Altra Men's Superior 5 Sneaker, Medium

Product Information

The base of the Superior 5 is slightly broader as the midsole splays out. This makes them look wider than the Superior 4.5. The width of the shoes internally is the same. The broader base is designed to make the Superior a bit more stable. The ride of the shoe is slightly different to the previous version. It feels slightly less nimble and slightly softer.

The feel of this lightweight trail racer is beyond comparison. I found my first few runs with the shoe to be similar to the childlike fun of sprinting through the forest. The tongue of the Superior 5 is fairly unique I think there’s a couple of reasons why. It is very light, very nice, and wide again; it is low profile and has a lower arch profile. Ego debuted in 2016 on the Escalante and King MT. Compared to traditional EVA foam, it’s formulated to provide a springier feel and more durability. Ego Max debuted in fall 2021 on the Torin 5 and the Paradigm 6. It’s made from compression-molded EVA and tuned for a softer feel than Ego, but it isn’t as responsive. Ego Pro is Altra’s top-shelf foam, and it’s made from thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) formed in a supercritical fluid process. The result is Altra’s lightest and most responsive cushioning material, and it debuted on the Vanish Carbon racing shoe. This is more of a personal gripe from someone who is new to this shoe. Personally, I loved the Quantic midsole in the Timp 2. In the Superior, it is such a boring feeling! It’s just a thin layer of midsole. In a world of super foams (or even Altra’s new EGO midsole), a little bit of bounce wouldn’t hurt, would it?! I do realize that these types of foams could take away a little bit of that beloved ground feel. That is more important to the integrity of this particular shoe anyways. The design of the outsole differs from the Lone Peak, but again it falls short. The outsole on the Superior is still decent, but not outstanding. The MaxTrac rubber has held up “ok” to +300km of abuse, and the level of grip is good enough. Considering the Superior is not trying to win the award of the best grip on the trail running scene, I’m happy with where it’s at.

Altra Superior 5

Laces a little long, and have tendency to come untied. (Stretchier laces would probably help in regard to latter, but would diminish the foot retention.) It would not make sense to have the stretchy upper that you have in Escalante because there is a good chance it could snag on a branch. This is a softer, nicer upper that does not have the same overlays. It will not give you the same stretch, but It still feels nice and loose, so your foot won’t feel constricted. Keep the Mud Out! For die-hard Altra fans, I don’t think the slight increase in toe box width will be noticeable, but for those that have never run in Altras, it may feel slightly clown-shoe-like. I truthfully have no qualms with the shoe, as I really feel it shines at what it does (fast running for sub-ultra trail distances with a protective-enough midsole). Shop Altra Superior 5 – Men Shop Altra Superior 5 – Women Altra Superior 5 Conclusion Also, having a harder base welcomes forward propulsion, nudging you on to your next step. Much like you would feel from barefoot running. It all makes sense because there’s no soft cushioning putting the brakes on, and restricting your momentum. Altra also makes all of their shoes with plenty of room in the toe box. If you’ve never ventured into “foot-shaped” running shoes, you’re in for a freeing treat!

Dom: I wear my running shoes exclusively for running, and typically pay little attention to their outward appearance, so it feels a little frivolous to remark on this, but the new Superior is a strikingly good-looking shoe. Altra Lone Peak 7: If you want a shoe that offers a bit more underfoot for longer runs but, still has room for foot function then these would be an option: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/altra-lone-peak-7-review-2/ Scott Kinabalu RC 2: A lightweight responsive shoe. Good grip and fast feel. Here is our review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/scott-kinabalu-rc-2-0-review

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The burrito wrap tongue is attached on one side, and wraps over the foot on the other. This design eliminates overlaps, creases, and seams, and is super comfortable. Altra have dispensed with the retro-futuristic wireframe mountain graphic on the side of v4.5 and delivered a clean, sleek, modern vision with understated branding elements and a sublime colorway. Additionally (to my happy surprise) the upper fabrics do an impressive job of shedding mud and dust, and my sample pair look just as good after ~100 miles of running as they did out of the box. Over the past few years, shoemakers have poured resources into developing newer and better cushioning foams, and Altra is no exception. The company uses three main cushioning materials in its shoes: Ego, Ego Max, and Ego Pro. (Quantic, another cushioning material the brand developed, is being phased out.)

Dom: For the uninitiated, the Superior is notable for being a soft, flexible shoe with a compliant, unstructured upper. It has a relatively wide toe box, but fit is generally less spacious than traditional Altra shoes. In regard to fit, compared to the previous iteration, version 5 is slightly tighter-fitting, which seems to be due to three factors: a more voluminous footbed, increased padding in the heel, and a shallower toe bumper. Offsetting this is a little more stretch in the forefoot fabric.Altra has three different fits. Original, Standard and Slim fit, with the original fit having the most width and volume. However, it’s worth trying different Altra styles in our experience because it’s not an exact science. For example, the Superior 6 is made in the Standard fit, the same as the previous versions, but in our experience it is as wide as the Lone Peak 7 on the Original fit. I loved testing the Altra Superior 5. They fit my feet unbelievably well immediately out of the box and required no break-in period (always a bonus). The sewn-in half tongue design is not my favorite as it makes it more difficult for me to put the shoes on, which is a little annoying. As usual, the sizing also runs slightly large, and runners may want to go a half-size down. Besides those minor critiques, I couldn't find anything wrong with the Superior 5, which is especially true once I got them on the trails. However, the shape, width and volume of Altra shoes does vary depending on the intended use of the shoes. The Superior has firmed up its game compared to the previous version and the squishy Superior 2.0 I’ve used in the past. Even comparing the shoe to its road counterpart, the Escalante, and the trail brother the Altra Lone Peak, it’s undoubtedly firmer. At the end of this post, I’m also giving my super simple formula to help you decide which shoe is for you! What’s Different about Altra’s?