Altra Rivera 2 Running Shoes - SS22

Product Information

The midsole of Altra Rivera 2 is equipped with Neutral Innerflex technology and Altra EGO foam, which make shoes lightweight and provide balanced cushioning that can enhance foot alignment and form.

In addition, the shoes have grippy outsoles with abrasion-resistant lugs to offer a natural movement of the foot and provide excellent traction on asphalt and off the trails. The reflective elements on the heels for enhanced visibility perfectly round off the shoes’ features. No matter which surface you enjoying running on, you’re guaranteed to feel comfortable in the functional and fast Rivera 2. Brian: I love the lightweight feel of this shoe. It feels simple but sufficient. There is just enough comfort, cushion and energy return built into this cleanly designed shoe, but just as importantly there aren’t any unnecessary features to complicate or inhibit the fit, feel or ride.

Altra Women's Lone Peak All Weather Low 2 Trail Shoes

Brian: The one-piece upper is made from an engineered mesh material that’s pliable and accommodating, but it’s also supportive when the laces are snugged down. It’s very breathable and airy with very few seams or stitching. The upper material is slightly reinforced to supplement the protection the toe bumper provides, but also to help provide enough shape to keep the material from rubbing the top of the toes. In general I prefer Altra's EGO midsoles to Quantic as it just feels like the more modern foam compound. If I want an overly cushy shoe, I will go for a Hoka or one of New Balance's softer iterations of Fresh Foam X. The EGO foam of the Rivera just works better across a wider pace range, especially given how much of it is under the foot compared to the Escalante. Altra Rivera 3: Customers consider these shoes very comfortable, but they also report that they are not as flexible and breathable as Altra claims. And that was my thought while I wore these: this feels like I’m wearing a bouncier Torin 2.5 with a freer upper. To pull off the foot hold in such as soft pliable upper and with a wide toe box the length is on the short side and the front height low, but unless you are on the high side of a half size up I would not consider sizing up

Finally, women’s Altra running shoes are all shaped using FIT4HER™ technology. Women’s feet tend to be shaped differently than men’s feet so Altra builds their women’s shoes to have a narrower heel, longer arch and unique metatarsal spacing so that they fit women’s feet better.Cheng: This is personal taste, but I would have liked the EGO foam to be tuned a slight bit softer. Nevertheless, I am quite content with how the firmness of the platform becomes lively and bouncy at faster paces. The biggest gripe, however, is in the fit. In pursuit of mainstream customers, Altra shrunk the toe box with a more aggressive lateral taper. The results are not the best. The upper on the Rivera is a very simple piece. Altra used an engineered mesh that is flexible and breathable. This upper supports your foot well, and uses the Altra signature “footshape” design while fitting perfectly to size. Brian: To me, this shoe feels and runs quite a bit like the Saucony Kinvara, even though the Kinvara has a 4mm heel-toe offset. There are some similarities to a lot of other shoes, including Hoka Clifton, Skechers GoRun Razor 3 Hyper and, hypothetically speaking, maybe even a lite version of Brooks Glycerin. But really, the Rivera feels mostly like a juiced up Escalante Racer or Escalante based on the similar soft, lightweight feel and smooth, zero-drop vibe.

All of Altra’s shoes are based on two key design principles that set them apart from most other shoe companies’ lineups. (1) Altra’s shoes all have a zero-drop heel-to-forefoot platform, and (2) a wide, “foot-shaped” toe box. Many runners love this combo, but for people coming from shoes with higher heel-to-toe drops or narrower toe boxes, it may take some getting used to. Brian: The Rivera fits true to size with a medium width in the heel and arch and just a touch more room in the forefoot. (It doesn’t feel nearly as roomy as most Altra shoes, but there is room for the toes to wiggle and splay.) The Rivera’s step-in feel is soft, smooth and comfortable, and it oozes a light and agile performance-oriented vibe the moment you start running in it. Altra uses strategically-placed rubber outsole units on high-tread areas of the sole for better durability and protection. These rubber pieces are focused on the forefoot, with a little on the heel for heel-strikers.For softness, we use an HA durometer. Rivera got 46.7% firmer after the freezer test (on average, shoes get 21.5% firmer). The Inner Flex tech and resulting flexibility of the Rivera is maybe a bit overdone for my tastes removing a bit too much toe off snap for my tastes especially when combined with the easy going upper.