 10 pairs. This shoe is great except the material near the front upper part tore pretty easily. I'd only buy another pair because they're on sale. Actually Altra should just give me another pair since these ripped/tore.

I am a podiatrist and I recommend Altra running shoes to a lot of patients. I personally have been wearing Altras for years. I started with the first incarnation of the Paradigm model and loved it. Then the model changed a bit and I moved to the Torin. I liked the Paradigm better, but I still think the Torin is a great shoe. This time around I chose the Duo. While the shoe is "mostly" comfortable, I have a few issues: 1. The heel counter is a bit high and can dig into your ankle bone. The outside (lateral side) digs into my ankle (lateral malleolus) and has caused abrasions (and sometimes cuts), 2. The shoe does run A LOT bigger than the other models I have worn. I would say at least a 1/2 size, but maybe even close to a whole size bigger, 3) The tongue is not padded and "bunches up" when you put on the shoe. If I make my laces too snug then the tongue digs into the top of my foot and is painful. Even loose, it takes about 15-20 minutes for the tongue to work its way into a better position. Lastly, I have a problem with the eyelet placement of all Altras that I have tried. The first eyelet on the medial side (big toe side) sits right on top of my 1st MTP joint (big toe joint), this causes the laces to dig right into the joint. Having a lace constantly digging into that joint is really painful, especially when running. I have solved that problem by skipping that eyelet when lacing up the shoes. I still love this brand but I won't recommend this model. Additionally, I think Altra (and really all shoe companies) would be better served if they didn't modify their models as often as they do. If they want to make a modification, just call it a different model name. That way, customers know what they are getting and don't have to guess every 6 months to a year as to whether the shoe will still work for them. Just my 2-cents.

I'm a huge Altra fan and have run in the Torin, Escalante, Escalante Racer, and the Duo. The Escalante is my daily trainer and go-to shoe. I run in the Duos for longer runs. The fit and toe room in the Duos is consistent with other Altra running shoes. The sole of the shoe, while it provides max cushioning, is not super soft or squishy. Other reviews have commented that the sole is firm. It definitely is not. There is a surprising amount of flex in this shoe and the ride is not overly responsive (i.e. firm) or overly soft. In my opinion, the sole is just the right amount of forgiveness. Nothing rides as nice as Altra's EVA midsoles, however, which can be found in the Escalante. Nevertheless, the Duo ride is nice. For me, the shoe falls short in the upper materials which is a nylon mesh which is does not provide a great feel on the upper part of your foot. The heel cup is all a bit too high and too firm. It rubs my heels repeatedly, often resulting in mild heel blisters. The materials in the sole are also not super durable. My Duos have about 250 miles on them and while I could eak out a few more miles on them, the soles are worn down and ready for retirement. A more max version of the Escalante would make a perfect replacement for the Duo!

It is a fast shoe. Feels great on sprint repeats after hard rides, also held up to the Ironman Texas run course and almost PRd (considering my last PR was strictly a run, and the Ironman had me running after 112 miles of cycling, I'd call it good). Only gripes on it are the heel cup, upper durability, and toe box. Heel cup feels slightly too tall. I changed my insoles and it worked fine, but avoid wearing socks that are too low or you're sure to get a small but painful rub area just above your heel. No blisters though, which is a plus, so heel design is alright, but it just goes up a bit too high. As to durability, the inside of the midfoot near the first metatarsus (just under the forward tip of the altra logo) is tearing. I know it's meant to be more of a fast, race day shoe but I'd like the upper to last at least as long as the tread. Tread still has a decent amount of miles left on it (not great at 175 miles, but at least but still probably have 50 miles left on them before tread is done, and was hoping to get closer to 300. The toe box is a bit *too* roomy. Hard to describe but the shoe has an overall different feel to shoes like the Torin, which seem to have a uniform feel across the entire shoe. Duo seems good/slightly tight across the midfoot, the all of a sudden, the toes have way too much room. So maybe weight savings can be made by making the toe slightly narrower, but then using the weight savings from that to increase durability along areas likely to tear. Tread is great for racing, but will pick up pebbles for sure if you run on gravel. Not noticeable, which shows that Altra nailed it on the cushioning, but just something that may want to be taken into account since weight savings is better without picking up the rocks. Tread could be more durable, but also understandable that it's hard to make a race shoe with durable tread that's still under 8oz

I loved a lot about this shoe. The sole is cushy enough for recovery runs, the upper is super breathable, and the shoe feels fast and light enough for racing. I had some durability issues: The outsole wore super fast in some areas and I put a 10cm rip in the upper after 500km somehow. I also had repeated issues with rubbing on the front inside of my ankle, leading to bleeding blisters for a few runs. I am running primarily in escalantes now, and would love to see a duo 1.5 in the future

The shoe feels great but the upper tore 50 miles in. I was running a seven miler and at the end the upper mesh tore. I hope this was just a one time error but its something to keep your eye on. If they put the knit the shoe or just made it a little bit thicker I think that would make it perfect.