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Review: Altra Lone Peak + Provision   Bookmark and Share
images by Nick Salazar   •   Oct 4, 2012   •   hits 11,808

Zero drop means the shoe's cushion has the same thickness all the way through the heel.
 
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Altra Zero Drop has brought two new shoes to market to cater to trail runners and those in need of additional stability on the road. The shoes at hand, the Provision and the Lone Peak, both begin with the same platform as other Altra offerings. This includes, primarily, a zero drop sole whose height is the same from the front to the back of the shoe. They also have an ultra-wide toe box (Altra prefers the term 'foot-shaped toe box') designed to allow your toes to splay naturally as they hit the ground. And they're gender-specific, with slightly different lasts and midsole compositions to better cater to each gender.


The Lone Peak: the trail version of Altra's Zero Drop philosophy.

The Lone Peak has a nice beefy sole ready to tackle tough terrain.

The Lone Peak's outsole doubles as an artistic flourish - it's shaped like a mountain range.

The Trail Rudder completes the Lone Peak - there's no doubt where this shoe was meant to be worn.

The stiffer off road footbed adds some stability needed on hairy trails.

The Altra Probivision is a stability trainer that can easily be converted into a nearly neutral shoe.

The Provision is almost identical to the Instinct trainer, but has a couple extra stability features, and extra room for an insert or orthotic.

The Altra Provision was great to run in, though I didn't find a need for the Stability Wedge, which is easily removed.

Like all of Altra's footwear, the Provision's forefoot is nice and wide, to allow your toes to splay naturally when contacting the ground.

The Provision's included Stability Wedge adds a measure of firmness to the shoe, and also a few mm of varus tilt.

As you can see, the inner edge of the Stability Wedge is much thicher than the outer edge. This is where the varus tilt comes in.

Zero drop means the shoe's cushion has the same thickness all the way through the heel.

The Provision (left) is virtually identical to the original Instinct (right) except for the stability features.

I'm using Flatliner laces, in the alternate lacing pattern that Altra recommends. It's very comfortable, and the elastic Flatliner laces turn the shoe into a slip on.

The full Altra lineup offers a zero drop solution for any kind of runner.

Altra has also released a new version of the Instinct, and calls it the Instinct 1.5 - it features some awesome new colors, a different forefoot honeycomb last, and a heel loop. It should be obvious, but I approve of the deep fire orange color.

I used to complain that Altra didn't have any bold color schemes on their shoes, but the Instinct 1.5 has silenced me on that one.

The new Instinct rides pretty much identically to the old one, and looks great doing it.

The new Provision (left) and Instinct 1.5 (right). Altra is making some absolutely awesome footwear, and I'm running in the brand full time. The only drawback is the delicate transition period required to truly adapt and appreciate the shoes.


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