Forums >General Running>Hoka vs Altra? any experience?
Wanted to get a shoe like a hoka, but tried the clifton and bondi and both seemed to be too high in the arch for me.
Thanks.
300m- 37 sec.
Big differences in those brands, not subtle.
Hoka notoriously runs narrow in the forefoot, Altra is exceptionally wide in the forefoot (on purpose).
Hoka has a 4-6mm drop, Altra is a zero drop shoe (on purpose).
If you like the Hoka other than the arch, use different insoles like Superfeet or Sole made for low arches. You can change the fit of most shoes by using an insole that you like instead of the one that comes with the shoes.
Like a broken record I'm going to sing the same song again; I've been wearing Skechers GoRun Ultra Road-2 shoes, and they're the best cushioned training shoes I've had, I'm on my third pair. Similar to Clifton but lighter and more comfortable. I've run in Hoka Bondi, Stinson, Challenger, and Altra Olympus and Lone Peak. I like the Ultra Road more than any of them.
60-64 age group - University of Oregon alumni - Irreverent and Annoying
I’m not sure if this will be helpful but I love the Topo Ultrafly. It’s been described as a love child between the Hoka and the Altra. It has the wide forefoot of the Altra without the 0mm drop and it’s got some cushion but it’s not as cushioned as the Hoka. I also run in Hoka Clifton Wide for when I want more cush, some long runs or recovery runs. I haven’t gotten the Ultrafly 2.0 yet. I’m just finishing up and old pair and starting a new pair.
I think Altra is making bad shoes right now. The quality and fit is just “off”, in my opinion, and I’m pretty easy to please and have had past success with Altra.
I agree that Topo is a better shoe. I would also suggest trying on one of the less beefy Hokas like Elevon or Tracer. There are a lot of different models now. I like the Sketchers as well, but I think the soles wear quickly.
Out there running since dinosaurs roamed the earth
I like the Sketchers as well, but I think the soles wear quickly.
Yep, they do wear faster than other shoes. I get about 350 out of the Skechers, and at $60 online that amounts to 17 cents a mile. I get about 500 out of the Hokas, and at $130 online that's 26 cents/mile. If I can get Hokas on sale for $110, that brings it down to 22 cents. To equal the Skechers, a 500 mile shoe would have to cost $85. But then again, I've been able to buy most of my Skechers for under $40, so 11 cents or less per mile.
However, cost alone isn't everything, if you find a shoe that works GREAT for you, then the cost doesn't really matter. Unless you insist on running in Vaporfly 4% or some other $350 shoe!
Relative to other activities, running is cheap; so it's OK to splurge on shoes.
Big differences in those brands, not subtle. Hoka notoriously runs narrow in the forefoot, Altra is exceptionally wide in the forefoot (on purpose). Hoka has a 4-6mm drop, Altra is a zero drop shoe (on purpose). If you like the Hoka other than the arch, use different insoles like Superfeet or Sole made for low arches. You can change the fit of most shoes by using an insole that you like instead of the one that comes with the shoes. Like a broken record I'm going to sing the same song again; I've been wearing Skechers GoRun Ultra Road-2 shoes, and they're the best cushioned training shoes I've had, I'm on my third pair. Similar to Clifton but lighter and more comfortable. I've run in Hoka Bondi, Stinson, Challenger, and Altra Olympus and Lone Peak. I like the Ultra Road more than any of them.
Huaka (old shoe by Hoka) has a zero drop. Nice shoe as was the Clifton but really for me the left shoe outside Heel wore down in about 400 miles or so. I find the Adidas Supernova and Boston adizero with the Boost is just as good and not clunky and cushiony as the Hoka was. I thought about the Altra but put it on the back burner since I have taken up biking the past few mos.
Well, back to Hoka vs Altra. The Hoka is more conventional in fit and drop, and would be more liked by most runners. If you haven't run in zero drop shoes, the Altras can take a while to get used to, and may cause injury in some people if a lot of miles are put in without easing in to them. Conversely, some people have reported a reduction in certain overuse injuries by switching to zero drop shoes. Anecdotally, I did most of my miles in Altra Olympus in the 6 months before injured my achilles. I rotated in Brooks Ghost and some Asics shoes as well, so I don't know if I can blame the Altras.
