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Created page with "{{DISPLAYTITLE:Best Running Shoe Reviews – Altra One2 (One Squared)}} The Altra One<sup>2</sup> (One-squared) is a wonderful blend of light weight and soft cushioning, and i..."
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Best Running Shoe Reviews – Altra One2 (One Squared)}}
The Altra One<sup>2</sup> (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 One<sup>2</sup> 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 One<sup>2</sup> does not last very long, making it a relatively expensive shoe in terms of cost per mile
=Characteristics=
* '''Midsole'''. The midsole is as soft as you'd expect in a Minimax shoe, though obviously not as thick.
** '''Cushioning'''. The One<sup>2</sup>is 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 One<sup>2</sup> is zero drop but with a slight rise under the arch. The One<sup>2</sup> 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 One<sup>2</sup> 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 [[Shoe Modifications| 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 One<sup>2</sup> 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.
=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 One<sup>2</sup> 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 One<sup>2</sup> 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.
=Gallery=
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:OneOlympusInside.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|The One<sup>2</sup> and the [[Altra Olympus]] from the outside view.]]
|[[File:OneOlympusOutside.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|The One<sup>2</sup> and the [[Altra Olympus]] from the inside view.]]
|[[File:OneOlympusTop.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|The One<sup>2</sup> and the [[Altra Olympus]] from the top view.]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:OBCV_Inside.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|The [[Adidas Energy Boost]], [[Saucony Virrata]], One<sup>2</sup>, and the [[Mizuno Cursoris]]. (Top to bottom, left to right.) ]]
|[[File:OBCV_Rear.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|The One<sup>2</sup>, [[Adidas Energy Boost]], [[Mizuno Cursoris]], and the [[Saucony Virrata]]. (Left to right.) ]]
|[[File:OneBoostTop.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|The One<sup>2</sup>and the [[Adidas Energy Boost]] from above.]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:OneCurosisTop.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|The One<sup>2</sup>and the [[Mizuno Cursoris]] from above.]]
|[[File:OneTorinTop.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|The One<sup>2</sup>and the [[Altra Torin]] from above.]]
|[[File:OneVirrataTop.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|The One<sup>2</sup>and the [[Saucony Virrata]] from above.]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:TheOne2Close.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|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.]]
|[[File:TheOne2Wear.JPG|none|thumb|x300px| Another view of the wear on the outsole after a little over 200 miles.]]
|[[File:TheOne2Slice.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|Altra The One<sup>2</sup> cross section]]
|}
=A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes=
{{:Shoes-include}}
The Altra One<sup>2</sup> (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 One<sup>2</sup> 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 One<sup>2</sup> does not last very long, making it a relatively expensive shoe in terms of cost per mile
=Characteristics=
* '''Midsole'''. The midsole is as soft as you'd expect in a Minimax shoe, though obviously not as thick.
** '''Cushioning'''. The One<sup>2</sup>is 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 One<sup>2</sup> is zero drop but with a slight rise under the arch. The One<sup>2</sup> 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 One<sup>2</sup> 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 [[Shoe Modifications| 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 One<sup>2</sup> 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.
=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 One<sup>2</sup> 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 One<sup>2</sup> 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.
=Gallery=
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:OneOlympusInside.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|The One<sup>2</sup> and the [[Altra Olympus]] from the outside view.]]
|[[File:OneOlympusOutside.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|The One<sup>2</sup> and the [[Altra Olympus]] from the inside view.]]
|[[File:OneOlympusTop.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|The One<sup>2</sup> and the [[Altra Olympus]] from the top view.]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:OBCV_Inside.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|The [[Adidas Energy Boost]], [[Saucony Virrata]], One<sup>2</sup>, and the [[Mizuno Cursoris]]. (Top to bottom, left to right.) ]]
|[[File:OBCV_Rear.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|The One<sup>2</sup>, [[Adidas Energy Boost]], [[Mizuno Cursoris]], and the [[Saucony Virrata]]. (Left to right.) ]]
|[[File:OneBoostTop.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|The One<sup>2</sup>and the [[Adidas Energy Boost]] from above.]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:OneCurosisTop.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|The One<sup>2</sup>and the [[Mizuno Cursoris]] from above.]]
|[[File:OneTorinTop.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|The One<sup>2</sup>and the [[Altra Torin]] from above.]]
|[[File:OneVirrataTop.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|The One<sup>2</sup>and the [[Saucony Virrata]] from above.]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:TheOne2Close.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|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.]]
|[[File:TheOne2Wear.JPG|none|thumb|x300px| Another view of the wear on the outsole after a little over 200 miles.]]
|[[File:TheOne2Slice.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|Altra The One<sup>2</sup> cross section]]
|}
=A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes=
{{:Shoes-include}}
