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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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* {{H:flexibility}}. The 33-DFA has good flexibility, something that's helped by the gaps in the forefoot outsole and the groves in the midsole.
* {{H:outsole}}. There's a good layer of harder rubber outsole over the contact surfaces, giving the 33-DFA good wear characteristics. I found that the X shaped gap in the midsole did tend to act as a stone trap, though the position of the stones meant this did not cause me any major problems.
* {{H:shape}}. The Altra Asics 33-DFA is intended to "mimic the shape of the human foot", and "allow the toes to splay", but sadly it doesn't. While Asics Natural33 Last might be slightly better than other Asics shoes, it's still not designed to fit the human foot, and I had to [[Shoe Modifications| cut open the toe box]] for my feet to move naturally. This is common to pretty much all running shoes, but it's a particular shame in a shoe that is intended to be more natural. {{H:TryCuttingShoes}}
* {{H:upper}}. The upper is unpadded in the forefoot, but has a small amount of padding in the rear. The material is a little thicker than I'd like for breathability, but no worse than most shoes. There are reinforcement overlays, but no seams, and the overlays are positioned so they're unlikely to cause issues. The ankle opening is nicely padded.
* {{H:tongue}}. The 33-DFA has a traditional tongue that is has a tab to attach it to the laces, and it's moderately padded.
=Comparisons=
Here are some direct comparisons with its potential competition.
==Altra Asics 33-DFA and Asics Gel Hyper Speed==
The [[Asics Gel Hyper Speed]] provides about the same cushioning as the 33-DFA, but weighs 4.7oz less, which is a huge difference. This makes the Hyper Speed a far better shoe than the 33-DFA, though I like the zero drop nature of the 33-DFA, it's not enough to compensate for the weight.
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{{FastBlr|asics/gel-hyperspeed-6-192|192|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6}}
==Altra Asics 33-DFA and Hoka Clifton==
The [[Hoka Clifton]] is a wonderful shoe and the 33-DFA really can't compete. The Clifton has massively more cushioning, but lighter than the 33-DFA. While Asics claim their AmpliFoam midsole "provides soft cushioning constructed at a lower density", it doesn't come close to the Hoka foam.
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{{FastBlr|hoka-one-one/clifton-2-1062|1062|Hoka Clifton 2}}
==Altra Asics 33-DFA and Saucony Kinvara==
The [[Saucony Kinvara]] is one of the most popular and best transitional shoes, and is an obvious competitor for the 33-DFA. The Asics is zero drop while the Saucony has just 3mm, but counterintuitively it's the Saucony that has similar cushioning in the forefoot and heel. While both shoes have about the same cushioning at the heel, the Saucony is much better in the forefoot. Yet again we see the 33-DFA coming in too heavy against its competition; the Kinvara is 2oz lighter. That could be more than a minute off your marathon time.
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