Altra FWD Experience Review
Shortly after a much-anticipated launch, we’ve finished up our Altra FWD Experience review. Altra came into the running shoe market around thirteen years ago with an ethos to fix the wrongs of the running shoes that were on the market at that time. Altra running shoes are designed to let your feet function as nature intended, giving them the space to do so. All styles including the Altra FWD Experience have a broader, rounded toe box (three varieties) and up until now had previously all been 0mm from heel to forefoot. They promoted a natural midfoot landing and loading of the foot, so that your foot would spread on impact and spring you into your next step. This utilised the 26 bones and over 100 ligaments, tendons and muscles that are in your feet to stabilise, cushion and propel you. The FWD Experience is the first to have a (still very low) heel to forefoot drop of 4mm.
Altra’s Day-One Aims
Back then (and now!) so many running shoes on the market were/are designed to essentially “replace” your feet, rather than work alongside your feet. Carbon plates, other plates, loads of cushioning, rockers, and all sorts. Altra saw that the foot wasn’t being allowed to function, the runners’ feet got weaker, and this led to problems like Morton’s Neuroma, Planta Fasciatus, Bunion’s and more. At Northern Runner we have seen firsthand (including actual tears of joy) how Altra’s broad, rounded toe box and once Zero Drop (now Balanced Cushioning) helped alleviate a large variety of postural issues and cramped un-functioning feet issues. They allowed the body to heal itself over time and got people running again.
At the time of Altra’s launch in the UK there was a barefoot craze going through the running community. The issue with running in barefoot shoes for a lot of runners is that they don’t have good enough posture, foot function and foot strength. Unlike the runners of the 1960’s who had grown up with shoes without midsoles, the crop of runners around in the 2010’s didn’t have the same posture and foot strength. Making the leap from cushioned running shoes to shoes with no midsole at all was too great a leap for most.
Altra in a way had the shape and room of a barefoot running shoe but added some cushioning. This gave the average runner many benefits of barefoot shoes and after a short transition, they could be back covering the same mileage as before. As the feet, ankles and lower legs are allowed to function in Altra shoes, runners using them experienced less wear and tear on the body as the stresses are spread out more naturally rather than putting all the stress on the knees and hips.
The running market is constantly changing and with the invention of rocker geometry and highly responsive midsole foams, many runners are now looking for a running shoe that does ‘some’ of the work for them. In a similar way to the electric motor in a pedal bike, you’re still doing some work! Altra felt like they needed a shoe that was even more approachable to newcomers, still featuring many day-one benefits. This is the Altra FWD Experience (and future Altra FWD styles coming soon). It’s for the road, is neutral, has a low 4mm heel to forefoot drop and a rocker.
One of the questions posed is has Altra “Sold Out”?
Toe Box & Midsole
The Altra FWD Experience still has a broad rounded toe box designed to give your feet the space to spread on impact. The rocker has been placed toward the rear of the shoes in such a way that you are guided to land on your midfoot, which encourages an energetic toe-off. I’m a fan of this, where other shoes with rockers have more toe spring, which reduces toe off. The FWD Experience midsole is made from compressed EVA and isn’t soft and mushy, another plus. Your feet ‘know’ that they have hit the ground, so they get the message to spread out on impact. They’ve also got the message to lift your feet of the floor and keep moving! This makes you bend your knees more and use your glutes and hamstrings. You’ll find you’re in a more upright posture, where the lean comes from the ankles not from the waist. You ‘fall forward’ more effectively. This is a different feeling to many other running shoes that have a rocker shaped midsole. Often you put your foot on the floor and the shoe takes over, carries you through the gait cycle and your legs do less work, leading to less strength.
I found them nice and easy to run in. The rocker doesn’t give you excessive propulsion and doesn’t feel overly controlling. I could trot along and forget about your feet, which you want in an everyday training shoe.
Spread & Spring
Way back in 2010 my feet didn’t spread on impact properly yet, so I didn’t get the same sensations as I did in my first run in the Altra FWD Experience. The first thing I noticed in the FWD Experience was the spread of my feet on impact and the spring that I was getting from my feet. After my first run in them I could feel that my calves and glutes had worked. Although it’s advisable to alternate with other shoes until your calves and glutes get used to functioning more, I still had the urge to use them on my next run. No lasting soreness.
The movement patterns that you have in an Altra shoe just feel so natural that you want to recreate that feeling again.
Heel & Upper
Like all Altra shoes the FWD Experience has no plastic in the heel cup. This is so that the heel can take the shape of your heel. The cuff of the heel cup is well padded and your foot sits ‘inside’ the midsole of the shoes, so the heel cup feels very supportive. The heel tab is soft and flexible and slightly swallow tailed, which means that it curves away from the Achilles. The tongue is lightly padded. Just enough to protect your foot from the laces but not excessive. The upper is a light knit that is seamlessly constructed to give a snug fit over the midfoot before opening out into the broad rounded forefoot. The FWD Experience is made on Altra’s ‘Standard’ foot shape, which has a bit less volume and width through the midfoot than the ‘Original’ last but more than ‘Slim’. Runners with the highest of high-volume feet might find it lacking a little. The upper has a very soft, luxurious feel to it, ideal for an everyday training shoe in which you want to feel reliably comfy.
The women’s model weighs around 200g and men’s 240g. The midsole thickness is 30mm/26mm for women and 32mm/28mm on the men’s shoe. That would have been considered thick for early Altra running shoes but is now fairly standard for an everyday trainer.
In summary, no Altra haven’t ‘sold out’. The Altra FWD Experience opens up the benefits of running in Altra running shoes (roomy toe box, low drop, better posture & form) to potential customers who may have been put off by what was trademarked Zero Drop. They are an enjoyable neutral everyday running shoe with a blend of natural foot function and ‘help’ from a rocker I really liked.
Other Considerations
Altra FWD Experience vs. Hoka Clifton 9: These also have a compressed EVA midsole although the ride is slightly softer. The rocker in the shoes carries you through the gait cycle doing more work for you than in the Altra FWD Experience. For this reason the running action feels different. The Clifton 9 is available in two width Men’s and Women’s and has a straight big toe line than the previous models but, doesn’t have the same natural shaped toe box as Altra shoes. So, you don’t get the same feeling of foot function. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/hoka-clifton-9-review/
Altra FWD Experience vs. Karhu Ikoni: A ride that sit between the Clifton 9 and FWD Experience. Softer than other Karhu shoes. 6mm from heel to forefoot. The Fulcrum encourages you to lift your heels rather than surf the shoes like you would do in a shoe with a rocker. So, they have a more natural feel than Hoka’s but, although they have a straight big toe line they don’t load the foot or have quite the space of the FWD Experience so you don’t get quite the same foot function. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/karhu-ikoni-2-0-review/
Altra FWD Experience vs. On Cloudsurfer: A very soft feel. Best used on flat courses as the midsole compresses a lot on steep downhills and uphills. A straight big toe line and roomy toe box. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/on-cloudsurfer-review/
Altra FWD Experience vs. 361 Centauri: More underfoot feel. They feel less stacked and the rocker isn’t too controlling. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/361-centauri-review-361-centauri/
Altra FWD Experience vs. Scott Pursuit Ride: Although the midsole is firmer than the original Pursuit the Scott Pursuit Ride is still a soft ride. The rocker does take over a bit in these particularly on descents. Which makes you feel like you are flying along. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/scott-pursuit-ride-review/
Comments are closed here.