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The [http://www.zappos.com/altra-paradigm Altra Paradigm ] is a [[Minimax]] (minimum drop, maximum cushioning) that follows on from their success with the Olympus. In theory it's a road version of the Olympus, but I find myself preferring the Olympus even asphalt. It's a similar to the [[Hoka Shoe Review| Hoka One One]] shoes, and it improves on their design in many ways.

* '''MidsoleWhy 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 One² 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 shoeLike many shoes, though it takes a few miles from the initial firmness to wear off. This is common to most EVA foam. ItNote that it's much softer than some of the other Altra shoes such as the [[Altra Torin]]. ** '''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 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.

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. The closest Hoka to the Olympus/Paradigm is However, the remarkable [[Hoka BondiClifton]], especially the Bondi Speedoffers similar cushioning at a significantly lighter weight.