About Altra

It started with a shoe in a toaster oven. Golden Harper, an elite runner and running store manager in Northern Utah began to notice the design of traditional running shoes was hurting customers more than helping them. He began experimenting on their shoes and used a toaster oven to peel back the midsole, carve out excessive heel height, and modify the shoe to a “Zero Drop” profile. Harper and industry research believed excessive heel height encouraged a high-impact heel strike. Once his customers fell in love with his Zero Drop modifications and saw they helped encourage a low-impact landing, he knew he had an innovative solution to a better run. A few years and awards later, Altra has evolved from the inside of a toaster oven to a Top 10 running specialty store brand. We are the only running shoe company to provide a complete line of footwear with a FootShape™ toe box and Zero Drop™ platform. Our innovative footwear allows your foot to remain in a comfort, natural position throughout your run and let you run the way you were born to. Give your run what it’s been missing and the freedom your feet deserve with Altra Footwear.