Update May 2017: Found two “giveaway” pairs remaining in a downtown Oslo Shop; Løplabbet, both pairs in my size. Problem solved.
I am the happy owner of a second pair of this particular model from Altra, 3 years back. By far this model was the peak. All subsequent models are good, but not as good as this sweetie. The gif below is from sep 2016, as I was lucky, from Norway, to get hold of the absolutely last pair size 44, from some place in Australia.
Take a look at some minor remarks below the animated gif. You may have to click to see the animation.
Remarks
- Sizing is incorrect. I am size 43, but these shoes needs to be in 44 and are even then a tiny bit too small.
- The heel cap is bulky, overblown and overweight. It is suggested to take the heelcap from size 42 or 43 and put it on size 44. This will create a better balance. Tip: Take a look at the perfect heel constructions from Newton. I had to operate the heel of the previous sample with a scissor, as I was a bit tense in my achilles at that time.
- My second long toe is living up to its name, it is looong in a literal manner. Ideally, the form of the front of the shoe could take into account that this toe has this name for a reason. It is possible to observe in the picture that the long toe creates a “stretch” mark.
But beyond those minor remarks, these shoes are perfect. I almost do not use any other shoes in my walking whereabouts, but I do have “a few” alternatives for running, including, but not limited to another Altra model.
I am begging, let this model bounce back. Freeze the legendary color. Thank you!