Altra Superior 2.0 Review

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If you recall, last April I reviewed the Altra Superior 1.5. The Superior 1.5 was the first zero-drop shoe I tried, and I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the comfortable fit and wide toe box, and I thought the shoe was excellent quality. However, I thought it was too heavy to be a performance trail shoe…

I think Altra saw my blog, because they made a few tweaks, and the Superior 2.0 is rather awesome.

First, make sure you size up at least a half size! The Superior 2.0 definitely runs small. I almost always wear a size 10 and my toes were bumping up against the front of the shoe. I think a 10.5 would do the trick.

Second, the toe box isn’t quite as wide as other Altra models. This was a little disappointing to me because the wide toe box is my favorite Altra feature. However, switching from a thicker sock to a thinner sock did the trick.

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Third, I’m guessing the reason that the shoe is a tiny bit narrower than other models was to cut down on weight. I thought the Superior 1.5 was a little heavy for racing (11.5 ounces for size 10) but the 2.0 is perfection (9.4 ounces for size 10). That is exactly what I’m looking for in a trail racer.

The shoe has a 15mm forefoot and a 15mm heel – zero drop (Altra claims 21mm, but it isn’t quite that much). There is a removable rock plate, as well as a gaiter trap.

The shoe has a sticky sole that provides an awesome grip. In addition, the lugs (and lug height) are perfect for soft trails, hard trails, muddy trails, loose stone, etc.

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The upper is seamless and super comfortable. Altra, if you are listening, I’d love for you to make this shoe with a Gore-Tex option – that is the one thing I find lacking in your line. I understand that would add a little weight and cost, but it would be worth it! Finally, I think this shoe has a great design. It comes in a couple of color options, and they are great.

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Pros:

– seamless upper
– great quality
– sticky sole with excellent lugs
– weight – 9.4 ounces is perfect for trails
– cost – these are $110 – and you can use coupon code RUNBLOG10 at Running Warehouse to get 10% off

Cons:

– these definitely run small – do not order your usual size
– the toe box is not as wide as other Altra models – if you really want a wider toe box, go with the Superior 1.5 or the Lone Peak 2.0