I got a chance to try out Altra’s upcoming line of zero drop running shoes. I have to say they felt awesome. If your looking for a minimalist type of running shoes, that seem to be the real deal, these may be what you have been looking for.
http://austinfitclub.blogspot.com/2010/11/altra-zero-drop-running-shoes.html
What is the weight of the instinct ? I have been looking for something like this. I have a 4e wide foot . Basically the 4e width comes from the ball of my big toe and the toebox looks big on these as stated in article. I tried the vibrams on but my lil pinky toes curl and it took over 10 minutes to get them on they still felt weird and hurt my toes a bit. So i nixed them.
The weight is 9.1 oz on the Instinct. The off road Lone Peak is 10 oz.
All the guys in the company are runners and the company is located near some pretty good sized mountains. The guys definitely put the shoes through their paces.
Interesting…I know NB experimented with various different heel lifts (8,4,3,0) and decided to stick with 4mm lift for their new minimus line after extensive prototypes and testing with Anthony Krupicka. I’m also a big fan of Inov-8’s f-lite 230 and I’d recommend it for those of you looking for less of a heel lift…
Here’s an article about New Balance testing heel lifts and drops that I mentioned in my earlier post. Like I said I’m just fascinated by all of the research and development going into the up and coming minimalist craze.
The reason for this is to limit the amount of strain placed on the calf and Achilles throughout, as they are the two most common complaints from those landing more “naturally.” We have noticed that one of the easy ways to get people out of this habit is to add slightly more heel to the shoe, so that when they strike, it is balanced more evenly (closer to what we consider the ideal 67% forefoot, 33% heel).
That being said, the Minimus line looks solid (although God, NB knows how to ugly up some shoes…), the Merrell barefoot collection is super cool (if you want Five Fingers, but can’t stand the in-between the toes thing, this is where you will go), but I’m really more excited for the Mirage, as it’ll be my go-to shoe when it comes to market. At least in sample form, it has felt awesome.
Ok, I play:
What’s the difference between the Altra Instinct and the Puma H Street from decades ago?
The Puma is lighter.
SCNR!
Would you please explain the difference? Thanks!
One big difference is the actual shape of the shoe. The Instinct has a wide toe box going into a narrow heal. It more closely represents what an actual foot is like. It also allows the toe to splay naturally, which in theory should relax the foot and allow the foot to adjust easier to various shock increases. In the Puma their technology was mostly in the heal of the shoe and most likely geared towards heal strikers. The Instinct are geared towards forefoot runners and forefoot running.
If you have ever worn Birkenstocks, your toes have more room to move freely in the shoe. The same applies with the instinct.
The bottom of the shoe IMO is way nicer than the puma in both form and function.
the problem is that they are what i’m looking for but they are not available (yet) and there appears to be some chance that they never will be, which would be a shame.
Thank you!
The Instinct has a wide toe box going into a narrow heal.
I generally like that for casual runs. For racing not so much, especially in corners.
In the Puma their technology was mostly in the heal of the shoe and most likely geared towards heal strikers.
But you do know the H Streets, right?
The Instinct are geared towards forefoot runners and forefoot running.
Why are they so heavy though?
If you have ever worn Birkenstocks, your toes have more room to move freely in the shoe.
I grew up in these things, I’m German after all, hahaha.
Thanks again!
Dawhead,
I am almost certain they are going to be available next year. Altra had a good size booth at the Running convention I attended. I was extremely impressed both with their product lineup and their marketing material. Coming from a website designing background, they have a fantastic looking website that most companies would love to have. These guys IMO are setup perfectly to succeed. I can not imagine what would stop them at this point other than lack of funding. I have seen many running shoe start ups and these guys are the real deal. They are young, energetic and have a fantastic product.
As far as racing in these shoes are concerned. One of the guys, I think Brian, ran a 5K race in the Instinct this week. I also did the same 5k and he passed me on a long downhill. I was racing in Invisible shoes. Yep I said Invisible Shoes. I was racing for Steven’s Invisible Shoes company. I thought I did ok running on a hilly course, basically barefoot. The only issue I experienced was I was a little slow on the descents and thus that is where I got passed.
I am pretty certain I could run 5:30-5:50 miles in the Instincts without an issue. Considering most triathletes are going to go much slower in a triathlon, I don’t think the shoes would cause any problems. That said, shoe choice is always a personal decision based on fit.
One more thing on fit. The guys at Altra live very close to the mountains and run and train in them. If you have ever done any mountain running, having shoe slippage can be a real issue causing all sorts of blisters. This is their testing grounds, so they really get to put the shoes through their paces.
I am pretty certain I could run 5:30-5:50 miles in the Instincts without an issue.
Great. However, why buy a 10oz shoe when you can race in a Nike Streak XC2 up to 1/2M or Lunaracer for M at almost half the weight?
