SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Altra Footwear announces Altra EGO™, an innovative new midsole cushioning. See all of Altra's new footwear and apparel products at Booth #36179 at Outdoor Retailer Specialty Market, August 3-6, 2016 in Salt Lake City.
Altra EGO™ new midsole cushioning material
Altra’s simple but breakthrough FootShape™ toe box and cushioned ZeroDrop™ platform changed running shoes for the better. The young brand wanted an equally game-changing cushioning for trail and road running shoes with outstanding rebound, light weight and superior comfort.
Altra EGO™ is their answer, a proprietary blend of cushioning compounds, with a name inspired by the dual nature of the new cushioning.
“We’re excited about what we’ve achieved with the Altra EGO cushioning,” said Golden Harper, founder of Altra Footwear. “Traditionally, running shoes that felt ‘soft’ could also feel like they robbed energy, a bit like slo-mo or running in mud. On the other hand, shoes marketed as performance or responsive are firm and less comfortable.
“Our goal with Altra EGO™ cushioning is to offer the holy grail of running shoe cushioning -- fast and springy, yet comfortable and soft.”
Harper believes this cushioning is perfect for elite runners because the shoe “runs fast and feels responsive,” yet ideal for recreational runners because it feels distinctively soft and comfortable underfoot.
Unlike traditional EVA midsoles, Altra EGO performs better and more consistently in extreme temperatures. In tests against traditional running shoe foams, Altra EGO has high long-term durability to maintain excellent cushioning and energy return properties throughout the life of the shoe.
On shoes, the new midsoles are highlighted with a distinctive design inspired by the inherently strong, light, yet resilient design of a spider web.
Altra Escalante™ with Altra EGO
Introducing Altra Escalante™ with Altra EGO, featuring energetic rebound in a moderately cushioned package that’s noticeably thinner than conventionally cushioned shoes. The richly colored engineered-knit upper provides a sleek aesthetic and a sock-like fit.
The spectacular natural environment of Utah, Altra's home state, inspired the shoe’s name. The Escalante River winds through sinuous sandstone gorges and creates the undulating patterns emulated in the shoe’s knit upper. This river and the rugged canyons which drain into it form a key section of Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, providing nearly two million acres of scenic roads and trails for running, hiking and backpacking.
Like all Altra shoes, the Escalante features the FootShape™ toe box, cushioned ZeroDrop™ sole and truly female specific fit, with a new name, Fit4Her™.
Stack height: 25 mm, built on Altra’s PFS performance last
Weight: 8.2 ounces/232g (men’s sample size 9), 6.5 ounces/182g (women’s sample size 7)
Colors:
- Men’s: Gray, Blue, Red
- Women’s: Magenta, Blue, Gray
MSRP: $130, available now.
Altra King MT™ with Altra EGO
Introducing the Altra King MT, made for runners whose idea of fun involves mud, wet grass, and burly mountain climbs. This shoe includes significant 5.5 mm outsole lugs designed for lateral braking, medial gripping and maximum traction in wet and slippery conditions.
Topping that traction is the Altra EGO mid-sole, a new compound with high rebound at a low weight. A flexible StoneGuard™ rock plate adds extra underfoot protection. The King MT has the most supportive upper of any Altra with TPU overlays on durable polyester ripstop fabric. New is the FootLock™ feature, a midfoot strap to lock the foot in the shoe on steep ascents and descents.
The King MT is named for Utah’s highest peak, continuing Altra’s tradition of naming its trail shoes after iconic mountains in its home state.
Like all Altra shoes, the King MT features Altra's award-winning FootShape toe box and cushioned ZeroDrop platform. These features combined with the aggressive TrailClaw™ metatarsal lugs, Vibram MegaGrip™ outsole and low 19 mm stack height make this shoe ideal for obstacle course racing and the growing sport of mountain running, or Fell running, as it's known in Europe.
Stack height: 19 mm
Weight: 9.5 ounces (men’s sample size 9), 7.8 ounces (women’s sample size 7)
- Men’s: Black/red, Grey, Royal blue
- Women’s: Black, Magenta, Teal
MSRP: $140, available now.
About Altra
Altra Footwear has shoes for road, trail, track, treadmill and every day, as well as a full line of running apparel. Altra is now the third largest trail shoe brand sold in run specialty with three of the top seven trail-running shoes, according to data from NPD: Altra Lone Peak, Superior and Olympus.
Altra's running shoe innovations are born from long hard runs in the Wasatch Mountains, just minutes from Altra's Utah headquarters. Founder Golden Harper, a former All-American runner who loves to run to the top of difficult mountain summits, invented a cushioned ZeroDrop shoe and a foot-shaped toe box, features that are now found on every Altra shoe. Co-founder and Global VP of Sales Brian Beckstead completes at least one ultramarathon each year, including Eco-Trail Norway in 2016, Ultra Trail Mont Blanc and the Wasatch 100 in 2015 and Ultra Trail Mt Fuji in 2014.
Altra’s recent awards include Harper, Beckstead and co-founder Jeremy Howlett named to the 2016 “40 Under 40 Award” from SGB, Sporting Goods Business; in July of 2016 the Altra Lone Peak 3.0 Neoshell MID won “The Apex Award” from Polartec and the original Lone Peak Neoshell won “Top Gear Picks” from Gear Junkie; the Altra Olympus 2.0 won “Editor’s Choice” from Trail Runner and “Comfiest Runner” from Backpacker; the Altra Performance Half Zip jacket won “Most Innovative” from UltraRunning magazine and many more. Follow @AltraRunning and #ZeroLimits on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and at AltraRunning.com. Altra® Footwear is a registered trademark of ICON Health & Fitness, the world's leading health and fitness innovator, based in Logan, Utah.
