Men's Altra Footwear Viho Running Shoe Navy/Light Blue 9 M

I wore this for a 9 mile run, and noted this is adequate for a distance shoe. I also noted this was a "fast" shoe, and as such I will be wearing these for speed / tempo runs. I would recommend these for 5k-10k, even 1/2 marathon distances. They have excellent grip, and a comfortable fit. Snug, but not too tight. I would purchase these again.

This shoe was my first Altra shoe, and I was always skeptical because of chronic lower achilles tendinitis issues. I searched reviews for this issue and didn't see much, so hopefully this review helps others with similar concern. I get bone spurs and inflammation, and with running and being generally active, I would find myself continuously limping, especially after waking up each morning. I would never walk around the house barefoot. I have custom orthotics and have seen podiatrists and physical therapists. The first week of wearing these shoes (no inserts added), my calves were a bit sore, but they were sore in a way that my physical therapy exercises targeted. After 2 weeks of running about 3 times per week, in addition to 1-2 other strength/core workouts, the soreness was gone and the irritation in my achilles was reduced to a minimum. Working from home in COVID, and I can finally remain barefoot or only wearing socks. I'm not limping and my stride is no longer impacted from my strained achilles. I was told by doctors that I needed a shoe with a high heel, and my orthotics made it higher, so I was reluctant to try these. I am very glad I did. I no longer use my orthotics because while I don't exactly feel like I'm running on a cloud like I do with orthotics and my brooks, my body feels better during and after runs. I'm sold! ...and I will be saving money by not having to buy orthotics. This was a great intro shoe for Altra, and I will be back for more.