I haven't tried on the Hoka "wide" model shoes yet. I'm betting that Hoka 2EE is equal to every other brand's normal D width. I should check them out, maybe even trying on my regular size in a wide instead of going up a full size like I've had to do with Hokas just so I can get my foot into the shoe.
Member Since 2008
I switched from a normal running shoe, (Brooks, Saucony, Mitzuma) to an Altra and have been very pleased. As others stated, with the zero drop, you have to ease into it.
Intl. correspondent
I'm wearing Altras for a few years now. They have quality control issues, but they are the only ones wide enough for my feet.
All Hoka models that I tried on were too narrow.
Altras is narrowing some shoes though, for instance the newest iteration of the One do not fit me anymore.
PRs: 1500 4:54.1 2019 - 5K 17:53 2023 - 10K 37:55 2023 - HM 1:21:59 2021
Up next: some 800m race (or time trials) / Also place in the top 20% in a trail race
Tool to generate Strava weekly
I wear both. I run in the Altra Lone Peaks a lot. They are fine unless you have a bunch of water crossings or the humidity is super bad and you are running very long distances. I had some issues with the insole actually coming up out of the shoe at a race last year. Other than that, I have had not problems with the Lone Peaks. I have run two 100 mile races in Altras where I never changed shoes at all, once in Lone Peaks and once in Olympus.
I have had a couple of pairs of Cliftons, and I liked both. Right now, I am running in a pair Stinson's that I like. I always get the closeout shoes, though. So, I don't have the newest version. I like the Cliftons better.
LB2
I have a love/hate relationship with both brands, but my hate is currently burning brightly with altra for three reasons, so I'll go with that.
I have had a lingering injury since mid 2016 which maps pretty exactly to me starting down the road with altra. Anyway:
Altra shoes:
1. Are notorious for fitting differently from version to version. I wore an 8 in Lone Peak 2.5. An 8 was a little tight in 3. In 3.5, I definitely needed an 8.5. In 4, I'd be back to an 8 if I hadn't decided to ditch altras. And it isn't just lone peak. Superior and Olympus have been way worse. Only Torin has been normal from year to year. Paradigm kinda iffy.
2. Are the least durable shoes I have ever owned... and it isn't just me. Yes, you will find people who wear the same pair for 1000 miles. You will also find a lot of people who blow out the sides between 100 and 300 miles. And that's me. Lone Peak, Superior, Olympus, Paradigm... I have blown a pair out as early as 75 miles (Superior), but usually it is about 200-250. Again, only Torin regularly lasted 500.
3. Zero drop works for some people, but not all people, but I swear to God that at least one model (the Timp) feels like it has a negative drop... my heel sinks down lower than my toes. Oh hell no.
Meanwhile altra ambassadors are all "wow, we've never heard of that!"... especially about #1 and #2... even though the internet and facebook are littered with people discussing these exact things.
Same thing with Hoka, for YEARS people have been complaining about how narrow they are, and only recently have they started to offer "wide" versions of some models.It would be interesting to know the real reasons why these brands do what they do. I'm pretty sure it has to do with production costs rather than design.
Wanted to get a shoe like a hoka, but tried the clifton and bondi and both seemed to be too high in the arch for me. Thanks.
What shoes do you currently run in? I developed patella tendonosis with the cliftons - due to the low drop. I know a few others who prefer that. Just note not to make that drastic of a change if you are currently running in normal drop shoes.
HM: 1:47 (9/20) I FM: 3:53:11 (9/23)
2024 Goals: run a FM & HM + stay healthy!
Have been wearing Altras for 5 years or so. Love the zero drop and toe room but I must say that I find that lately their shoes have been falling apart: soles detaching, upper mesh separating, etc.
Well, just a quick note... there's a difference between "drop" and how built up the arch is in a shoe.
Back to arch, I haven't run in Bondis since v2 so I can't speak to that, but Clifton/Challenger have always had kind of low arches to me. BUT, Clifton is one of those shoes that seems to change wildly from version to version, so maybe I missed the high arch one.