Customer Reviews Altra Rivera 4

I was admittedly ready to give up on zero drop Altra before I discovered the Rivera 4. I was huge fan of the early Escalantes. Light, nimble and responsive. Then Altra decided to start making clown shoes like the Escalante 3 with gigantic forefoot sole flare. Seemed like most Altra models went in this direction in the name of stability. Thankfully I discovered that Altra offers a "slim fit" shoe in form of Rivera (maybe I missed this on website, but Altra could do better job in summarizing their shoe lineup. Too many freaking models!). If you have narrow, low volume foot, check out the Rivera. This shoe has range! Daily miles, but with enough stiffness to give it some pep for tempo runs and intervals. The midsole foam has dense, bouncy feeling without that dreaded squishy action found on so many running shoes these days. A simple, no gimmick shoe that lets the foot do what it wants to do. Even the rocker feels very mild. Best of all is the lack of lateral and medial sole flare. Shoe feels so much more agile then the pontoon shape of other Altra models. Thank you to the product designer on this shoe. Please stay true to this model for future versions! My only suggestion is touch more shape on the arch (but that is nitpicking).

I have had the last 2 Riveras and getting ready to buy another Rivera 4. The Rivera 4 is an improvement over its predecessor. I use them to run, cross-train, and play sports. The treads on the sole broke down a bit early but has continued to last for a solid 6 months of use. I will concur with others that the "black" color option is somewhat misleading and has a bit of a blue hue. However, the size is spot on based on a digital foot scanning. It's toe box comfort is phenomenal especially with my wide front of foot and bothersome big toe joint. A sales rep at Fleet Feet first recommended the zero-drop shoe to me since I had an interest in a minimalist shoe that required activation of foot muscles. This shoe has spurred me to buy and enjoy the Lone Peak Mid 2 hiking boot.

If I could keep buying I would, very good shoe sad to see it go

This is my second pair of Altra. Just like my first pair these shoes were ready to rock. There was no breaking in time. I use these shoes for running, walking, and the gym. They are true to size. Great quality.

I absolutely love these shoes. I wish Altra influenced me to write this but the Rivera 4s are my favorite road runner I have had. I tried the Torins and started having heel pain but I switched to the R4s and they rule! I have a pair of Rivera 3s that I use for daily walking and the 4s are for running. I've easily put 500+ miles on these on pavement and dirt roads and I have zero complaints. Waiting for them to go on sale to buy a second pair.

Really enjoying this as a daily trainer and speed worker. It's a great hybrid shoe. Heel is forgiving and the perfect amount of softness. I've been dealing with PF and this shoe has been helping not aggravate it anymore and symptoms are subsiding a bit more each run/week. It's light, and I'd definitely buy again. Great shoe to have in rotation as an everyday or to put down some speed. I think the Rivera's are certainly overlooked by many.

Love them!!! ALL the Altras, please!!'

These shoes have made my heel feel so much better. I am a tennis instructor and these are by no means designed for competitive tennis because the lack of structure in the forefoot is not ideal for changing directions quickly. The flexible upper and extreme cushioning in the sole make for an amazingly comfortable shoe though. I feel like I'm walking on pillows. They have held up in both the sole and the upper for feeding balls and controlled rallies. I was having severe heel pain when I bought the shoes but after a month the pain has pretty much subsided.

With its zero drop and incredible flexibility, the Rivera does a great job in promoting natural foot movement. After investing the time to transition from high drop shoes, I can't imagine ever going back. Version 4 is a nice upgrade from the previous version - with the improved heel cup and laces that will actually stay tied, the lock-down is much improved.

Best shoe I've ever had. So comfortable. I've had each model and this is the best one yet. The Rivera is their narrower model, which is perfect for me. Please never change the Rivera 4.

These are white so my husband only wears them when it's nice outside. They're super lightweight with mid cushion. Compared to the FWD's they seem to have less cushion but are pretty responsive. Overall this is a nice shoe.

This is my second pair of Riveras. Love the feel of them, light yet good cushioning. Sizes are true to the other Altras that I've bought.

Great shoe, comfy!

I have put 500 miles on a pair and they are holding up well. BUT, the laces that come with these shoes are worthless! Even double knotted, they come undone.... no fun in COLD weather.

Used for walking

I just got these shoes, and I'm a daily 3-6 miles walker. So far I'm loving them. I bought them at a running store and sized up 1/2 over what I normally get and am happy I did. I'm a woman but often buy the men's shoes because I'm a size 10 in women's and the men have more size options. These shoes are definitely gray, although advertised as black.just FYI if you're going for a specific color.

Great shoes. I bought them for work due to them appearing darker online ( my shoes for work need to be close to black) and they are very gray. A little disappointed

first time product buyer,a good quality shoe ,very comfortable ,i would recommend this shoe.

Super inconsistent manufacturing. The right shoe fits and feels great, the left has a noticeably narrower toe box. I was so excited to find an available pair in Black, but so disappointed when I put them on. I have Rivera 2s, and 3s. The 2s didn't have enough padding for running, but I still use them for casual use, even though the sole is coming apart. The 3s fit me the best and have additional padding that I liked, but the upper has developed a hole, and it wrinkles the interior toe box support. The 4s seemed to be an improvement, and if both shoes were the same as the right one, I'd be set, but the left toe box is oddly smaller. The left shoe feels like my outroads, which are also really confining. I wear a men's 12, but have narrow/low volume feet, so this style suit me well. I'm bummed they won't be made anymore as the normal Altra shoes are too wide for me.

The length of this shoe feels right on, bordering on a bit snug. However, this does not at all feel like a natural foot shape ahoe because of how unbelievably narrow it is. There is no way these were designed for men. Otherwise, their lightweight. They appear to have a better build quality than the first Altras I owned.

I mean the shoe is nice but. The color was suppose to be BLACK and clearly the shoe is not black.

If you're accustomed to barefoot shoes like I am then these shoes aren't gonna do it. Wanted something with a wide toe box but still cushioned for road running. The toe box on these shoes is not quite wide enough and squeezes my toes together which causes forefoot pain. I have noticed that my foot strike has changed and I am now getting achey knees after a few miles. Seem decently made otherwise and I would recommend them to my non barefoot bros!

I've used Lone Peak 5/5/6/7's, Timps, Solstices, and the Rivera. These shoes are really comfortable, but I got them for work; after only 3 shifts, they smell horrendous - while my other shoes have no odor after 8-10 months. I don't know what is different about them, but they've been taken out of my lineup after only a few wears. I'd recommend these shoes for running, but I'd caution against getting them for daily wear.