I’d suggest doing a few short runs first to ensure you’re not going to get any rubbing before heading out on long runs. Neither of these are minimal shoes. They both hold far too much cushion to be given that name, but in many other aspects, they are close to a barefoot feel. With the new design sporting tough protection from the heel and around the side of the shoe, and then a relatively firm toebox, your foot is fully protected from the trail elements. With this sturdy protection holding you in place, I don’t think they’ll be any worry of feet ripping out the side of shoes anymore.

Dom: As ever, I feel obliged to caution that this is not a shoe for everyone. Altra may have made it more mainstream, but the Superior remains far from a mainstream shoe. It is light, soft, flexible, and provides only modest protection. The shoe is neutral and unsupportive. But in return you get a sublime trail feel and wonderful, natural running experience. Yes, it’s that good.Coming from truly barefoot shoes, I was missing a lot of ground feel, and that’s something to expect.

The sidewalls are made out of a flexible material that provides some water resistance. I liked that I could race through smaller puddles and dewy grass without getting super drenched. The sidewalls also did not compromise the ventilation of the shoe, which was nice. I loved testing the Altra Superior 5. They fit my feet unbelievably well immediately out of the box and required no break-in period (always a bonus). The sewn-in half tongue design is not my favorite as it makes it more difficult for me to put the shoes on, which is a little annoying. As usual, the sizing also runs slightly large, and runners may want to go a half-size down. Besides those minor critiques, I couldn't find anything wrong with the Superior 5, which is especially true once I got them on the trails.Just a little bit of update there I want to draw attention to again. It does not weigh anything. It will not hinder your run at all if you decide to put it in for your trail stuff. Quite honestly, I do not know why you would just not put it on all the time, but that is just me. The MaxTrac rubber and PowerClaw lug pattern has not changed for many iterations, and compared to the competition is certainly not one of the most aggressive or grippy outsoles you can find. If you look close, you can also see how many of the lugs on our pair are damaged or slightly torn. This is one area of this shoe that could certainly be better. STEF: Altra appears to have widened the forefoot in the Superior 5 compared to previous versions and while I do have a wider forefoot (thank you Tailor’s bunions), I was really swimming in these. Perhaps bumping down a half size would be an easy fix for that, and it really is not a deal-breaker for me. I couldn’t see myself running/racing anything longer than 10, 13.1 miles in these and at those distances, my feet don’t swell, so I don’t really require the additional forefoot width.

The upper is made in the same pattern as the previous version. There is no plastic in the heel cup, so it can mould to the shape of your heel. The tongue is an integral part of the upper, burrito style, that wraps around the foot. This reduces the chance of any debris getting into the shoes and gives a really nice fit, making the shoes feel like an integral part of your foot rather than a bulky shoe that feels ‘strapped on’. The toe cap is a bit harder than on the Superior 5, which offers more protection. The new upper is just a little bit better fit, not any little bunching here, just a little bit more opportunity for it to sort of fit and feel good around your shoe around your foot. The Superior has never used the trusty Vibram rubber that other Altra’s have, and that’s a shame. Instead, the in-house MaxTrac rubber is used, and I’m expecting this to be the area that breaks down first. Trista: "The upper is the first thing that I loved about the Superior 5. I have a high instep, and this shoe wraps perfectly around the top of my foot without any added pressure. It allows my foot to move freely while feeling secure and comfortably snug." The tongue itself has a little more padding than the average tongue. It is a one-piece tongue that’s seamlessly part of the upper. The upper continues from the medial arch side of the foot, up and over the top of the foot and is connected to the upper on the lateral side of the foot. So, it literally wraps the foot like a burrito. This is very nicely done on a comfort and performance level.Height of toe bumper has decreased, which -- coupled with fatter insole -- makes the toe box notably shallow. This could aggravate touchy toenails. It still has the same sort of lacing pattern, but we did add that top eye hole. We will now be able to do the marathon loop and such on the five. Update for the Gaiter Trap The Superior 5 is smaller fitting so we suggest trying half a size larger than you used in the Superior 4.5. Running across hills to test how the padding feels against the ankle bones, and to get a feel for stability. While it remains very flexible, this shoe is one of the most stable due to its wide platform, low to the ground ride, and zero drop.

So in my case, at least, this concern has proved to be largely hypothetical. Runners with touchy toenails might find the shallow toebox to be a real problem.To be honest, the shoe could have shed some weight and made a lighter weight shoe by using less material, but as I’ve said before, I appreciate the possibility of getting more miles out of them! Dom: It is worth noting that the shoe has an overall slightly tighter fit compared to its predecessor. Also, having a harder base welcomes forward propulsion, nudging you on to your next step. Much like you would feel from barefoot running. It all makes sense because there’s no soft cushioning putting the brakes on, and restricting your momentum.