Revision as of 15:25, 18 July 2014

The Altra One² (One-squared) is a wonderful blend of light weight and soft cushioning, and is a shoe I love to run in. In many ways it reminds me of the legendary Nike Mayfly, though it is not as light weight as that groundbreaking shoe. The One² is not as softly cushioned as a Minimax shoe, but it is a lot softer than the Saucony Virrata or the Mizuno Cursoris, and lighter the Adidas Energy Boost. However the One² does not last very long, making it a relatively expensive shoe in terms of cost per mile

1 Characteristics

• Midsole. The midsole is as soft as you'd expect in a Minimax shoe, though obviously not as thick.
  • Cushioning. The One²is softly cushioned, but because of its thinness it does not offer the same protection from rough ground that a true Minimax shoe would.
  • Drop & Shape. Like other Altra shoes, the One² is zero drop but with a slight rise under the arch. The One² tapers more gently from the ball of the foot to the front than most Altra shoes, mostly because it's so much thinner. The rear of the midsole is very slightly cut away to create a hint of a rocker.
  • Structure. This shoe uses single density of foam, but they are deep grooves cut into the bottom of the sole, and some shallower grooves in the top of the midsole. (These top cuts are hidden unless you dissect the shoe.)
  • Flexibility. The One² is a remarkably flexible for shoe due to the deep grooves in the bottom of the midsole, and the shallow grooves in the top.
• Outsole. There is almost no outsole, just a couple of tiny patches of the extreme front and rear of the shoe. The bulk of the bottom of the shoe is exposed foam, which is part of the reason the shoe is so light as the harder rubber used on many shoes is quite heavy. However, this does dramatically reduce the wear characteristics, and I got only a little over 200 miles from mine before they needed retirement.
• Shape. The shoe is the classic Altra shape, which follows the outline of the human foot much better than other makes. It has a broad toe box, but I find there is not enough height for my toes and I still have to cut the toe box open.
• Upper. The upper is reasonably thin, but more substantial than you would expect from a shoe this light. It has excellent padding around the ankle opening.
• Tongue. The One² has a classic tongue, but it's partially attached on one side to keep it positioned, which I like a lot. It has minimal but adequate padding.
• Lacing. The flat laces work well and remained tied.
• Heel counter. The heel counter is quite soft, and comes as far up the back of the heel as is normal for running shoe.

2 Comparisons

Here are some direct comparisons with its potential competition.

• Mizuno Cursoris is remarkably similar, but its foam is a lot firmer, giving it a much different feel. The Cursoris actually has a better toe box than the Altra, but similar poor wear characteristics.
• Saucony Virrata is much firmer than both the One² and the Cursoris, but is also harder wearing. The shape is that of a traditional running shoe, so the toe box is not as good as either One² or the Cursoris.
• Adidas Energy Boost is another light weight but softly cushioned shoe, though not as light weight as the Altra. However, there are more differences than similarities, with the Boost having a raised heel, traditional foot bed shape, but impressive longevity.
• Adidas Torin not only is the Torrent a little heavier, it is much, much firmer. This provides far less cushioning, but it does provide more protection from stones and uneven surfaces.

3 Gallery

The One2 and the Altra Olympus from the outside view.	The One2 and the Altra Olympus from the inside view.	The One2 and the Altra Olympus from the top view.
The Adidas Energy Boost, Saucony Virrata, One2, and the Mizuno Cursoris. (Top to bottom, left to right.)	The One2, Adidas Energy Boost, Mizuno Cursoris, and the Saucony Virrata. (Left to right.)	The One2and the Adidas Energy Boost from above.
The One2and the Mizuno Cursoris from above.	The One2and the Altra Torin from above.	The One2and the Saucony Virrata from above.
A close up of the cross-section through the midsole. Each of the blocks should be roughly the same thickness, but you can see where one of the blocks has been worn down quite a bit.	Another view of the wear on the outsole after a little over 200 miles.	Altra The One2 cross section

4 A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes

If you're looking for "the best of the best" running shoe, here are my top picks. Of course, the answer will depend a little on what you're looking for, so I have recommendations for various categories. Best All Round Shoe. The Altra Escalante is my current all-round favorite. It has plenty of cushioning for its weight, it has a very springy midsole, it lasts well, and it has a shape that's closer to the shape of a human foot than most shoes. It's a great shoe for any runner, including those Starting to run. It's also a fairly easy shoe to find due to its popularity. Best Maximalist Shoe: If you want something massively cushioned, then I'd recommend the Saucony Kinvara 8. It's remarkably light and remarkably cushioned, beating Hoka at their own game. Best Optimal Shoe: For those looking to trade cushioning for speed, the Nike Zoom Streak LT 3 was my top pick, but the latest version (LT 4) falls short of it's predecessor. There are lots of great optimal running shoes, which provide just enough cushioning with light weight and minimal frills, but all have their weak spots. Probably the best option at the moment is the Altra Vanish-R, which offers great cushioning for just over 5oz/150g. Fastest Shoe: If you really want speed, then check out the Nike Vaporfly 4%. It's light, massively cushioned, and has a carbon fiber plate. Nothing comes close, not even the now defunct New Balance RC5000‏‎ or New Balance RC5000v2‏‎. There are a number of caveats; it's really expensive, it's really hard to find, and there's a significant injury risk. Best Minimalist Shoe: Merrell Trail Glove. I recommend the trail glove for road running in spite of the 'trail' moniker. It's not a fast shoe by any means, but it's comfortable and will last well. All Terrain Shoe. For trail running, I've become a fan of Altra, and I think their best shoe is the the Altra Timp, though the Altra Lone Peak is really close. Honorable Mention: It's not really a running shoe, but the Vivobarefoot Ra is comfortable, minimalist and can more or less pass as a dress shoe. I've worn mine to weddings with a suit and they've not looked out of place. You can run in the Ra, but the leather means it doesn't breathe well.

For a more detailed on running shoes see the Recommendations for Best Running Shoes. This table lists the key attributes of What to Look for in Running Shoes. For more detailed information, on the shoes see detailed shoe comparison.

It's not a running shoe, but I love the Hoka Tor Ultra hiking boot and I've tested the Altra Lone Peak Boot, the Hoka Tor Speed 2, and the Inov-8 Roclite 325 hiking boots
Older shoe reviews: Saucony Hattori Review, Mizuno Cursoris Review, Skechers GO Bionic 2 Review, Hoka Clifton Review, Saucony Virrata 2 Review, Brooks PureCadence 3 Review, Brooks PureConnect 3 Review, Brooks PureFlow 3 Review, Skechers GO Bionic 2 Review, New Balance 980 Review, Brooks Transcend 2 Review, Hoka Huaka Review, Patagonia EVERlong Review, Asics 33-DFA Review, Hoka Conquest Review, Saucony Cortana Review, Puma Faas 100 R Review, Saucony Fastwitch Review, Nike Free Review, Asics Gel Lyte 33 Review, Skechers GOmeb Speed Review, Skechers GOrun Ultra Road Review, Nike LunaRacer Review, Altra Paradigm Review.