(Logan, UT — July 11, 2017) Altra topped the list of shoes preferred most by runners during the 2017 Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run. The results from the 2017 Runner Survey show Altra as the favorite shoe of the sub-24 hour finishers and one of the top three shoes favored by all runners.
Shoes worn by sub-24 hour finishers at the 2017 Western States:
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Altra – 31%
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Hoka One One – 15%
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Salomon – 12%
Shoes worn by all runners at the 2017 Western States:
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Hoka One One – 25%
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Altra – 23%
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Salomon – 11%
Over the past four years, Altra’s presence has grown rapidly at Western States.
Altra now dominates the Western States scene as well as the U.S. trail scene. A survey conducted by the American Trail Running Association just found Altra to be the #1 trail brand in the nation among trail runners surveyed. Comfort and fit were the two biggest attributes participants looked for in a trail shoe. Altra’s signature FootShape™ toe box and Zero Drop™ cushioning provide great comfort with a natural fit for a better running experience.
For all the shoe geeks, here are the Altra shoe and gear picks from Altra’s elite athletes at Western States 2017.
Jeff Browning: Browning started in the soon-to-be released Altra Timp, a shoe that fits like a Superior and fills the cushioning sweet spot between the Lone Peak and Olympus, and finished the race in the Altra Lone Peak 3.0.
Ian Sharman: Sharman wore the Altra Lone Peak 3.0 for the duration of the race, saying, “I wore the Lone Peak 3.0s the whole way and my feet are completely blister-free at the end, which is something I can only say since switching to Altras.”
Jesse Haynes: Haynes ran the first half of his race in the soon-to-be released Altra Timp, he says their durable tread did great on the snow, then around 56 miles he switched over to the Altra Olympus to get a tad more cushion and ran in those to the end. Jess took it a step further and “also wore the Altra buff to keep the head moist (very important to stay wet in the heat) and the Altra Trail Gaiter which I am a big fan of to keep the junk and little stones out.”
Kyle Pietari: Pietari ran the whole race in the Altra Superior, as he put it: “I’m a Superior purist. The Superiors have enough tread to do great in snow and mud, and the rubber is really grippy on slick surfaces. Most importantly, they’re speedy, light, and stable. There’s no other shoe I trust more for a serious race.”
Kyle had three pairs of Superiors ready for the race but only ended up needing two, he switched half through when he noticed that he had some rocks and dirt in his socks from sinking into the snow during the early miles. He also wore the Altra Racing Hat and he wrote this rave review: “It is the only hat I have ever run in that I would recommend for Western States. It’s featherlight, cooling, and completely stable with no flopping. I filled it with ice at most aid stations and used it to splash water on myself at every stream crossing. Other than that, it kept the sun out of my eyes and I largely forgot it was on my head. It’s so light that I could hardly feel it.”
Nicole Kalogeropoulos: Nicole wore the King MT for the entire race and said, “they were excellent for gripping the snowy and wet terrain in the high country.” She also wore her Altra Fit4Her Team trucker hat and a yet-to-be-released Altra Running Singlet she is testing. She reported that the “lightweight consistency of the shirt proved perfect for the hot weather.”
Meghan Laws (previously Arbogast): Laws wore the Altra Superior for the whole race. She reports, “Superior from start to finish. They are light, nimble, and fit my feet perfectly. They have just the right amount of traction for the varied surfaces we ran on.”
Sabrina Stanley is not an official Altra athlete but she finished 3rd female, 21st overall and rocked the Altra Olympus for the entire race!
WOW! Thank you Craig. I have run in Hokas for years. Perhaps I will try Altra!