Since debuting their first shoe in 2011, Altra has gained popularity with both trail and road runners of all levels. The brand now offers shoes with a wide variety of cushioning, support, and traction. If you have been wearing shoes with a high heel to forefoot drop and a ‘pointier’ toe box, then your feet will have been prevented from functioning. If you decide to try Altra Zero Drop shoes, then it is advisable to gradually increase the time you spend in the shoes and alternate with your previous ones. This way your feet and lower legs can gradually get stronger without getting overloaded. Kurt:: It feels like Altra has finally produced a shoe that can reliably compete with the likes of the Hoka Rincon, New Balance Beacon, and Saucony Kinvara. As Brian mentioned, this shoe really strikes a great balance between cushion/protection and responsiveness.

The Rivera 2 (8.1 oz or 229g) is light both on paper an d on the road. For reference, the average speed trainer weighs in at 8.6 oz or 245g.

As the other reviewers note, the mesh is breathable—even a bit too cold for me in 20 F / -7 C temps. I like the fit and foothold of the upper and it is simple and functional. All of their women’s shoes also feature the brand’s “Fit4Her” design, which essentially means that they modify the fit of the shoe to accommodate the slightly different shape of women’s feet. The midsole of Altra Rivera 2 is equipped with Neutral Innerflex technology and Altra EGO foam, which make shoes lightweight and provide balanced cushioning that can enhance foot alignment and form. Altra Rivera 2 has a streamlined design with an engineered mesh upper that allows the feet to stay comfortable, dry, and cool while running on all types of terrain, even wet. The Speedform Fit knit upper construction also makes these shoes comfortable with a snug fit. Both Altra Rivera 2 and 3 are neutral daily trainers and runners which are also good for walking because of the comfort, cushioning and versatility these shoes provide on the ground.

For flexibility, we use a force gauge. Rivera got 138.2% stiffer! For reference, the average change for all the shoes in our lab is 39.4%. This, however, does not mean it got stiff. After being exposed to freezing temperatures, it is still more flexible than most other shoes. Keeps you steady Jacob: The Rivera is straightforward in design with a soft, foot-conforming upper and single slab midsole. The gray colorway I received matches its design goal, being simple and clear but not remarkable. It doesn’t look or feel like a premium shoe, but is lightweight and very comfortable on the foot. Brian: To me, this shoe feels and runs quite a bit like the Saucony Kinvara, even though the Kinvara has a 4mm heel-toe offset. There are some similarities to a lot of other shoes, including Hoka Clifton, Skechers GoRun Razor 3 Hyper and, hypothetically speaking, maybe even a lite version of Brooks Glycerin. But really, the Rivera feels mostly like a juiced up Escalante Racer or Escalante based on the similar soft, lightweight feel and smooth, zero-drop vibe. The whole ethos of Altra shoes is to allow your feet the space to function. Then you run with better posture and your feet get stronger the more you run, which reduces the wear and tear on the body and chance of injury.

The tongue is thin (thinner than the Rivera 2’s) with a pad at its center at lace up with thin ridged laces. There is no gusset to the tongue. I think this kind of upper needs one. In summary if you want a lightweight neutral shoe that allows your feet to function naturally and has a fun bouncy feel then the Altra Rivera is a contender.

This simplicity was used to make a shoe that is incredibly light, saving a lot of weight by not adding too much to the upper. As you would expect with such a light, flexible shoe you don’t really notice that you have them on. The mid sole is made of Altra’s Ego material. It is a one piece midsole with Altra innerflex to increase the flexibility. I found the ride of the shoe to be cushioned and bouncy. Sam: The Rivera 3 is modern, sleek looking, very comfortable and has a fine more forgiving ride with plenty of cushion and a geometry which largely does not “force” a forefoot to mid foot strike if you don’t have it all the time.. If you have never tried an Altra or zero drop this is the shoe to start with. The next characteristic of all Altra shoes is that they are designed with Balanced Cushioning™. Most shoes have more cushioning in the heel than the forefoot, causing a slightly downward slope that you may have heard of as “heel-to-toe drop.” Every Altra shoe is built on a platform where the heel and forefoot are an equal height from the ground, which makes all Altra shoes Zero-Drop™. Altra designed this to help with optimal alignment, cultivate better form and encourage a low-impact landing. It also takes the pressure off the ball of your foot.All Altra shoes, including Rivera, are perfect for flat feet because of zero drop and wide toe box with ample cushioning. All these factors reduce pressure on the feet and enhance stability, which makes shoes supportive and comfortable while running and walking with flat feet. 6) Design Underfoot the Rivera is medium-firm. It has a stiff flex that is hard to hit the breakpoint when bending in hand. The midsole feels consistent and lightly springy. From first impressions and initial try on it seems like a very well-rounded shoe. In general I prefer Altra's EGO midsoles to Quantic as it just feels like the more modern foam compound. If I want an overly cushy shoe, I will go for a Hoka or one of New Balance's softer iterations of Fresh Foam X. The EGO foam of the Rivera just works better across a wider pace range, especially given how much of it is under the foot compared to the Escalante. Which shoes are better? Are you still confused about both the running shoes of Altra? Rivera 2 and 3 are designed as running shoes because of the wide toe box and zero drop effect, which make both footwear perfect for daily runs and walks. I have enjoyed running in the Rivera. I find that I start of my easy runs at a nice slow pace but, then as I get into my rhythm the shoe encourages you to go faster. The bit of bounce in the midsole and the way the shoe flexes moves my pace effortlessly up. This means that I have to exercise a bit of self control in easy to runs to maintain and easy pace. However, in steady/tempo runs you can just leg go and bool along.

New upper needs more midfoot to rear hold for faster paces, some slipping forward at faster paces hitting the front of the shoe. Altra is known for the zero drop from heel to toe, and it uses 28mm of foam for all three of their regular neutral offerings. However, where they all differ is in the feel of the foam, and how much protection the outsole gives.Finally, women’s Altra running shoes are all shaped using FIT4HER™ technology. Women’s feet tend to be shaped differently than men’s feet so Altra builds their women’s shoes to have a narrower heel, longer arch and unique metatarsal spacing so that they fit women’s feet better. Altra uses strategically-placed rubber outsole units on high-tread areas of the sole for better durability and protection. These rubber pieces are focused on the forefoot, with a little on the heel for heel-strikers. Up front we have longitudinal pads of only slightly softer rubber than the rear protruding from above deep grooves into the midsole. In conjunction with the Inner Flex grooves into the top of the midsole we have an easy but not overly easy long flexing shoe with the broad forefoot platform and outsole contributing to good front stability.