Welcome to The Run Testers and in this video we’re sizing up Altra’s first ever low-drop shoe, the Altra FWD Experience. It’s a pretty big move from Altra, to step away from their trademark zero drop. And the FWD Experience is designed to hook more runners into Altra’s world. Maybe even entice them into zero drop shoes. So has it worked? Hit play on our Altra FWD Experience review to get the multi-tester verdict from Run Testers Kieran and Nick.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
0:00 – Intro
0:18 – Design details
2:03 – Fit
3:20 – The Run Test
8:35 – Verdict
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Hi people welcome to the Run testers and In this video we're sizing up altra's First ever low Drop shoe this is the Altra Ford experience it's a pretty big Move from Altra to step away from their Trademark zero drop or balance Cushioning as they call it so has it Worked well watch on to find out in our Altra forward experience [Music] Review so let's start with some quick Details then the stack height is the Headline here the alra forward Experience packs 3228 mil stack in the Men's and a 30 26 mil stack in the Women's for a 4 mil drop overall so it's Altra's first shoe that steps away from Zero drop weight wides the Ford Experience come in at 8.9 o or 252 GR in Our UK men's size 8 and a half test size So that's a shade lighter than Torin 7 And a good chunk lighter than something Like the alra Via Olympus on price the Alra forward experience comes in at £ 150 in the UK and $140 in the US that's Slightly cheaper than the Torin 7 in the US and sitting around the mid-range for Daily trainers let's give you a really Quick whip round of the shoe then well This midsole uses a compression molded Eva phone that's somewhere between semi Firm and semi soft so surprisingly you Don't get ultra's livelier ego Max or Ego Pro phones here and when we asked
Alra why they didn't go for an ego Max Or ego Pro foam in the forward Experience they told us they didn't Quite align with the experience they Were trying to create with this shoe the 4ot base is nice and wide and there's a Pronounced rocker here to help with toe Offs up top you've got an engineered Mesh uper that's pretty thick it's Pretty dense there's no overlays here You've also got Al's trademark toebox Shaping that still here that's been Narrowed and it now looks much more like A traditional shoe than something like The toan 7 the heel collar and tongues Boast medium padding there's no heel Counter but there are some extra pads on The inside here to hold the base of the Heel and provide some extra fit security When you flip them over the out soole Has a decent covering of outs soole Rubber and you've also got altra's inlex Grooove system these grooves here that Follow the metat Taral and are designed To flex with your feet for a more Natural [Music] Ride so I found that the outra Ford Experience fit a little bit tight for me It's not really been a problem and the Width of the toe box helps on that front But I do find that when I'm going down Hills or running quick my toes hit the Front of the shoe a little bit so I
Think it might be worth going a half Size up in it potentially the back of The Sho is quite interesting it's really Built up the way it uh the cushioning Works at the back there to hold your Achilles and heel in place very strictly I was a bit worried about it because I've been having some Achilles issues With shoes rubbing in that area but Actually this was fine it fit really Nice and snugly held the foot in place Didn't irritate the Achilles or heal for Me at all so overall the fit was good Around the back and midfoot but I do Think it's a little bit short and There's a potential there to go half a Size up to have a bit more room in the Toe box so I ran in a UK 8 and a half in The Ford experience and I found this fit Was bang on really I didn't really have Any of the problems that niy mentioned About toes butting up against the end of The toe box I thought there were plenty Room enough even though they come in Outra slightly narrower standard size And they're not quite as um Broad in Terms of that sweep that anatomical Sweep that has been narrowed a bit I Found there's plenty of room in the toe Box I found they held really well into The heel uh good lock down fit across The top plenty roomy enough and I found It really comfortable so for me it was Definitely uh true to
[Music] Size so for my run test then I've Clocked around 30 mi in the Ford Experience and that's the usual mix of PES at least one 90minut effort mostly On roads some River pars light off roads All that usual stuff now first up I have To hold my hands up in my first run Video that I did a few weeks ago I Initially said this having had a bit of Time to mull over that first run my Instinct here is that the forward Experience is going to shape up as a Solid fairly versatile daily trainer That's probably better at the lower Pace Ranges than the upper but after more Miles I've changed my mind if you like Firmer shoes I still think they're good For slower efforts but they're at their Best when you're moving faster and Probably shorter now if alra set out to Make a shoe with broader appeal I think They've largely succeeded here close Your eyes and you could be running in a Hoker Clifton or such that's not a Criticism of alra at all it's more a Compliment to hoker the huiz of running Shoes has been happening across all the Major brands I think in the past 5 years And with good reason and the combination Of higher stack of midsole foam that Sort of bucket seat fit Rockery and Lightweight breathable uppers it really Kind of works and that's true here the
