Customer Reviews Altra Paradigm 5

I have extremely flat feet and have always struggled with finding a shoe that supports my in-step without making my feet "freak out"I think people who have over pronation will understand what I mean by that. These have been the best shoes I've ever had to address this issue. So if you have flat feet, definitely get these. On that note, I have always run into issues of my toes crowding and actually scraping my skin, because my feet never have adequate space to spread out in normal running shoesI have not had any problem with this with my Altras because of the wider toe box. I have recommended this shoe to several family members and friends, and I will absolutely purchase again.

I bought this Altra style to stabilize my feet and to minimize pronation. The Paradigm 5 does just that. My knee pain (perhaps secondary to pronation?) is improving.

I'm new to this product but was looking for a plantar fasciitis/arthritis relief shoe for 12 hours on concrete. So far, so good. I needed the guide rails, support and comfort all in one.

I had several complaints about the 4.5 and they were all fixed. The tongue is a bit looser, the little holes in the front have a backing so less gravel gets in. And the stability of these shoes is wonderful. I was having some pain in my old 4.5s from a lemon pair and one pair well pass 500 miles. Switching to these was amazing. Like running on clouds. Already have run two half marathons in them and have a third on trail end of this month. I will be buying a few pair.

I'm an escalante 2.5 person from way back. I ran through two pairs of Escalante racers this year and noticed a new pain in my shins, so I went with a recommended switch up to the Paradigm 5. I think the show was recommended because it has more cushion, but I gave it just over 30 days to adjust and it's like running through quicksand for me. So, I can't rate it low, it's a personal preference I believe. But if you're an Escalante or minimum cushion/support runner, this shoe might be too much in the other direction. I'm mostly disappointed that I'm two days outside the return window :( Alas I just ordered the tried and true Escalante 2.5, hoping to get back to a better run soon.

I've done about 250 miles in this shoe and am loving it overall! The cushioning is soft, and a bit flexible compared to other support shoes, but this does not sacrifice any support. The guiderails keep me steady and have prevented knee pain that I've experienced in other shoes. I think this is due in part to the support, but also the 0mm drop. The fit is nice and wide, which is sometimes a struggle for me, even in Altras (ex. the Provision is too narrow in the midfoot for me). But this gives me plenty of toe room and through the midfoot, while locking my heel in nicely. I do feel it fits about a half size small (I sized up from 8.5 to 9) because I found my toe was hitting the upper in my usual size. As far as durability, I've had no issues. As I said, I've done about 250 miles and am seeing no serious wear to the outsole or upper. And I also wear this shoe for work almost every day for a full 8 hour shift and have had no issues, it seems to me like it can take a beating. I do have 2 cons that keep me from giving this shoe 5 stars. The first being the weight. This is a heavy shoe. Granted support shoes tend to be heavier, but I think there's opportunity to cut weight, especially in the upper. Which brings me to my second con: due to the heavy overlays, I feel this shoe lacks breathability. This is great on cold days because I don't have to worry about wearing thick socks, but if your feet tend to sweat a lot like mine, wearing it to work a full day can lead to some smelly feet! All being said, I would definitely get this shoe again and keep it in rotation for my slow, easy days, but I also look forward to what Altra will do to it next!

I have tried to break my 9.5s in which is the exact size of my last paradigms that actually worked the 3.5 old I know but if your gonna get these get a half size bigger. That's what I plan to do on the next pair hopefully they work. I've waited too long to exchange so will update review later if the up size works.

Why not - The tongue slid and pressed too much on my instep, the heal rubbed and blistered my Achilles, and the stabilizers in the heal area over-corrected and caused knee pain. Why - great cushion, and if I needed that much correction for pronation I think the stabilizers would have worked. This isn't a bad shoe. I think it's more personal needs. I had reconstructive surgery on my right foot, have issues with heal, knee, and hip pain due to past injuries and fibromyalgia. The shoe matters. I LOVE the Olympus. Tons of cushion, neutral stance, and wide toe box.

I purchased the Paradigm 5 after really disliking the Paradigm 6. These are the most comfortable, perfect-fitting shoe I have ever worn. They have fantastic support and stability with a very secure feel compared to the 6's, and they have some cushion but not too much like the newer version. I like that they are a little narrower than other Altra styles while still having a natural foot shape. Clearly, a lot of wider-footed folk are attracted to the Altra brand, so there are some complaints about width in the reviews. It would be great if Altra added multiple width options to all their styles to accommodate both wide and normal feet (like I have). Lastly, unlike the updated version, these actually look cute on my feet which is always a plus! I hope Altra will incorporate the strengths of this version of the Paradigm into its future designs.