Altra Experience Flow 3 Review

The Altra Experience Flow 3 is part of Altra’s Experience range of running shoes. These shoes have Altra’s signature broad, rounded toe box and are still designed to allow a natural running gait and promote foot function, but they aren’t flat or zero drop. They have a 4mm difference between the height of the midsole at the heel and the height of the midsole in the forefoot. This is still a low heel-to-forefoot drop and helps to encourage a more natural midfoot landing, which loads the foot and allows it to function properly.

What this does, together with a slight curve or rocker shape in the midsole, is help a runner who isn’t used to running in a more natural shoe get used to them without overloading the feet, calves, hamstrings and glutes.

The Experience Flow 3 is designed for everyday road running. They are best used for easy and long runs but still feel good at slightly quicker paces. The cushioning feels quite soft, which makes them less ideal for fast running or hill reps.

The fit is very comfortable. The Altra Lone Peak was Altra’s first running shoe and is a trail running shoe known for its high level of comfort. They feel just like a pair of slippers. The Men’s Altra Experience Flow 3 has a high resemblance to this. They are the running shoes you leave on your feet when you come back from your run because they feel so comfortable.

The Women’s Altra Experience Flow 3 has less volume in the upper and less width in comparison. Whether they give the same level of comfort will depend on the width and volume of your feet. The Men’s version is roomy compared to other similar shoes such as Topo or Inov-8. The Women’s version doesn’t have quite the same volume and is a touch snugger fitting than a Topo or an Inov-8 shoe. They still have a lot of volume and width compared to running shoe brands with a more pointed, narrow toe box, so they still promote a high level of foot function. The fit is just a little sleeker than the Men’s.

The heel cup is constructed with a half-stiffened structure. This gives the heel cup some structure at the base, leaving the top section to mould more freely to the shape of the runner’s heel. The heel tab is no longer dovetailed but is very soft and pliable. The heel cup and cuff have a nice level of padding. The tongue is also nicely padded without feeling chunky or excessive. It feels soft and pliable and is half-gusseted. There is also a tab that the laces thread through halfway down the tongue to help stop it from moving when running.

BROWSE ALTRA EXPERIENCE FLOW 3

The upper is very soft and pliable, with a woven mesh-like exterior and a soft, smooth interior. This enhances the fit and comfort of the Experience Flow 3.

There is an additional lace hole at the top which can be used to make the heel fit snugger or to butterfly lace the shoes. I found the heel fit to be snugger and mould to my heel better than on the previous version. I had no issues with the fit of the Experience Flow 2, but I find that the upper of the Flow 3 pulls around my thin feet much better, holding me in at the heel and around the midfoot.

The toe box feels very roomy. I can’t really feel it at all. If you are used to snug, pointed toe boxes that don’t allow the feet room to spread, then the Experience Flow 3 will feel roomy. This uninhibited space helps your feet re-learn to spread on impact. They can then absorb shock and spring you down the road more effectively.

This is why lots of other running shoe brands such as Topo, Inov-8 and VJ make their running shoes with broad, rounded toe boxes, and why other brands are starting to make the big toe line straighter and put more volume in their toe boxes too. If you go back in time, all running shoes had broad, rounded toe boxes to allow the feet to function. Toe boxes have only become narrow and pointed because the fashion world deemed this to be prettier.

The midsole is made from Altra’s Ego P35 foam, which is soft and flexible. The stack height is 32mm in the heel and 28mm in the forefoot. This is the same as the previous version. However, the ride feels a little different. The midsole is still soft, but there isn’t quite the same level of compression, and the Flow 3 isn’t quite as flexible. I found that this has made the ride much smoother.

When you have been running in other brands of running shoes that have a higher drop and/or are stiffer with more of a rocker, the first run in an Altra shoe can feel quite hard work. You must pick your feet up as the shoe doesn’t do it for you in the same way most other running shoes do. You have to run in an Altra shoe. I find that I can feel that my lower back, hips, knees and ankles have all played a part in my run. This makes my cadence feel quicker, and I feel like I am zipping along. I also find that my legs don’t feel as tired after running in Altra shoes. There isn’t quite the same level of fatigue.

The Experience Flow 3 has a soft feel to the midsole but doesn’t feel like you have no contact with the ground. The ride feels nimble and real rather than controlling, with no feel for the ground. I found the traction good and secure even on wet tarmac, something there is a lot of at the moment.

At 255 grams for a Men’s UK 9.5, the Flow 3 is lightweight. On your feet when running, they feel even lighter.

Altra running shoes are similar in length to Brooks, Saucony, 361 and Topo. If you use Hoka, New Balance, Karhu, Inov-8 or La Sportiva, we would suggest trying half a UK size smaller to get a similar length. For example, a UK 11 in Altra is a similar length to a UK 11.5 in Hoka.

When Altra launched their Experience running shoes, it caused an uproar among Altra purists. They feared that Altra was moving away from making running shoes that allow your feet to function and run in a natural gait. The Experience Flow 3 should put their minds at rest. The Flow 3 offers that little bit of help for runners looking for their first pair of Altra running shoes without moving away from the brand’s core values.

In summary, the Altra Experience Flow 3 is a road running shoe suitable for everyday runs, long runs and some slightly quicker paces. They have a broad, rounded toe box to allow foot function together with a curved, rocker-shaped midsole to help stimulate good running form.

Alternatives to Altra Experience Flow 3

Altra FWD Via 2: The more cushioned road running shoe in the Altra Experience family. The FWD Via 2 offers a broad rounded toe box with a midsole that is a bit thicker which makes it less flexible and the rocker a little more noticeable. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/altra-fwd-via-2-review/

New Balance 880v15: A firmer responsive feel to the ride with a rocker. Available in three width men’s and two width women’s. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/new-balance-fresh-foam-x-880v15-review/

Hoka Clifton 10: Hoka make running shoes designed to replace the feet rather than work with them. So, it’s no surprise that the Hoka Clifton 10 has a very soft midsole and a noticeable rocker designed to carry the runner through the gait cycle. Available in two width men’s and women’s. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/hoka-clifton-10-review/

Brooks Glycerin Flex: A straight big toe line allows for a positive push off but, the very narrow toe box inhibits the foots ability to spread on impact and function in the shoe. Flexibility in the midsole does make the ride feel more natural than other Brooks road running shoes. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/brooks-glycerin-flex-review/

Inov-8 Roadfly Max: A broad rounded toe box allows the feet the room to spread and function inside the shoes. The RoadFly is stiffer through the midfoot than the Experience Flow 3 which gives them a ride that is more similar to other running shoes but, not a natural with less foot function. Available in two width men’s and two width women’s. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/inov-8-roadfly-max-review/

361 Centauri 3: A midsole that is softer than the Experience Flow 3 and a rocker that is more pronounced makes the Centauri 3 a shoe that you ride on in comparison to Altra shoes where you must lift your feet up more. The toe box is more pointed. Available in two width women’s and two width men’s. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/361-degrees-centauri-3-review/

Topo Phantom 4: A broad rounded toe box and 5mm drop makes the Phantom a similar type of shoe. It isn’t as flexible and the ride doesn’t feel as natural. The midsole has more of a bouncy feel which makes you feel less in contact with the ground. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/topo-athletic-phantom-4-review/