Outra forward experience is a surprising Light and very capable versatile daily Trainer that's really easy to run in I Think at a range of Paces alra rumia Toebox is very much still a feature even If it's not as roomy as some wider fit Shoes in the outra lineup that airiness Combined with the happy stepping comfort And cradling footed I think make this Shoe one that you'll be happy to lace up For quite a few different types of run Now on the Run The Rocker Firma ride I Think has a somewhat direct old school Performance sprightliness to it though It's definitely not as Lively as the Super daily trainers you know those ones That are packing the super critical Foams of the soccer Endor and speed or Those newer ones we've seen come out With plates it would have been great to See Ultra use its livel ego Max or Pro Foams in this shoe just to offer a touch More bounce you know the Eva midsole and Footed combination does provide just Enough protection but it's not as soft As cushioned as some of the likes of you Know those softer easier daily training Like the aex Joel ners 25 and that will Definitely limit I think the forward Experiences upper distance and time on Feet for some Runners but not all Runners but if you're a fan of firm and More direct shoes there's a balanced Stability and reliability underfoot that
Makes it great for cruising and Disappearing Comfort now it can happily Handle your recovery plots too but as I Said I think it's best when you're Pushing the tempo with faster foot Turnover so I've not been a big user of Alra shoes in the past the only one I Have tested is the alra vanish carbon Racing shoe I don't tend to use zero Drop shoes in general I find they put a Little bit too much strain on my carves So I wasn't really sure what to expect From the Ford experience in general but With the specs I saw on the shoe and the 4 mm drop and The Rocker looked a lot Like a hoker on paper the hoker Clifton In particular and it does ride like that But it's a little bit firmer and I've Really liked using it I've certainly Enjoyed using it a lot more than I Expected like I've used it for General Training runs done about 60k in it now For mix of easy and steady stuff lots of Little progression runs I think the Longest I've gone up to it about 10 Miles and I found it comfortable I find The Rocker works really well for me Creates a very nice fluid ride and that Foam which isn't very good I'd say I Mean it's fair to say it feels a bit out Dated this compression molded Eva but Actually the lack of Bounce and Liveliness in the foam is taken away From me by The Rocker which just
Delivers that really smooth ride that I've got into to sync with that really Any pace so mooching along for very easy Recovery Runs The Rocker feels Comfortable and I think it makes the Shoe feel comfortable because I think This is quite a firm phone and if you're Not getting that rocking effect it can Be a little bit too firm I think for Lots of people and then at faster Paces Again turning the legs over feels right Nice and fluid in this shoe thanks to That rocker again the pham's not giving You a load back but it's also a good Firm platform that you can use to run Fast on with the rocker really creating That smooth gate so yeah like I said I've really enjoyed using it done a mix Of runs in it and had no real concerns Like it's not an outstanding shoe I'd Say it's not something that blew me away Or anything like that and I do think my Enjoyment of it is very much dependent On that rocker working for me so I think If it doesn't work for you what you're Left with is quite a dull lifeless shoe Because this is not great fo I think Even compared to some of stuff like the Ego Pro in the outra vanish carbon this Is a fairly standard Eva material and Not getting a nice sinking squishy Feeling or loads of Bounce or anything Like that it's just a stable you know Balanced platform and then like I said
The Rocker really comes into play and Makes the shoe feel good on a variety of Runs so if the rocker doesn't come into Play for you maybe it's the way around I've got like a shuffling heel striking Style and that seems to work with the Rocker if you don't get on with the Rocker it might not be that enjoyable a Shoe for me it was and I liked using it As a daily trainer for a mix of runs it Was just about comfortable enough for Pure easy runs whilst having a bit of Versatility there if you want to move Through the gears not all the way up to Very fast running I'd say because there Are certainly shoes that are either a Bit lighter or a bit more lively with The Foams involved or even have plates In them to make them a bit better for The far stuff but the forward experience Is a pretty vertile daily trainer I'd Say it was a nice introduction to Al's Range I think if you are interested in Things like zero drop shoes going down To a 4 mm shoe like this might be a good Stepping stone also say I didn't really Experience any kind of calf issues at All with this shoe any kind of tightness Which I have had with zero drop shoes in The past this 4 mm and also the very Pronounced rocker really makes it feel Very different to a zero drop shoe so Yeah that wasn't a concern at all for me And it's probably makes it a good option
