Altra Provision 4 Review | Zero Drop Guidance Running Shoes for Pronation

Altra Provision 4 Review

There aren’t many if any running shoes on the market that are made to allow your foot to function naturally but also give some guidance or pronation support. The reason for this is that most runners who land on their midfoot tend not to then pronate, as a lot of pronation is caused by the initial breaking force when the runner’s heel hits the floor. The other reason is that it’s difficult to make. If you put a mechanism in the shoe to actively reduce the amount of pronation, then you have stopped the foot from moving naturally.

What Is Pronation?

Pronation is the natural rolling in motion of the foot which happens when it hits the floor. The arch compresses to absorb the shock and then reshapes. So, that the push off point is the end of the big toe. This means that the ankle, knee and hip are all lined up and working in the right direction. Over-pronation is where the arch compresses but, doesn’t reshape in time. This means that the push off point is the inside of the foot and all the joints are out of align. This causes wear and tear on the joints and can cause pain in the shins, knees, hips or lower back as well as blisters on the inside of the feet. This is due to the repetitive nature of running. So, it’s quite common for runners to not get any symptoms for the first few miles of a run or nothing until after a run. In some cases runners have no problems until they have built up their running and been running for a while. Then because a small part of their body has been over stresses they get a niggle or pain that is a symptom of over pronation.

The usual fix to this problem is to get a running shoe with some support or an orthotic insole to place inside the running shoe to give support. These solutions often work for a period of time. The problem with these two solutions is that they stop the normal function of the foot. So, while the rest of the runners body is getting fitter and running further the feet and lower leg aren’t being worked properly. So, they get weaker and weaker over time and this often leads to more problems. This is why it’s better to use a running shoe that allows your feet to function. Then your feet and lower legs get stronger the more you run. Therefore they are less likely to suffer from an injury.

The problem for a runner who is running regularly with a shoe that provides support is how they switch to a shoe that allows their feet to start functioning without stopping doing the running they want to do. The answer is to gradually build in the use of a shoe that allows your foot to function. You do this by using a flat, well cushioned, foot shaped shoe for short runs alternating with your usual running shoes. For example you might do a mile in your new flat shoes then swap them for your usual shoes to finish your run. Alternatively you could use the flatter shoe for an interval session. Warming up and down in your normal running shoes. Up to now many pronators might have to use a mild off the shelf orthotic to help support the foot until it has got used to functioning. Then when the runner is used to running in a low drop shoe and the foot has started to spread on impact the orthotic is removed for some short runs. Although the time it takes to make a transition varies from runner to runner from experience we find that most runners are doing the bulk of their running in the flat, foot shaped shoe within a month.

It’s a good idea to use a foam roller, massage and stretching to look after the calf’s and lower legs. So, that you avoid any niggles or over use issues. As this area of the body will be working harder than it is used to in a flat shoe. As the calf’s, feet and lower legs get stronger they will need less TLC.

The Altra Provision 4 has been cleverly designed to allow the natural movement of the foot but help guide the foot in a forward motion. Like all Altra shoes the Provision is Zero Drop, meaning that it is flat from heel to forefoot. A lot of traditional running shoes have a higher heel. This encourages the runner to put their heel down first. In a lot of cases the difference between the height of the heel and the forefoot is as much as 12mm. So simply being a flat shoe, the Provision reduces the amount of pronation.

The wide rounded toe box that all Altra shoes have (FootShape) is designed to give the runners feet the room to spread on impact. This spreading absorbs the shock and stabilises the runner. This reduces pronation.

The wide rounded foot shaped toe box and the Zero Drop are attributes that all Altra shoes have. To help reduce pronation further but still allow the foot to function inside the shoe, the Provision 4 also has a guide rail. This is similar to the Altra Paradigm 4.5. The guide rail is a firmer piece of EVA that runs around the top of the midsole of the shoe. It is higher on the medial side and is designed to guide the foot so that the runner pushes off from the end of the big toe. When the runner pronates they push off from the inside of the big toe, which means that the ankle, knee and hip slightly out of align at that point. This can cause pain in the shin, knee, hips or lower back due to the repetitive nature of running. So having a mechanism that guides the foot to toe off from the end of the big toe reduces pronation.

The insole of the Provision 4 is textured to help stimulate the feet to function. This proprioception stimulation helps encourage the runners feet to spread on impact and therefore cushion and stablise the runner. You can feel this when walking around in the shoes but you are less aware of it once you start to run. In fact the insole feels soft and well cushioned.

The upper of the Provision 4 also has straps that wrap around the inside of the foot (pictured). This helps to further guide the foot over the big toe, should the runner’s foot roll against them. These straps give the upper a very secure and comfortable feel. The heel fit is also very good. The toe box doesn’t feel as roomy as it does in the Torin 4 or Torin 4 Plush but the toes are still free to move. If you are not used to a rounded, foot shaped toe box the toe box of the Provision 4 will still feel roomy.

The ride is cushioned but not too soft. The forefoot is also flexible and the shoe doesn’t feel too stiff. Often shoes designed to help reduce pronation have a very stiff, rigid feel. The Provision 4 does allow a very natural gait.

The Provision 4 is suitable for neutral runners as well as those that over-pronate. This is because the guidance systems in the shoes only come into play if you need them. I am a neutral runner and often find shoes with guidance too restrictive and controlling. The surprise with the Altra Precision 4 is that they don’t feel like that at all. They do have a very stable ride but they are very nice to run in. In fact the Provision 4 has become the shoe of choice for my long and easy runs!

Altra make their womens shoe a different shape to their Mens, as Womens feet are generally narrower in the heel and broader in the forefoot for their size. Altra call it Fit 4 Her. We had the opportunity to test run some womens Provision 4 too, and our tester does pronate, which allowed us to see how effective the guidance systems are to someone who would normally use a structured cushioning shoe or an insole. The guidance that the Provision 4 offers has so far been effective and is much more comfortable than using an off the shelf orthotic. Our tester can also feel her feet spreading out on impact in the Provision 4, which is something that she didn’t feel as well in other Zero Drop shoes with an orthotic. This is probably because the arch shape in the orthotic discouraged the normal function of the foot.

In summary the Altra Provision 4 is a much better shoe than perhaps we expected! It’s suitable for those with mild to moderate overpronation and neutral runners alike. If you are a neutral runner running in the Altra Torinm Instinct or Intuition for example and like a shoe with a stable feel, then the Provision 4 is well worth a try.

Charlie @ Northern Runner Newcastle