I can not imagine what would stop them at this point other than lack of funding.
That’s the issue, right there.
My problem is that I need a shoe right now. I want a close-to-zero-lift, very thin soled trail-friendly shoe that will accomodate my wide feet. I’ve tried a number of shoes that satisfy 3 of these 4 goals but not all 4 at once. the instinct looks as if it might, but like NB and Merrell shoes, its not here now. i’m not doing the bikila thing.
You don’t have to race in these. If you feel a lighter shoe works for you on race days by all means go for it. I would say though, it probably would be good to train in a heavier shoe and then switch to the lighter shoe on race day. If nothing else, it will make you feel faster. I typically don’t race in my training shoes. I usually wear flats of some sort.
Dawnhead,
Contact the company direct, maybe they would sell you a pair for testing out. They did have a bunch of shoes at the convention, so they do have some product.
did that 1 month ago …
If nothing else, it will make you feel faster.
So I would buy a heavy and hence less “tech” shoe to feel better when racing? I don’t buy into it.
I can run 90 mile weeks in Lunaracers if I want to. I just don’t know why a “minimalist” shoe would have to be so heavy. Quite frankly, if they sell well it would seem like the marketing fad of the moment to me. There are plenty flats out there which have zero drop and some cushioning.
But maybe I am missing something and the cushioning is greater and that’s what differs them from any other “flat”. A Lunaracer as “cushioned flat” is hard to beat though…
Sorry for being so critical but I’m a running shoe nerd and it takes more than something old being reinvented to convince me. That said, I’d definitely wouldn’t mind testing them before calling them off based on hearsay.
You might be able to run 90 miles in a Lunar racer, but I don’t think the shoe will last very long. My experience with light shoes is they are great for races, but as far as training goes, they tend to wear out pretty quick. At $99 per pair, that can get expensive. When I was training for Leadville, doing 100+ mile weeks, I could go through shoes pretty fast.
The Instinct is not promoted as a racing flat. They do make a minimal shoe called the Adam which comes in at 4.9 oz. I am not sure however if this would be my shoe of choice for a race.
Also just because a shoe is heavier doesn’t mean it is less technical. If your goal is to have the lightest shoe, then you might as well go barefoot. You don’t get any lighter than that. There are certainly plenty of examples of men/women winning races barefoot.
For me comfort does play a part in my racing. I definitely want a shoe that feels good and performs to my standards. Am I going to lose a race because my shoes were heavier by a few oz than my competitors, I don’t think so. The reason I would get my butt kicked would either be because they were in better shape or they were just plain faster.
You might be able to run 90 miles in a Lunar racer, but I don’t think the shoe will last very long.
I’ve run a 1,000 miles in a pair of Lunaracers which are currently $60 online. They get more minimalistic though with the miles.
Also, I don’t mind buying a pair of running shoes a week. It’s a cheap sport compared to tri.
The Instinct is not promoted as a racing flat.
I don’t doubt that. But, again, why should I but a 10oz shoe that doesn’t offer any advantage over my Luanracers?
If your goal is to have the lightest shoe, then you might as well go barefoot.
IMHO that would be silly on concrete. The most minimal I ever go is the Mayfly which I use for races up to 10 miles and jogs.
You don’t get any lighter than that. There are certainly plenty of examples of men/women winning races barefoot.
At 6’2 and 160lbs? The shock when hitting concrete at 5:10s (5k) is too big for my body.
For me comfort does play a part in my racing. I definitely want a shoe that feels good and performs to my standards. Am I going to lose a race because my shoes were heavier by a few oz than my competitors, I don’t think so.
Why do you think so? Why compromise?
The reason I would get my butt kicked would either be because they were in better shape or they were just plain faster.
99% of the time this would be the case.
But I am IMHO too fast to race in 10oz shoe. And you are probably, too. But that’s not the point here it all. If the shoe provides a benefit at a higher weight, I’d definitely consider buying it for training.
I had a friend who either won or placed really high the Paris marathon barefoot back in the late 80’s early 90’s, so running on pavement can be done if trained properly. He was over 6’. He also ran well under 5 minute mile pace barefoot with no issues on various pavement surfaces. There are plenty of barefoot runners running on roads, so if the ultimate goal is to save weight, then running barefoot would seem the ultimate in weight savings. At 6’ 2", 160 most people would say you’re pretty light.
As far as buying a new pair every week, obviously you do mind if your putting in 1000 miles them, rather than buying a new pair. The shoes are not designed and not intended for that kind of mileage. Also you have to consider the smell factor. You might want to get new shoes, just to keep your friends.
You seem happy with your Lunaracers, so keep using them. I would suggest however that for others, Lunaracers would not be the best option for a training shoe and certainly wouldn’t hold up as long.