Altra Ambassador

I'm proud to say I was chosen to be an ambassador for Altra Zero Drop shoes in 2014!  I had never heard of the brand before winning a pair at Iron Horse Endurance Runs 100K last February.  I delayed a bit in ordering them, but finally got my Altra Intuition 1.5 in May.  They felt comfortable right out of the box for a 6 mile run, although I was still a bit skeptical.  The zero drop didn't stand out too much to me, as my previous shoes were only a 4mm drop, but the wide toe box felt a bit odd on my relatively narrow feet.  However, the next week I was doing a 24-hour run to raise money for the Challenged Athlete's Foundation, and I thought the Altras would feel great after my feet began to swell.  I wore them for 11 hours/38 miles and was very happy with them, so I decided to keep running in Altras.  Over time, rather than feeling odd, I realized how much more natural and comfortable it felt to actually be able to spread my toes in my shoes as I ran!  Although Altras have a relatively high stack height compared to other zero drop shoes, they are thin enough to give you some ground feel with your toes.  I think it's the perfect balance!  Last summer I bought a pair of Lone Peaks to use for my trail races, and I have been running solely- no pun intended- in Altras ever since!  I'd highly recommend the brand to any runner, although people coming from a more traditional shoe should transition slowly to any zero drop to avoid straining the calves and achilles.  For anyone reading, I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have about running in Altras :)