Customer Reviews Altra FWD Experience

I was so excited to unbox these beauties! I slipped my feet out of my current Paradigm 7s and loved the feel and cushion. However, to my dismay I didn't even get the chance to try them out on the road because they were just a bit too snug. I have several different styles of Altras, all the same size. The toe box still felt wide enough but the tips of my toes were too close for comfort. I threw my Paradigms back on just to compare and even placed them side by side. They definitely have much more padding around the ankle which I can appreciate. Hoping the get my exchange quickly so I can finally give these a real try.

Gorgeous shoe, just a bit less roomy than I was hoping for, but still nicer than narrower brands. Wish it came in actual purple. Hope it lasts as long as my other Altras!

These fit well and look great! Haven't been able to fully test them yet, but really like them so far!

I got this shoe to put into my rotation but quickly learned it rubbed the outside of the ball of my foot after about 15-20 minutes of road running. Love the heel cushion in the back though!

The toe box is wide but the rest of the shoe is too narrow for my foot. I usually wear a wide but a friend said they should still work due to the toe box, however, that wasn't the case for me. Returned & ordered a size up which usually works, but they still felt too tight.

I'm a big fan of altras. my go to's are the torins but i decided to try these, and i gotta say im not a big fan. the sizing feels off. they feel a little too small compared to the torins. i recommend going a half size up on these for anyone looking to buy them.

Absolutely love this shoe other than the fact it started to fall apart after about 6 weeks of wear and I was only in them a few days a week. Overall best running shoe I've had just wish they held up better.

Altra's zero drop shoes are what made me a runner in the first place and I was interested to see what a low-drop shoe w a rocker shape might feel like. Bouncy, fun, light, overall a great ride. But it feels a little stiff, toe box feels smaller, and shoe feels more narrow than my Provision 7s. I also started getting more knee pain around the time I switched to FWD but unclear if related I'm sure I'm landing differently and it might just take more adjustment. Overall very fun shoe! Using for my speed training. Love Altras

I will echo what other reviewers have said. These shoes feel small all over. Good toe box shape, but still not wide enough because they are very low volume. I have wide-ish but low volume feet and it feels like the shoes are compressing down on my entire forefoot. I would also recommend getting at least a full size larger. I am a pretty solid 9-9.5 depending on brand and ordered these in a 10. They still feel too small. Luckily I was able to give them to a friend who wears size 8.5-9 size shoe and they fit her fine, but she does agree that they feel very low volume. As for comfort, I think if they were big enough, they would feel pretty comfy as there seems to be a good amount of cushion. And yes, they oddly get very dirty and are impossible to clean.

I am sure you think I loved the shoe because I purchased a second pair, but truthfully I am not totally happy. I am very difficult to fit so it is not totally your fault. The toe box is wide enough but I have a painful corn and could use a higher toe box to give that toe more room, also could use more cushioning. I really liked the shoe I purchased a few years ago but you discontinued it. I bought a second pair because I am desperate, but not totally happy. Beggars can't be choosy.

These were a bit narrow for me. The material did not have much give and did not feel like it would stretch out to accommodate my foot. I did decide to return them and went with the Paradigm instead because the material is softer and stretches out better.

My every day go to running shoes, they are mostly great. However. When you reach the right combo of miles+sweaty+elevation change the top of the heel (mostly just in the left) rubs my ankle raw. Might just be me and obviously could wear taller socks, but worth noting regardless.

After wearing out my old Torin 5s, I bought these and was pleased that the heels were much nicer and the tongue was not a knife! Great support, love the rocker action of the very low but non zero drop. Beautiful color. HOWEVER. The toe box of these shoes is much, much narrower than typical Altras. I loved being able to actually spread out and use my toes, but these aren't wide enough to do that. After 2 months of running in them, I'm getting awful blisters on the side of my big toes where the shoes rub. Really wish Altra had stuck to what made them great. Not sure if I'll try to tough it out and build callus on the sides of my toes or give up and buy a new shoe, but I'm unfortunately past the return window.

Great shoe besides the toe box dimpled/pitted after 3 gym sessions. The comfort and wider toe box are fantastic for those that are on their feet a lot. Ordered a different pair for work. Wish I had known about these before they changed the toe box to what it is now.

I like the way the shoe looks, and while I find it odd that the brand changes what it stands for, to keep up with fashion trends, I wasn't bothered by the 4mm drop. Just sad toe box is narrow.

