Altra Outroad 2 review

We believe the Altra Outroad 2 is a perfect match for:

• Loyal Altra enthusiasts seeking a reliable, road-to-trail running shoe.
• Midfoot or forefoot strikers eager to dive into their first zero-drop adventure.
• Natural-running aficionados looking for an affordable, versatile option.

The Altra Outroad 2 is fantastic for many, but it might not be the top choice for heel strikers due to its low heel-to-toe drop.

We think other shoes we've tested in the lab, like the Nike Pegasus Trail 4 or the Hoka Challenger 7, might suit that footstrike better.

Also, if you're looking for a more dynamic, cushioned experience, this might not be the best Altra pick. While its Ego foam is decent, Altra has more to offer. The Altra Olympus 5, for instance, boasts a higher stack height and the more vibrant EgoMax foam. However, it's a bit pricier.

Like many Altra shoes, the heel isn't very high, since a higher stack would likely make the forefoot too elevated in a zero-drop running shoe.

So, you'll have to give up some cushioning in the heel. However, this shouldn't be a big deal for most Altra fans, as zero-drop shoes are mainly designed for forefoot and midfoot strikers.

The forefoot thickness is on par with most running shoes at 25.5 mm, striking a nice balance.

But don't expect the Outroad 2 to excel in the long stuff. Its sweet spot is more for casual, short-to-medium distance runs.

Although it's advertised as a zero-drop shoe, our measurements show the Outroad 2 with a slight heel drop of 1.4 mm. This isn't unusual for Altra shoes; they're almost never exactly 0-mm. For example, we measured the Torin 7 with a -0.8 mm drop.

However, this difference is pretty minor. For all practical purposes, the Outroad 2 still feels like a zero-drop shoe.

Shifting to the midsole, we encountered Altra's Ego foam, featuring a balanced softness at 25.5-HA.

As outlined in our advanced foams guide, Ego is a run-of-the-mill EVA foam, yet it offers pleasing cushioning and a moderately responsive ride. Also, it's unrealistic to expect higher-end varieties like Ego Pro or Ego Max in a $120 shoe.

To see if cold temperatures affected the shoe's feel, we put it in the freezer for 20 minutes and then tested it again. After cooling down, the shoe felt a bit firmer, measuring 29.9 HA.

This marks a 17.2% increase, which is notably better than most running shoes. It's more evidence that Ego isn't just your cheap EVA, but a more interesting version with superior qualities.

There's not much to say about the insole thickness—it's pretty standard at 4.5 mm.

Altra is widely known in the running biz as the "wide toebox" company, but there's an exception—shoes with their "Slim fit" design, and this is one of them.

Because of that, the measurement in the widest part of the toebox came in at 99.4 mm, which still can be considered medium-to-wide, but for being an Altra, is on the narrower side.

Of course, true to the FootShape design cues, the toecap is very rounded, and we measured it at 82.8 mm. This is how we think in the lab that most daily running shoes should feel—roomy, with enough toe splay, and resembling the shape of a foot.

We experienced impressive stability while testing the Outroad 2, but let's make it clear—this isn't a stability shoe.

However, it boasts prominent sidewalls in the midfoot that guide the stride effectively. And, with its firm foam, we can confidently say it's suitable for those who typically need mild stability in their shoes.

After twisting the shoe, we settled on a 3/5 rating for the Outroad 2, which is pretty average.

This seems like the right call for a shoe aiming to be versatile and comfortable for various activities, whether it's walking the dog or strolling through the forest.

The heel counter also takes an average approach, earning another 3/5. It's well-crafted and secures the heel nicely, so we're quite pleased with it. Making it stiffer could have increased stability for heel strikers, but the trade-off in comfort would have been too great.

Staying true to Altra's unique FootShape design, the Outroad 2 boasts an impressively wide forefoot area, measuring 115.6 mm. This further confirms that the shoe is ideally suited for those who strike the ground with the front part of their foot.

The heel, on the other hand, is quite the opposite, being notably narrower than most running shoes at just 85.1 mm. If we typically don't recommend zero-drop shoes for heel strikers, this narrow heel is another reason to consider a different shoe if that's your running style.

