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, a U.S. brand that is also trying to carve out space for itself in the European market, has brought to market its new road racing model, the Vanish Carbon, which have a soul — and not only — devoted to fast running and competition, although…
HOW THEY FIT.
The Vanish Carbon are lightweight shoes (about 220 grams) with the well-established wide toe box that echoes the shape of the foot and characterizes Altra and its models. The already very limited weight is evenly distributed throughout the shoe, which feels well balanced both by lifting it with the hands and once worn. The tongue is thin and plentiful and cut out to fit the instep without creasing, and the heel spoon is not rigid, contributing to weight relief. This feature, however, must be taken into consideration when lacing the shoe, because lacking physical support at the rear, it is necessary for the knot to be tight to prevent it from loosening during running. The upper is made of largely heat-welded mesh, which rests on a midsole with two different layers of Altra’s proprietary EGO Pro material, in the front of which is dipped a fork-shaped carbon plate–manufactured by Carbitex–with three teeth, which provides the necessary rigidity while ensuring energy return. The EGO Pro + Carbitex combination is the strong point of this model, rigid to the touch and during walking, but transforming during running from the very first steps, becoming-or rather, returning the feeling of-a very cushioning but simultaneously responsive support. The tread is made of rubber about two mm thick, and it provided smooth grip and adherence on all the hard ground it could be tested on.
HOW THEY GO.
The Vanish Carbon perform well on all hard ground, but they find their ideal setting on asphalt. These are shoes devoted to racing-at least conceptually-and on this kind of surface the tread reacts perfectly in terms of grip and holding capacity, whatever the pace. Running at a leisurely pace, the Vanish Carbon shoes give the feel of ordinary training shoes, without creating any discomfort or asking for a change of pace. It is, however, in the case of fast-paced runs that the Vanish Carbon performs best. Thanks to the front with a very pronounced curvature, they almost impose a posture of constant acceleration, while still returning a feeling of absolute comfort underfoot, made even greater by the ample space enjoyed by the forefoot. The thinking they allow, even while running, is that the limit is only given by one’s endurance or tread life. In this first model with a carbon plate, Altra has definitely hit the jackpot with the EGO Pro + Carbitex pairing, and future iterations of this model, with a few tweaks to improve the fit and tightness of the lacing system, could go on to carve out its rightful place in the top-of-the-line model market.
WHO ARE THEY FOR?
The best thing about these very special shoes is that they are actually not extreme shoes, and they can be used at both relatively leisurely and race pace. I feel like recommending them to the vast majority of runners, all those who want to have a shoe under their feet that allows them, if they want, to lengthen their stride, speed up or slow down without the feeling underfoot changing., as long as you have one important thing in mind. While it is true (and it is) that running with correct posture can be done with all shoes, it is also true that going from one type of shoe to another can take a period of adaptation. This is even more true if the shoe is one with a carbon plate or half-plate inside, as in the case of the Vanish Carbon. The advice, therefore, is to tread carefully on the first few outings and try to figure out if our running style is okay or if we need to improve it, and once we find the right feeling, the Vanish Carbon will give us a lot of satisfaction.
Altra Vanish Carbon can be purchased at the list price of 250€ in the best stores, or on the Altra website at this
link
.