I'm so sad! I've been wearing Hokas for years (and before that minimally cushioned Nike Minimus). I have wished for a low (> zero) drop Altra for years and was delighted with the look and feel of the Altra FWD. It was fine for short distances but then I did a half marathon; by mile 7 all my toes hurt and it only got worse. The shoe is long enough and my toes are not touching the end. They are wide enough for my toes to spread out (love that!) but the shallow toe box (low height) is a no go. This has never happened to me before in hundreds of half and full marathons and ultras. The pain stopped when the race ended (I've lost enough toenails to know that shoe length was not the problem and that toes keep hurting after the run when shoes are too short). I searched the reviews on this site and other sites and see that many others have complained about this issue. I hope it is something that Altra can improve going forward.

I've been wearing this model for about 5 months now. I've been on the altra train for 5 years now starting with the LP 4's and haven't been able to revert back to Nike, Asics or Brooks- however, I've kept Hokas in the rotation for 12 hour shifts at work. So naturally, I'm stoked for this shoe because I LOVE the cushion my Hokas have, but they are never wide enough even in wide sizing. My first complaint is that the toe bumper collapsed within the first 2 weeks of wearing the shoe. This is annoying- my toes are constantly touching that & I've learned to live with it because I can't return these shoes and they're not awful. If you're buying these because you like the toe space from LP's and desire to have that cushion and lesser drop from a Hoka- you're going to come close. There's a not enough room for me in the toe box & I actually found I was more satisfied with the Olympus level of cushioning & toe box space. This shoe isn't a bad shoe, but I can't get over how rough it's looking at 5 months of me wearing it to the office & clinic for work- the integrity is there, but the cosmetic wear is crazy. The foam on the insides and outsides of my heels looks horrible. Still intact, still provides support, just looks awful after 5 months of wear. If you're looking for a "Hoka with a wider than their widest toe box" this is a good choice. But if you're an altra fan- that wants a hoka shoe- I think you're going to be a little disappointed and I would opt for the Olympus instead. It's going to offer that foamy/squishy bouncy feeling more than this shoe will while also offering all the toe space. This shoe would be good for anyone transitioning from non-wide toe box brands like Nike, asics, Brooks, hoka, etc. it doesn't have that wide toe box "clown shoe" look and it offers enough space that your toes can start to stretch.

I choose Altra for the natural foot shape, unfortunately the traditional shape wasn't produced for this shoe and I really wish it was. Ran a marathon in these, was satisfied with the shoe but would have loved the traditional shape

I really wanted to like these but there were too many issues. Pros: - true to size. I ordered a 10-1/2 like normal and no issues. - decent cushioning. Felt like running in my old Torins - I like the color combination Cons: - these are too narrow. I only wore them for about 5 minutes and I could already feel the fatigue setting in. After running for a few miles this will only get worse. - there are these odd heel cushions on the inside of the shoe. They were really uncomfortable. - the fabric was very thin and flexible. While comfortable, it does make me wonder how durable they will be. Overall: These are just not comfortable shoes. It honestly makes me wonder sometimes if the people designing these shoes are actual runners. Altra really needs to go back to their roots with the wide toe box. That is what got them their fan base. I used to be able to put my altras on and literally forget I was wearing shoes. They were that comfortable. For now I have to go back to my Topos Magnifly and ASICS Nimbus. I hope Altra can find their way back to true zero drop and a wide toe box.

Hi there, I was excited to try these and ordered them from my local running store to ship to my house for the color I wanted (orange). I am a 10.5 in Mizunos but found I wear a 11 in Altras. The 11 in orange was quite small :( I will return for another pair of Olympus

I loved these shoes during try on, but my right foot goes to sleep while running. I tried different socks, changed lacing, nothing helps. Also, they are too squishy. I'll keep them thought this might be helpful for someone else

I wanted to love these shoes but they feel too small for my 7.5 feet

I was super excited about the 4mm drop as I regularly rotate from a 0 drop , 4mm and 6mm. I have been a True Altra fan for many years my all time Favorite shoe being the Torin 3.5 plush so when I heard the 4mm drop was going to feel more like the 3's but with a modern tech twist I was Estatic!!! To say the least...the shoes is pretty good and I'am having it in my rotation but I Wish it was in the original foot shape as my Lone Peak. I think with the type of fabric used and the thickness of cushion it takes up too much space in the shoes. It feels like that creates a smaller forefoot that is a bit tighter then I prefer. Also, the Akward heel pads push the foot forward and honestly don't need to be there. Other then those 2 things (that I'am crossing my fingers) it changes in future models for now I just have to wear a extra thin sock...