Customer Reviews Altra FWD Experience

So far, so good. This is my second pair of Altra's and I am happy with both pairs.

Ok I don't usually review but I felt like I should on these. The shoes themselves are a good design and feel good my only complaint is the material. I run in Florida. It's HOT I sweat a ton and the material that these shoes are made out of is like a sponge so your feet stay soaked and they don't dry so you gotta have a couple pairs to rotate through so you can use these every 3 days or so. Also this same material is a sponge for dirt. I have tried numerous cleaners and have just came to the realization that grey is the new white.

Loved this show but had to return due to the mid foot being too tight.

I've had a great time running in this shoe, open toe box shoes are a must for me and this provides that in a daily trainer. I did have some issues getting used to the shoe, particularly the first 50 miles felt rough on the achilles though. All around great shoe!

Mainly use for walking! I was thinking the shoes would have more cushioning. The soles seem to be hard they make noise walking on hard floors! My feet still hurt at the end of the day.

The shoes is great, very comfy for running and walking around. Somehow it doesn't hold up, bottom heals are damage, inside sole is already rip, in less than 100 miles of usage.

I generally enjoy the Ultra lineup and thought this would be a great shoe to run the upcoming Buffalo Marathon as it seems to similar to Newton Running's Fate series. I found it to be a good shoe for a recovery run or something easy going. It felt too spongy as though I really had to apply more effort to move faster. There is no way I could run a sub two hour half marathon in these the way I could with the Torin series. Don't get me wrong as I felt it to be a very comfortable shoe. The toe box is still vintage Altra. The upper mesh is really nice, the tongue doesn't dig into the ankle (remember Torin 5 and 6?). Heel claw is great. I just prefer less sponginess and that is where Torin series still shines and Fate 9 are wonderful for longer distance runs (21k and 42k). I won't be using this for any marathons. I debated on giving this three stars, and returning them, because I expected it to be like Newton's Fate series and that sponginess. No way, the quality is there and it will just be part of my shoe arsenal for recovery/easy runs.

They run FANTASTIC! Went with these and they do fit, but seeing them in Original would have been awesome too. The entry and exit rocker are something I really look for in a show these days. It's getting warmer out...go out and put in some miles!

I bought the FFWD after being turned onto it by my local Fleet Feet owner/operator Jennifer gave me a heads up that Altra was coming out with a 4mm drop shoe. She knows that 4mm drop is the only drop that works for me these days (for whatever reason). I bought these and have been very pleased at all components of the shoe so far. The only negative I have found would be that it feels a little slick on wet roads. The cushion is a great combination of enough stack to knock off the impact but a firm enough foam to keep your power transfer optimum. The tongue is cushioned enough to tie the shoe tight for lockdown but not strain the top of your foot. The toe box size is roomy to me and the uppers material seems sturdy. I only have about 20 miles on the shoe currently but am excited to go out and get more. I got the white and green colorway and my wife and daughter said they looked better than my typical running shoes.

I've gone through several pairs of Altras: Paradigm 6s, Lone Peaks and currently running in these (in white). Making the transition to 0 drop is a scary thing that takes time, dedication and patience. I was starting to experience some lower leg irritations due to transitioning too quickly when altra dropped these. I commend Altra for integrating low-drop options for those transitioning. I'll keep it brief: Pro: - well - cushioned - padded heel feels good - laces lock your foot in to keep your foot from sliding - 4mm drop feels great for those in transition Cons: - I found these to be about .5 too small. Had blisters and toenails fall off following the Honolulu marathon - toe box is not "standard" by altra standards at all. Only real difference compared to normal shoes is the area for the big toe is straighter; the area for the other toes is no different from a traditional shoe. The toe box is overall too narrow as well. Overall: would recommend getting these if you're looking to transition. Altra, great job on your first product in the low-drop market; however, there is always room for improvement. Please make the shoe fit like a lonepeak/torin 6 but ride like a 4mm drop.

I am mostly satisfied with these shoes. Don't buy them thinking they will feel like Hokas with a wide toe box though. The rocker sole is great. Not as cushioned as Hokas. And mine are squeaky. Don't know if that is widespread or just mine.

Gotten a few runs in wearing these and I like them so far. Getting used to the wide toe box, but better than getting my toes smashed like in other shoes.

These are light, responsive, and the rocker propels you forward. The only issue is the lumps in the heel. It makes wearing these shoes two days in a row impossible for me. I have to let me heals heel.

These shoes feel good while wearing them. The only problem I had was the shape of the toe. It made the shoe feel smaller and rubbed my toes. I would recommend a design change for the toe area. Overall these are good quality shoes!

I needed a little extra time with these shoes before leaving a recommendation. My initial thought upon unboxing these shoes was that they sent me a woman's pair. The colors weren't appealing to me at all. No sweat. It's just a shoe. I got the wide version even though I saw the toe box was pretty wide. The shoe fit to form according to width. I got a 10.5 and am usually on the upper side of that. The shoe length was a little short so if you are unsure, go a half size bigger. The cushion on these is soft, almost like memory foam or something. That took a little getting used to! Also, these shoes are SUPER light, which also took getting used to. Overall, I would say that the ALTRAFWD is a fantastic road running shoe for everyday runners and I would recommend them!

sizing and width are great! I have previous experience with Altra so I was excited about this new series, however, I am not a fan of the huge cushioning. While the cushioning is great for daily walking, I find it creates mobility issues in running and quick maneuvering.

