Guest reviewer Christian Messerschmidt is a 38 year-old runner from Germany and has lived in the Carolinas for ten years. He’s been running for 20 years and switched from heavy heel-striking to a more graceful stride 2 years ago- just for fun. After a 10 year work and family related competition Adidas Superstar Womens hiatus, he has started preparing for races up to the marathon at the beginning of Nike Air Presto Damen the year and is still trying to get close to his personal bests established in his 20s. His dream is to finish a Western States 100 with a silver belt buckle.As a recent convert to Vibram Five Fingers and numerous racing flats (it’s been two years since I ditched my traditional stability shoes), I had been longing for just “a little more shoe” between me and the road. It has been ridiculously wet all summer in the Carolinas and so I have had to shift many runs back to the pavement owing to the trail conditions – hence, I wanted to treat myself to a bit more cushioning in a zero-drop shoe.I chose the Altra “The One,” a newly released neutral performance trainer by the strong new contender to “The Big Seven” shoe companies.Altra markets this shoe Nike Air Max 90 Mujer as being able to “handle any run on any occasion,” from track repeats to the marathon Nike Air Vapormax Femme to a leisurely recovery run.
I had some initial issues with sizing – most of my running shoes are 12.5 US, yet this one felt a bit short on the 3 little toes in this size and overly roomy in a size 13 US. I recommend you research the fit for yourself in Shoefitr if you mail order this shoe, it can fit slightly tricky. Also, it tends to fit somewhat smaller than the “Instinct”. I settled for the 12.5 as the toe box was roomy enough for me and I felt more comfortable being “in touch” with the shoe. Altra customer service was courteous and quick in handling the exchange and did not charge for shipping. (Editor’s note from Pete: I just purchased The One myself and opted to go a half size up from what I wear in the Instinct 1.5)The first no-sock run in Nike Air Max 2017 Womens the Altra in the rain confirmed what we already knew from Kermit The Frog: “It’s not Nike Air Presto Femme easy being green”- I emerged from the shoes with bright green feet- the color washed off easily enough and did not irritate my skin, so this was really more of an amusement. Indeed, the shoes broke in very easily, I ended up running a 10K race in “The One” after an easy initial 3 mile recovery session. I appreciated the extra cushioning on the hilly road course (running downhill was pain-free when compared to my Vibrams), but was less impressed by how heavily soaked the shoes got in the pouring rain. The quick dry mesh on the upper and drainage holes in the soles were heavily challenged by these conditions.I am very impressed by how Altra manages to give the runner a roomy feel in the forefoot without compromising control and while allowing anchoring Adidas NMD Mujer of the big toe. I attribute this both to the comparatively low toebox and the Nike Air Max 2017 Dames “contour footbed” insole that molds to your toes and provides good grounding.The heel fit Nike Air Max 90 Femme is medium wide and the upper is not too bulky – the asymmetrical lacing gives you plenty of options for a more personal fit. The laces themselves are freakishly long, so I just cut and burnished the ends to prevent the threads from coming apart.The mesh upper breathes well and feels durable. After 2 months and 150 miles in the shoes, there is no sign of tearing or excessive stretching of the material. Running without socks has given me no blisters or hot spots.
