Altra Rivera 2 Running Shoes - SS22

Product Information

Now we have a solid pad with a new rounded wrap of the outsole around the heel and a more continuous crash pad groove. Kurt: My only concern is durability. Altra has estimated an average life of around 500 kilometers/310 miles. That is right about where I retired my old Torin 4’s, but I am hopeful that I can come in close to the 500 mile mark thanks to the historically great durability of the EGO midsole material.

Both Altra Rivera 2 and 3 are comfortable shoes, but their comfort level varies from one another, which means one is more comfortable than the other. Sam: The Rivera 3 is modern, sleek looking, very comfortable and has a fine more forgiving ride with plenty of cushion and a geometry which largely does not “force” a forefoot to mid foot strike if you don’t have it all the time.. If you have never tried an Altra or zero drop this is the shoe to start with. The Rivera 2 (8.1 oz or 229g) is light both on paper an d on the road. For reference, the average speed trainer weighs in at 8.6 oz or 245g.With the Torin becoming more and more plush each year, and the Escalante staying where it’s always been, they need something between. In fact, Altra disbanded the Torin as we knew it with the Torin Plush 4.5.

Wow Altra is getting sleeker in their designs and for sure more modern. Gone in the Rivera 3 are the toy like look of past Altra and the somewhat goofy looking and hard for me to secure toe boxes of the classic Foot Shape fit, a plus for me but a minus for some.For some customers, laces are slippery and loosen as Rivera 2 but overall the shoes are perfect for daily runs but not more than 250 miles. Kurt: The fit is quite similar to the Topo Cyclone for me. I have not run extensively in the Cyclones, but there is a similar level of volume in the toe box. I wear a US men’s 12 in both. One factor worth noting is that heel cup of the Rivera fits closer to an Ultraventure or Ultrafly than the pared down fabric used in the Cyclone. The Rivera also feels like it has a smoother transition to me than the Cyclone. The Cyclone just feels like you really need to have a pep in your step for the midsole to come into its own, whereas the Rivera feels “right” across most paces to me. This shoe compares favorably to some of the shoes in which I’ve run lately: NB 1080v11, Hoka One One Mach 4, and Topo Athletic Cyclone. Think of a s lipper like super soft fit with toes able to wiggle and for splay but also never rising up so much that things get sloppy. There is a bit of a but though…The length fit is comparatively quite short and the over the toes “at rest” volume quite low but in no way uncomfortable. I personally would not size up. I have dodgy big toe nails and any overly low or short toe box or overdone low bumper causes me issues (for example stretch knit uppers) and this is not so with the Rivera at all. Although it's dubbed as Altra's "least roomy" running shoe, we still found it to be a spacious one, compared to the average.