ALTRA PARADIGM 4.5 : New Year, New Shoes

Happy New Year.  Wishing all a year of blessings aplenty. Sounds just right for the year 2020. The New Year will be a year of plenty.  And for runners like the Bicolano Penguin, this divinely means plenty more run.  What better way to savor more kilometers on the road than to savor the mileage aplenty with a new pair of running shoes.  And not just some pair but the latest edition of my favorite road running shoes - the Altra Paradigm 4.5. 

For the year that just came to past, there is no doubt which one is my favorite road running shoes. In all but one of the marathons and ultra marathons I joined in 2019,  the Bicolano Penguin was wearing a pair of the Altra Paradigm 4.  After buying a pair of the Paradigm 4 from the Altra in Sparta Philippines store there in Pioneer Street, Mandaluyong City in January 2019, I immediately used it for the 2nd Mt Asog 50Km Ultramarathon (Asog360) early February. I was wearing the same pair when I paced my fellow First Balfour runners in their first full marathon at the TBR Dream Marathon(TBRDM)  in late February. Then in April 2019, the same Altra pair was on my feet when I crossed the finish line of  the Tarlac to Pampanga 50Km Ultramarathon (TP50) . In July 2019, once again the Altra Paradigm 4 was my shoes in finishing this time the Ulo ng Apo Marathon in Zambales. 

My 4 marathons/ultramarathons in 2019 had one thing in common. I was wearing Altra Paradigm 4 when I crossed the finish line.   

What do I like in the  Altra Paradigm 4 that makes it my favorite? And are these features still in the Altra Paradigm 4.5?

Let us count the ways.

1.  MAXIMUM CUSHIONING

The Bicolano Penguin is a maximum cushioning kind of guy.

While many runners (elite and non-elite alike) got bitten by the minimalist bug in the years leading to the 2010s decade  when barely-there-shoes like Vibram FiveFingers and Nike Free were like rock stars to the sole faithful, I never fell in love with it. At that time, Vibram, over the course of  5 years, sold 70 million pairs of the FiveFingers.   Good thing I did not bought into the Vibram craze because in March 2012, a  runner in Massachusetts filed a class action lawsuit, alleging that Vibram deceived consumers by advertising that the footwear could reduce foot injuries and strengthen foot muscles without basing those assertions on any scientific merit.  By May 2014, Vibram has agreed to settle the lawsuit. The settlement has 2 parts.  The first is refunds to class members who submit valid and completed claim forms. The second requires Vibram to walk back its claims via an online campaign and remove references to the disputed benefits, at least unless the company can prove them.

For the Bicolano Penguin, more (not less) is better when it comes to cushioning. I started singing praises about this contrarian maxim ever since I got introduced to Hoka back in 2013. More so when I had my first pair of  Altra Paradigm in 2014.

The Paradigm 4.5 has the  most amount of cushion (30mm) in the Altra line up. 30mm is taller than both the Php 1 and Php 10 coins. 

Heel and forefoot are the same distance from the ground.  Both the Altra Paradigm 4.5 (top) and the Altra Paradigm 4 (bottom) have this balance cushioning feature known as Zero Drop.  

Hoka and Altra are definitely the first movers, among the sports brands,  in the maximum cushioning movement.  But the difference between the Hoka and Altra is that for the latter, it is balanced cushioning.  Meaning, the Altra Paradigm places the heel and forefoot of the runners at the same distance from the ground to encourage  proper, low-impact form throughout the run.  The stack height for the heel and forefoot of the Altra Paradigm 4.5, same as Altra Paradigm 4,  are both at  30mm. There is no difference in the heel and the forefoot  , thus the term "zero drop" coined by Brian Beckstead, the co-founder of the Altra Running Brand.

The balanced maximum cushioning of  Altra Paradigm 4 is also very much evident with the Altra Paradigm 4.5. These two Altra Paradigm versions have the most amount of cushion (30mm) when compared to the rest of the Altra lineup.  I have ran with a pair of the Altra Paradigm 4.5 for many  of my training runs this January 2020, including a couple of 20km+  LSD runs, and it surely provided excellent shock absorption. Excellent because it made my LSD runs easy on the joints for a slow runner like the Bicolano Penguin.

2.  Footshape Toe Box

More traditional running shoes, like the ones of widely-known brands  Nike and Asics,  feature pointy toe boxes that squeeze the toes out of their natural position  - increasing risk of bunions, hammertoes and plantar fasciitis. Not in the case of the Altra shoes.  Altra has the Footshape Toe Box which allows the toes to relax and spread out naturally and the big toe to remain in a straight position. 

The ample amount of work space that a typical Altra shoes like the Paradigm provide a runner's foot is very much evident in this x-ray photo.  

Showing off the asymmetrical design that  mimics the anatomy of my foot

Because of the Footshape Toe Box, the Altra Paradigm 4.5 (and the Altra Paradigm 4) has wiggle room for my toes.  And for ultra runners romancing the road for many many hours while in training or in the actual race itself, this wiggle room is very important.  As we run longer, the feet have a tendency to go wider.  If there is no wiggle room, the shoe would feel tighter, adding to some discomfort which gets magnified for each additional kilometer.   Not so for the Altra Paradigm.  It simply gives our foot  the working space it needs.  In other words, I particularly am delighted by the Altra Footshape Toe Box that splays and allows my foot to widen out with each foot strike.

3. GuideRail &  Stabilipods

For the Paradigm 4, Altra added something new which is not present in the earlier versions of the Paradigm.  Altra added "Guide Rails" to the top of the midsole around the upper to help stabilize the heel and add a little structure through the gait.    In addition, Altra put in a  "Stabilipod"on the outside  of the sole unit to increase stability.

The GuardRail technology, present in both the Paradigm 4.0 and 4.5 versions, provides an extra level of support where the sole meets the upper that limits the amount of pronation during the stride.

The Stabilipods are located beneath the arch and heel for added support. 

The Guiderails and Stabilipods are present in the Altra Paradigm 4.5 as well.  These Stabilipods work with the Guide Rails to offer a stable feel when the feet get tired.

Conclusions:

Overall, the Altra Paradigm 4.5, for me,  is an excellent shoe for running a marathon and ultramarathon on the road.  It provides a balanced maximum cushioning in a stable footshape platform that provides luxurious space for my foot to work as the kilometers pile up in the pursuit of a full mary and beyond.

Speaking of the road, the first time I tested my new pair of Altra Paradigm 4.5 was on the first day of 2020 at my alma mater - the Ateneo de Manila University. Inside the Loyola campus, I had a comfortable run in  3 road surfaces:  asphalt, concrete and brick.  In all 3 road surfaces, easy on the joints was all I could think about with the experience of running with this latest version of the Paradigm.

The Altra Paradigm 4.5 is easy on the joints in all types of road surfaces.  Asphalt...

...Concrete...

...and Brick.

Without a doubt, the Altra Paradigm 4.5 will be my most favorite road running shoe in this new year of  2020. Just like, the Altra Paradigm 4 in 2019. Actually, as an 0.5 update, the Altra Paradigm 4.5 see only minor changes from the 4.0 version, essentially a slight tweak to the knit upper. Why mess with a good thing?

Indeed, there is much good to be had in running with the Altra Paradigm 4.5.

The road awaits.