In the lab, we used our digital force gauge to bend the shoe all the way to 90 degrees.

We measured a resistance of 25.5N, which further highlights this shoe's comfort and flexibility. It's clearly capable of all-day wear!

We put the shoe back in the freezer to mimic cold conditions and then repeated our bending test. This time, the force needed to bend it increased to 33.5N.

This 31.1% difference means the change will be slightly noticeable for those living in very cold climates. However, for the rest of us in less freezing temperatures, we won't really feel any difference.

Talking about weight, the Outroad 2 hit 10.3 oz or 291g on our scale. Sure, it's around the average and doesn't feel like a brick, but honestly, there's room for improvement.

We believe Altra could easily drop this shoe below the 10-oz mark with minimal sacrifices.

The Altra Outroad 2 features a multi-layered engineered mesh that, at first glance, doesn't look very breathable—it lacks visible ventilation holes and doesn't appear thin. But let's see how it performs in our smoke test.

We were pleasantly surprised this time. The mesh actually offers good ventilation in the lab, earning a solid 4/5 rating from us.

This proves the importance of a rigorous approach when assessing breathability. For example, when we moved the upper over the light, it seemed to lack breathability.

Then, we took a closer look under the microscope.

Here, the engineered mesh upper revealed its intricate design—a mix of threads in multiple directions, striking a balance between breathability and durability.

Finally, we examined the exterior and interior parts of the upper. We found it decently padded, although not very stretchy, which aligns with the construction we observed under the microscope.

With its impressive breathability and pleasant feel, we were bracing for a disappointing result in the durability test.

And sadly, our suspicions were confirmed. After putting it through the wringer with our Dremel, we had to give it a lowly 2/5 score.

Next, we kept the Dremel running and focused it on the heel to gauge durability in this critical area.

Fortunately, the Outroad 2 exceeded our expectations, outperforming the average and snagging a commendable 3/5 score.

Switching gears to the MaxTrac outsole, we grabbed our durometer—a tool designed to measure material hardness.

We used it to check the hardness on the Altra Outroad 2, getting a feel for the toughness of the rubber used. With a reading of 86.5 HC, it's right there in the average range, likely aiming for a sweet spot between durability and grip.

In our final Dremel test, we were super curious to see how durable the outsole was, especially after finding out it's not particularly hard.

Well, Altra really knocked it out of the park with this formulation! We only measured a tiny 0.5-mm indentation after our Dremel test. That's impressive, considering most shoes usually show double the wear!

Considering the Outroad has a 2.8-mm thick outsole, it's highly unlikely that any user, no matter their weight, would wear down this part of the shoe.

Actually, for version 3, we'd like to see a thinner outsole to help shave off some weight.

As a versatile road-to-trail hybrid shoe, the outsole needs to handle asphalt, dirt roads, and moderate trails. As we covered in our outsole guide, this typically means shorter lugs.

Altra smartly chose this path with 2.2-mm lugs, ideal for fire roads and easy trails, and even suitable for some road use if necessary. However, it's not the best choice for tackling muddy or challenging terrain. Check the Salomon Speedcross 6 for that.

We're huge fans of reflective elements on running shoes and really think they should be a must-have on trail shoes.

So, you can imagine our smiles in the lab when we shone the light on the Outroad 2. They've added reflectivity in a rare way, but we totally loved it. Just check out those laces!

With a 7.1 mm thick padding on the tongue, there's more than enough cushioning to prevent almost any issue, even for those who tie their laces with Hulk-like strength.

The tongue is semi-gusseted and does a great job. It's not very common to get this kind of tongue in a $120 shoe, so we're really happy with this.

We discovered a finger-loop heel tab, which not only adds a cool touch but also makes it super convenient to slip on the shoes and head out for a run.

The insole isn't glued down, so you can remove it easily and without any fuss.

But there's a catch—since this shoe incorporates Altra's FootShape design, most third-party insoles might not fit perfectly in it...