{{DISPLAYTITLE:Altra Paradigm Review}}The Altra Paradigm is a [[Maximalist]] shoe, rather like the [[Hoka Shoe Review| Hoka range]], but it has zero drop and a nice wide toe box. There's a lot to like about the Paradigm, but it doesn't match the [[Hoka Clifton]] for lightweight cushioning (but then, nothing does.) I've rated it as "Highly Recommended." {{H:WhatToLookForInShoes}}=Characteristics=* '''Why you'd buy it'''. The Paradigm is a nice shoe, but I think you'd be better off looking at the [[Hoka Clifton]] or the [[Altra Olympus]].* '''Cushioning'''. The midsole of the Paradigm is similar to the Olympus or One<sup>2</sup> Altra shoes. It's not quite as soft as the typical Hoka foam, but it's softer than the earlier Altra shoes were. Like many shoes, it takes a few miles from the initial firmness to wear off. Note that it's much softer than some of the other Altra shoes such as the [[Altra Torin]]. * '''Drop'''. Like all Altra shoes, the Paradigm is zero drop, but this does not mean sole is flat. Instead, the thickness under the ball and heel is approximately the same but there is a little bit of rise under the arch. For my foot this is enough to provide a little extra medial support to the ball of the foot, but not so much that it pushes up on the arch of my foot which would cause problems. The Paradigm tapers gradually from the ball of the foot to the front, unlike Hoka which tends to have a rather more abrupt taper at the very front of the shoe. The very rear of the shoe is cut away slightly, which may reduce the chance of accidental heel strike. The midsole does wrap around the lower part of the foot to create some additional stability. This helps overcome some of the problems you get with a thick sole creating a stilt like instability.* '''Structure'''. This shoe is made of a single type of foam which is painted at various levels to make the shoe look a little less clunky. Thus there is no variation in foam density within the midsole to interfere with the movement of the foot on the ground.* '''Flexibility'''. The Paradigm is reasonably flexible for shoe of this thickness. The shallow grooves cut into the sole do help a little. The flexibility tends to increase over the first few miles as the foam breaks down and softens.* '''Outsole'''. The Paradigm has harder rubber over most of the contact surface of the sole. This reduces the wear on the outsole, but there are areas around the little toes that are exposed midsole which will wear more quickly. See the picture at the top right for more details.* '''Shape'''. The shoe is the classic Altra shape, which follows the outline of the human foot much better than other makes. This gives it a broader toe box, but I find there is not enough height for my toes and [[Shoe Modifications| I still have to cut the toe box open]]. {{H:TryCuttingShoes}}* '''Upper'''. The upper is a thin seamless material that is reasonably breathable. There is good padding around the ankle opening.* '''Tongue'''. The Paradigm has a classic tongue rather than a tongue-less sock style of upper. The tongue is partially attached on the inside edge to keep it positioned, which I really like. The tongue has minimal but adequate padding.* '''Lacing'''. The flat laces work well and remained tied. Like many Altra shoes, I find the position of the uppermost eyeholes a little old, with the top hole too high and the next hole a little too low. The shoes come from the manufacturer laced in a way that indicates they think you should do a [[Lacing#The Heel Lock| "heel lock" style of lacing]], which I hate. I find that approach is very hard to get the tension right.* '''Heel counter'''. The Paradigm has a surprisingly firm heel counter, but there are no strongly defined edges, so it should not cause a problem. The heel counter comes as far up the back of the heel as is normal for running shoe.{{BuyShoes|RW=T|RRS=T|AZ=T|ZP=T}}{{ShoeGraphs}}=Compared with Altra Olympus=The [[Altra Olympus]] and the Paradigm are remarkably similar shoes; the Olympus is a little thicker and heavier, it has slightly better and off road capacity, and its outsole is rather longer lasting. * The Paradigm is road only, where the Olympus will handle both road and some mild trails. (Choose the [[Hoka Mafate]] for all –terrain use.)* The Olympus is slightly thicker (36mm v 26mm) and slightly heavier (11.8 v 10.2oz).* The outsole on the Olympus is quite hard, and can it lack traction on smooth rock or on a treadmill at steep incline.* The Paradigm is slightly more cut away at the base of the heel to produce more of a rocker effect.[[File:OlympusParadigmRun.JPG|none|thumb|300px| I actually ran with an Olympus on one foot and a Paradigm on the other. It's a great way of comparing two shoes, but don't try this at home as it's also a great way of getting injured.]]=Compared with Hoka=Compared with the [[Hoka Shoe Review| Hoka range]], the Olympus/Paradigm is not quite as well cushioned, but has a much better toe box design. I also prefer the way the Olympus/Paradigm tapers the midsole towards the front of the shoe creating a more gradual rocker effect. However, the remarkable [[Hoka Clifton]] offers similar cushioning at a much lighter weight. =Gallery={| class="wikitable" |- valign="top"|[[File:ParadigmOlympusTop.JPG|none|thumb|300px|Here is a comparison of the [[Altra Olympus]] and the Altra Paradigm from above.]]|[[File:OlympusBondiTop.JPG|none|thumb|300px|Here is an comparison of the [[Hoka Bondi]] and the Altra Paradigm.]]|- valign="top"|[[File:ParadigmOlympusInside.JPG|none|thumb|300px|Here's the [[Altra Olympus]] and the Altra Paradigm from the inside.]]|[[File:ParadigmOlympusOutside.JPG|none|thumb|300px|…and from the outside.]]|- valign="top"|[[File:OlympusParadigmSole.JPG|none|thumb|300px| The Paradigm (top) has less grip and more flexibility than the Olympus. ]]|[[File:POCMSB_Top.JPG|none|thumb|300px|REDIRECT [[Altra Paradigm]], [[Altra Olympus]], Hoka Conquest, [[Hoka Mafate]], [[Hoka Stinson]], [[Hoka Bondi]] (From left to right).]]|- valign="top"|[[File:POCMSB_Inside.JPG|none|thumb|300px|[[Hoka Stinson]], [[Hoka Bondi]], Hoka Conquest, [[Hoka Mafate]], [[Altra Paradigm]], [[Altra Olympus]] (From top left to bottom right by row).]]|[[File:POCMSB_Outside.JPG|none|thumb|300px|[[Hoka Stinson]], [[Hoka Bondi]], Hoka Conquest, [[Hoka Mafate]], [[Altra Paradigm]], [[Altra Olympus]] (From top left to bottom right by row).]]|- valign="top"|[[File:POCMSB_Rear.JPG|none|thumb|300px|[[Hoka Stinson]], [[Hoka Bondi]], Hoka Conquest, [[Hoka Mafate]], [[Altra Paradigm]], [[Altra Olympus]] (From top left to bottom right by row)4.0]]|}=A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes={{:Shoes-include}}