For those while maybe looking at Transitioning to a zero drop shoe or Just want a lower drop shoe in their Rotation in [Music] General so I enjoyed my running in the Outra for experience I think it's a nice Option for those who like a low Drop Shoe with a rocker and a firmer ride it Does tick those boxes quite well and That is a type of shoe that I do enjoy Using myself quite a lot say the big Comparison probably will be something Like the hoker Clif 9 which has a Similar setup all round similar weights Similar stack height similar drops it's Got not amazing Foams either the hoker Clifton 9 but I do think it's got a Slightly bouncier ride to it and it's a Little bit more comfortable as well all Around I think if I was looking for a Training shoe that veered more towards Comfort the Clifton 9 would be the Better option while still being pretty Versatile to do the faster stuff if you Like a firmer ride a more grounded feel And maybe want to use a shoe for a few More speed workouts then the Ford Experience I think has a little bit of The edge on the Clifton but they do feel Quite similar shoes around to me I think If you're not desperate to get a foot Shap toe box and a 4mm drop shoe you can Get more impressive shoes for less than
The outra for experience if just looking At the market at large and you don't Mind going to a high drop shoe you can Pick up you know a battalion of pretty Good daily trainers around the 100 Mark But certainly I did enjoy using the shoe And I know there'll be some long-term Outra fans out there who will say that You know it's going away from its Guiding principles as the brand here but I'd say for someone like me who's not Got that kind of opinion of outra this Was a more accessible shoe and a more Enjoyable shoe to use because it hasn't Got that zero drop so maybe just opens Up uh the brand to more people which is Probably what they've gone for here and Pretty successfully I'd say I do think In the future if they want to really Start competing with the best shoes on The market we're going to need to see Some more impressive Foams in here Because like I say the the really the Enjoyment I have from the shoe all came From The Rocker and the geometry of the Shoe rather than the foam itself so That's something I can maybe look at in The future but overall yeah I did enjoy Using the Ford experience verdic then Well alra has made a good shoe here I Would say good but not great there's a Lot to like and I really enjoyed my Miles in these shoes but up against some Pretty serious competition in this daily
Train of space they don't really do Enough to top my personal favorites like The Speed 3 the cloud f Sur 7 the Mac 5 And even the Triumph 21 I think now that Said if you've looked at alra in the Past but you've been put off because of The zero drop design the alra forward Experience is a great shoe to try first In their range it's going to be a good Bridging shoe I think that's what They're aiming for and they've ticked That box likewise if you've been longing For a hoker Clifton with a wider toe box This shoe could be an alternative we'd Love to have seen Alro go all out guns Blazing with its first drop shoe and you Can't help but wonder why they didn't Swap that compression molded Eva for a Lighter more energetic super critical Midsole foam particularly when it uses Those Foams in shoes with similar Geometry now what that means is fans of Bouncy energetic daily trainers will Likely find it a bit of an old-fashioned Ride and perhaps a shade doll those who Want sinky squishy softness in their Easyday shoes likely won't get enough Cushioning here either I don't think However if you like a light responsive Firmer and more direct ride the outra Ford experience offers that in Spades And for fans of that more traditional Ride I think this shoe offers good Pace Versatility tilted towards faster
Shorter runs and finally I'm going to Say it's also altra's best looking shoe Today though that's maybe because it Looks a little bit less like an outra so There you have it that's been our Multitester review of the new low Drop Outra forward experience we hope it's Been useful don't forget to hit Subscribe and ring the bell to make sure You get notified when other videos land On the channel if you can subscribe if You're not already that really helps us We would really appreciate your support If you're interested in Daily trainings We've also got a rather excellent round You I think you'll enjoy it's appearing On the channel right about now otherwise It's been a pleasure to chat to you and We hope to see you again soon on the Run Testers happy running everyone