The new Altra FWD Experience has easily become my favorite everyday running trainer of all time. You've created a shoe that is a great tempo-trainer while also opening up the Altra lineup to people who can't do zero drop yet. The great: Perfect, as-expected Altra fit with the fantastic Altra toebox. For me, the upper fit is literal perfection, and the midsole & rocker suit my running style very well. The okay: Other than the white/green colorway (yuck), I appreciate the simple colorways available. It would of course be nice if there were more options, but I suspect that's coming. The outsole rubber is... maybe a bit soft. Both of these are common Altra complaints, so you guys already know this. The not good: I now have 2 pairs of these shoes from two vendors. The second pair had to be returned, as the upper on both shoes appeared to be defective. In the front of the toebox, the upper had excessive bunching that could be felt inside the shoe. This QC issue completely ruined the fit, making the shoe feel about a half size too small. Both pairs are the black colorway, but the defective pair were produced at an earlier date. I've since replaced them with what appear to be a good quality pair in the grey/blue. Feedback: 1. Slap a trail outsole on this awesome shoe and create your first low-drop trail runner! 2. Consider a tongue gusset or something that will help keep the tongue better centered. 3. Maybe a little more of a sweep backwards on the Achilles area above the heel cup.

Thank you to Altra for the free running shoes. The shoes were super comfy, but the wider toe box actually hurt my toes. It allowed my toes to spread a little wider and my short nails caught the inside lining of the shoe. Tried wearing thicker socks to run in them, same issue.

No need to break in!! Good quality shoem

I've seen slightly more negative opinions about these shoes than most other Altra versions; but I pulled the trigger anyway. I had 2 pairs of Altras before (Kayenta, Rivera-2) and have ran 10milers in both pair. These are my observations after my first 5mi run. - When walking up to the start of a run you can feel the lightness of the shoe and the "toe roll" they engineered in - Running at a moderate pace, this shoe lands flatter than the Rivera-2 I previously loved. - The roll-off is way more noticeable than the 4mm drop; actually the drop is imperceptible. Altra should have just made these Zero drop or lied to us about Zero drop and engineered in the 4mm drop just to avoid the negative criticism/ PR - After a couple miles, the Rivera-2 started to produce a slight pain in my arch, so far the AltraFWD has not - The numbers of the Rivera line and the AltraFWD are almost the same. If you want the feel of the AltraFWD without the drop, buy those I gave them 4-stars because Altra's color options are trash, well Men's colors. Women's shoes get way better color combos. This and the fact that I have only had one run in them and wouldn't feel comfortable rating them as the best shoe I have ever used; yet!

Very comfortable running shoes. My feet have not hurt since wearing them. Comfort, they are perfect. Style, isn't the best. White, is a bad color choice, as they are dirty already. I would chose a different color next.

Great except a full size too small and kind of narrow.

Received the AltraFWD experience for free as part of a promotion which couldn't have come at a better time since my trusty trail runners were lost to a late summer storm. Right out of the box, I felt like my feet could move in the Altras, and that's something I hadn't felt in a shoe since my barefoot running days. Break-in was quick, owing largely to the lightness of the shoe, and after a few miles my feet were feeling it, but in a good way - almost like they were happy about not being crammed in a pointy toebox. Heel cup was locked in, and very good bridge support kept my feet from shifting around. Surprising amount of support for how "free" my toes felt, and makes me realize how much my running pain was due to improper fit. I do wish they weren't so bright-white, as they are already showing some dirt/grime from road, but not having shin splints so far, ill happily exchange some road wear for the ability to keep running. Time will tell if I pick up another pair after a few 100mi, but for now, they're my go-tos until the weather gets too cold for how ventilated they are.

ALMOST perfect. - First off, order AT LEAST half a size larger than normal; this shoe (like most Altras) runs small. - Secondly, the drop on this shoe is AMAZING. The problem with "zero" drop, is the heel bears the most weight, and thus turns the shoe into a "negative" drop. By adding a slight extra stack in the heel, it actually makes the shoe more "natural" feeling. The slight drop, paired with the rocker, makes this the MOST natural, comfortable ride (walk/run) I've ever experienced. - The ONE problem I have with it (and every other shoe in the world) is the toe box is too narrow (my pinky toe is squished up against my other toes). If this model came in Altra's "original foot shape", like the Escalante, it would be, in my opinion, the perfect shoe. However, MOST people have already evolved/conformed their toes over the years into a more pointed shape, thus making this shoe a perfect fit. - Lastly, this shoe looks absolutely incredible. The color palette (pastel, low saturation) truly makes this shoe modern and minimal. I bought black strictly because I work in Fire/EMS, but the green/white looks stunning. Well done Altra. 3 big steps forward, one small step back. The perfect shoe, still, doesn't exist.