Altra Experience Wild 3+

Altra Experience Wild 3+
Trail Season has fully commenced here in Flagstaff, and there’s a new dirt-covered kid on the block with a grin on his face and Vibram on his soles.
 

The all-new Altra Experience Wild 3+ has hit the shelves and is ready to hit the trails. Altra has finally figured out how to blend comfort, grip, and a smooth, flowy ride into one fun package that is incredibly runnable across varied terrain. 

 

Altra launched the Experience line in the last few years to allow a wider range of people to try their shoes and to compete with their wide toe box rivals, Topo. Instead of being zero drop, the Experience line offers a generous four millimeter drop that is more approachable for the general public, while still staying true to their roots with a foot-shaped toe box.  This slight drop and mild rocker create a smooth and effortless shoe that works well on the trails. Oh, and did I mention it has a Vibram outsole?

 

The first thing I noticed when slipping on the Experience Wild is that trademark foot-shaped toe box. The forefoot didn’t feel too wide, and allowed for my toes to naturally splay without feeling sloppy or boxy. The cushioning feels balanced. If Goldilocks were looking for a shoe that "wasn't too minimal, wasn’t too much,” she probably would say that the Experience Wild is “just right!” It’s not your max-stack Hoka Stinson, and it’s not your low-profile Lone Peak. This shoe sits right in the middle. 

 

Back to the upper - the heel and midfoot are secure and cause no excess pressure on my absurdly high instep. The toe box is plenty accommodating and not too shallow. My feet felt far from claustrophobic in this shoe, they actually felt surprisingly comfortable right out of the box. If you’re tired of your toes feeling like sardines in a gas station tin, it may be worth giving these a try.

 

Underfoot, the shoe feels soft and protective. It has plenty of cushion without feeling bulky, and the stack is appropriate for a shoe of this nature. It felt stable throughout my runs and smooth during my stride. My one caveat is that my feet were absolutely cooked after my first run, but in my subsequent runs, I did not have the same experience. Maybe it needed some break-in, maybe my feet needed to adapt, but for this reason, I would probably rule it out for my more technical runs, and keep it to smoother singletrack and longer days in the forest. 

 

But the biggest upgrade? The Vibram outsole.

 

The outsole has some GRIP. Adding Vibram to this shoe really elevates the experience as a whole. I have found that while Altra’s proprietary Maxtrac outsole is sufficient, it did leave some longing for a little more stickiness on slick rock and slightly more technical terrain. The tread handles the trails, you handle the rest. The lugs aren’t the deepest, but they are more than sufficient for 99% of the terrain you will find in Northern Arizona. If you are looking for a more technical shoe, it may be worth looking at the Timp 6, Saucony Peregrine, or Nike Wildhorse 

 

Overall, this is the best Altra shoe I have put on in a few years. While it won’t be my daily driver per se, it will absolutely be included in my quiver of shoes for days where I don’t want to think about my feet or my pace, and just run. It has also handled some road-to-trail stuff very well, and if you are looking for an option of that nature, this could be a potential hit. The shoe is approachable, comfortable, and feels very natural for my feet and stride. If you are someone who likes options like the Topo Ultraventure, Hoka Challenger, or even the Nike Zegama, the accommodating Experience Wild 3+ is definitely worth a shout. 

 

Until next week. Run Wilde, Run Flagstaff