The wide-boy Altra Outroad 2 is a plush road-to-trail shoe built for comfortable cruising over a mix of terrain…
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Altra Outroad 2
Best for cruising trails
$139.95 / £130, altrarunning.eu
Speed: 2/5
Stability: 4/5
Comfort: 4/5
OVERALL: 4/5
Pros:
- Roomy toe box
- Wide platform to run off
- Plush uppers
Cons:
- Not very agile
- Quite firm underfoot
Altra is known for its wider fit, zero-drop design, which is ideal if you’re hunting for a road-to-trail running shoe with a roomier fit. The Altra Outroad 2 packs both of those trademark features into a shoe that’s built to eat tarmac and light off-road.
The Outroad 2 aims for versatility, durability and comfort, no matter what’s underfoot. So how does it stack up? I laced up a pair, pounded some pavements and hit the trails to find out.
Altra Outroad 2 features
The first thing you notice about the Altra Outroad 2 is the slightly odd looking toe box that’s designed to follow the natural shape of your foot. This anatomical design gives your toes more natural room to move. However, the Outroad 2 features Altra’s slightly slimmer foot-shaping for a more snug, comfortable fit. It still leaves your toes plenty of room to spread and flex.
Underfoot, the Outroad has a comparatively conservative 27mm stack of EGO midsole foam. That provides the cushion for landings but also gives plenty of response.
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Up top, the engineered mesh uppers have been tweaked from the first generation to boost durability. There’s also more cushioning in the heel for added comfort. So it’s a more plush cruiser than its predecessor.
Flip them over and the outsole has a good covering of MaxTrac rubber with multi-directional lugs to deliver grip on lighter trails and boost durability.
Altra Outroad 2 weight, stack and drop
At 10.6oz / 286g in a UK men’s size 8, the Altra Outroad 2 is a mid-weight hybrid running shoe that’s not far off the heft of a HOKA Speedgoat 5. So not the heaviest, but not the lightest either.
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When it comes to stack height, the Altra Outroad 2 has what Altra calls ‘balanced’ cushioning with a 27mm/27mm heel-to-toe stack for a zero drop design.
I ran close to 30 miles in the Altra Outroad 2 on a mix of light park trails, river paths and some steep, technical and testing North Devon coastal paths. That included plenty of miles at mixed paces and a good chunk of time on the tarmac too, to test the road-to-trail credentials.
Altra Outroad 2 performance
Straight out of the box, the Outroad 2 has great step-in comfort, thanks to the plush padding in the heel collars and the tongues and that signature Altra roomy toe box. The SlimFit isn’t perhaps as roomy as some Altras and you might need to consider going half a size up if your like things spacious. But even on some steep, technical terrain I had no problems with toes hitting the toe box.
Despite being a mid-weight shoe on the scales, they run surprisingly light on the foot. They’re also noticeably firmer than some of the speedier road-to-trail shoes we’ve seen recently, like the HOKA Tecton X2. There’s some decent ground connection and the nice wide platform makes for solid stability.
But there’s just enough response from that balanced cushioned midsole to clip along compacted trails and road sections with ease. However, these aren’t built for speed. They’re firmly in the long, slow cruising trail shoes bracket.
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In my tests the Altra Outroad 2 gripped really well on dry trails, sections with loose stones and some steep grassy descents. I didn’t get the chance to push the lugs in wet conditions but the shallow lugs and less aggressive grip pattern probably won’t suit slippier trail conditions.
If you’re after a plodding workhorse that’ll eat road and easy trails at slower paces, the Altra Outroad 2 has a lot to offer. It’s not a light and energetic shoe by any stretch, but it delivers good comfort, balanced cushioning and just enough control for those low, slow miles.
