Customer Reviews Altra Rivera 2

I bought these for the road portion of my ultramarathon training. The first iteration of the Rivera shoe was the perfect balance of cushion and weight. The second generation seems stiffer in the sole and the toe box is about 1cm narrower than the original. My feet feel somewhat crowded and my small toes are visible while wearing the shoes. Please don't take away the fit that brought me to the Altra brand.

Walking primarily. 3-4 miles per day.

I have tried a all the Escalantes and a lot of the Torins. And I love both of those models of shoes. But having a narrow foot I decided to spring for the Rivera 2s and I love them to be honest great fit and great comfort. However I took one star off as the rubber is already almost wore through after only 100 miles on them and I don't think the durability is going to be there for a 300-500 mile shoe.

I really like this shoe. Once I acclimated to the different feel from what I was previously accustomed to, I found that it provides great support and cushion, and it is very lightweight. I agree with the other reviewer that the laces on this shoe are the worst I've ever encountered; I am constantly having to tie these shoes because the laces won't stay tied. My other hope for future versions of this shoe is to make the outsole more durable. I am only at 40 days/65 miles of walking in this shoe and the outsole is severely worn in many places. I can't imagine that I am going to get more than 2-3 months out of this shoe, which is a little disappointing.

Great for trail, road, and a speed day on the track. Ever since I stooped running in nikes and switched to altra I dont really get hurt. For me it lasts about a half a year till I have to get a new one.

Look, it surprised me and many other Altra fans when they introduced the Rivera and the "slim" footshape profile. When it comes to rolling out a new paradigm in your brand philosophy, that whole deal felt about as botched as it gets. However, there was a lot to like about the original Rivera despite its more narrow shape. I'm glad to say that the things that were really wrong with V1 are mostly resolved. First, this is an upper update, which is good because the upper was the only thing wrong with the first Rivera. In fact, the upper on V1 was so bad that it ruined the whole shoe for me. No matter what I did, I couldn't get a good lockdown, and the upper overall felt cheap and inflexible. But this new mesh, whatever they've done to it, manages to be accommodating and securing in all the right places. I'm no longer lacing up these shoes every which way trying to get a secure lockdown. Now, it's just happening. And that's great! The upper is also super comfortable, which is just a nice bonus, and stretches well to compensate for a slightly shallow toebox. In fact, while the upper on the Rivera is not quite as pliable and premium feeling as the knit on on the Escalante, this shoe now feels like essentially a slimmer Escalante. It has the same performance, flexibility, and comfort. Finally, this is the only Altra shoe I've ever had to size up in. I'm usually a 9.5 in most Altras but I needed a 10 in the Rivera 2. I don't know why, and it's not necessarily a drawback, I just thought it was curious and worth mentioning.

I was so happy with the original Rivera. TheRivera 2 is too snug now. Please go back to the original mold. It feels to tight in the mid foot and across the top of my foot.

These shoes were decent, but after about 200 miles the side of the shoe completely ripped. The build quality of Altra shoes has degraded and I do not trust them to last 300 miles. I own a pair of lone peaks and they are amazing because they have been built to withstand harsh conditions. However, I exclusively run on the roan with my Riveras and the side has managed to bust. I'm disappointed and sadly I am considering moving on from Altra.

I purchased the shoes to replace another pair of ultras that were defective that I had shipped back to ultra. When I walk in the shoes the tongue Will not stay in the center of my foot it's like it's stitch strong and goes to the outside of my foot. I have tied my shoes numerous ways and it doesn't make a difference it still will not stay in the center. My PT put these me and the shoes due to knee pain and they have helped with my knee pain tremendously because of the heel to toe drop but this is my second pair with an issue. Just getting very discouraged with my second pair that I replaced so I would have a pair of shoes to walk while the other ones were shipped back to you. Thoughts?

Shoe is good lateral support not great and has the single worst shoelaces I have ever used

Bottom line: The Rivera 2 is more narrow in the toe box than the original Rivera. Significant difference in toe box compared to the Torin. I thought the previous model was perfect as it brought similar features of Torin with a better kick. This model compares more with a Brooks launch than any Altra model. Still a great running shoe but lacks the overall Altra culture.

ordered these as a easy day/recovery shoe, as they were great last time. feels like there's nothing underfoot, and I am running barefoot on the road! prob go back to the Escalante after these wear out

The Altra Rivera 2 would have been exactly what I was looking for. I was recently able to try the Escalante and the Torin in a running store that let you try the shoes on a treadmill before buying them. I wanted padding for the road, but, for me, the Torin was so padded that it lacked stability, and I wobbled on a step or two due to the unstable footing. The middle option for stack height and padding between these two would be the Rivera... Except for the width... I'm holding off on the Escalante because I'm worried about how tight it is around the mid-foot, and the Rivera is marketed as being an even slimmer shoe. And for the record, I didn't notice the mid-foot tightness or discomfort in competing brands I tried on in the same size, so it isn't my foot shape that's the problem. Altra, I want to buy your shoes; I really do, but you refuse to make one that fits my needs that I can actually wear. You're losing sales here. Please make a wider option for this and your other models of road shoe.

I bought these as a daily trainer. The shoes felt great right out of the box and I was able to run 40 mile weeks with no complaints. After running ~100 miles, I developed extreme pain in my feet during longer runs. At the 15 mile mark, my feet felt as if I had broken my feet from the arch, to the ball, through the top of my foot. The shoes wore very fast as well (see tread wear in attached photos). I ended up buying different shoes after 166 miles, much less life than I expect from a reputable brand. I would not recommend this shoe for longer distances, 10k seems to be the sweet spot. To summarize, I was initially impressed but ultimately disappointed in the shoe's performance and durability. I ended up buying Torin 6s and the issue has subsided.

I bought the Altra Rivera 2 for my daily runners. I've only put around 83 miles on these shoes and the sole is coming apart. I sent a note to Altra's warranty dept and was told that the delamination on the sole was "normal wear and tear". I would not think that the soles coming apart after approx. 10-12 runs would be considered "normal wear & tear"?! I really like the fit of the Altras but cannot invest in them as my daily runners if the soles begin to fail after less than 100 miles. I'm accustomed to Mizuno running shoes (Wave Rider), having owned more than 15 pairs of them over the past 10 years, and have never experienced the soles coming apart prior to logging 200+ miles. My Altra's are very comfortable and support my feet well but the failure of both of the soles - both coming apart in the same location - is a deal breaker for me. I'll be retiring the Rivera 2's after only 83 miles due to sole failure and going back to Mizuno sadly.

These shoes are much more narrow than the Rivera 1. I have some pictures comparing them side by side. I also have a pair of my Torin 5s for side by side comparison. The mesh material seems really nice and ventilated as well. I'm sad this is a shoe I can't wear. Looking for a good tempo run shoe. I'll check out the Escalante Racer

After putting in 2k miles on my Torin 4s it was time for a new shoe. The Rivera seemed to be a good choice but it's too narrow and feel flat. No life at all. I'm happily back in my 2k mile Torin 4s!

I love Altra shoes. However, buying from Altra is SO frustrating. I have a pair of Rivera 2 in 9.5. I bought a second EXACT pair and they are SHOCKINGLY larger. In addition, the shoes came with 2 right foot insoles. It is almost like Altra has no quality control.