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* 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|x300px| 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.]]
=Characteristics=
* '''Midsole'''. The midsole of the Paradigm is similar to the Olympus or One Altra shoes. It's not quite as soft as the typical Hoka foam, but it's softer than the earlier Altra shoes were.
** '''Cushioning'''. The Paradigm is a softly cushioned shoe, though it takes a few miles from the initial firmness to wear off. This is common to most EVA foam.
** '''Drop & Shape'''. 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 thickness 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, with the exception of the wrapper that extends above the level of the liner. 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 soul. 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]].
* '''Upper'''. The upper is a thin seamless material that is reasonably readable. 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.
=Compared with Hoka=
Compared with the 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. The closest Hoka to the Olympus/Paradigm is the [[Hoka Bondi]], especially the Bondi Speed.
=A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes=
{{:Shoes-include}}