Altra Experience Flow 2 Review

I broke these shoes in in mid June, just as I was starting training for the Twin Cities Marathon. I'd run a ten mile race the day before, so come Sunday morning I wasn't sure how my legs were going to feel. I went out for ten miles, and I planned to just play it by ear - but throughout the run, these shoes felt great.

I have wide feet, and I buy the wide size of a shoe when I can. But when it's not available, I'm willing to try out a regular size. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

As soon as I laced these up, they felt a little snug around the edges. The first few steps, they still felt tight. But less than a mile in to my run, they felt fine - and I could no longer tell that they were tight. Despite being snug around the edges, the toe box is wide enough that my toes never felt crowded.

One of the downsides of the shoes is that the upper is super lightweight - and that means it is not water resistant at all. On this particular route, I had to run about 100m down a grassy hill to get from one street to another. It had rained overnight, and the grass was wet. By the time I got to the other side, the shoes were wet and the water had started to soak into my socks. I wouldn't wear these if I was expecting rain or puddles.

But otherwise, they felt great. I finished up ten miles at a decent pace. After a warming up for the first few miles, I was cruising along at 8:00-8:30/mi. Despite running a race the day before, I still had a spring in my step.

I got home and took a picture of the shoes - and they'd already gotten dirty. But that just means they're well used.

A week later, I took a trip out to Denver to visit some family. I planned to get some running in, and I packed the Experience Flows as my running shoes. Over the course of three days, I ran 8-9 miles each day.

When in Rome, you do as the Romans. So in Denver, I couldn't resist the urge to explore some trails. I ran through the foothills of Green Mountain one day, and the trails were mostly packed dirt. But there were a few rocky parts, too. The shoes felt fine on the dirt, but they were a little unstable on the rocky bits. I wished I'd brought some real trail shoes.

On the third day, I went back out and ran up Green Mountain. Again, it was mostly dirt with some rocky parts. I walked the rockiest parts - which were also the steepest - and ran the rest. The view was definitely worth the effort.

But when I got home, I looked at the treads, and they were showing some obvious signs of wear. They're serviceable on packed dirt, and they'll get the job done. But I'd recommend sticking with paved roads. These shoes just aren't built for off roading (and that's ok).

It's been two months, and I've worked these shoes into my rotation pretty steadily. I've worn them for a 5k race, some workouts, and a variety of runs.

They're firm and quick enough to be good for a short race like a 5k or a 10k. They felt great during intervals and some strides.

On easier days, they were fine for a short jog on the treadmill or for an easy run around the lake. But the one time I tried to take them out for a true long run, I wasn't feeling it. My daily trainers are New Balance 1080s, and after two hours I prefer something with a little more cushion.

I've logged about 150-200 miles, and you can see that the shoes are showing some signs of wear. They definitely still have some life in them, but I don't expect to get 800+ miles on these like I do with my 1080's and my trail shoes.

If you're looking for a fast, light, comfortable shoe - these are a great choice. But if you do a lot of mileage, I'd reserve them for your faster days and use them as a supplemental shoe - not as a daily trainer.