Altra Launches a 4.2 oz Shoe – The Vanish-R

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 Introducing the Vanish-R – Altra’s first racing flat.

With a 14 mm stack height and weighing only 4.2 ounces, the Vanish-R has the lowest stack height and lightest weight of any Altra shoe.

“Unlike traditional racing flats that rob performance and comfort by crowding your toes, the Vanish-R allows for comfortable toe splay,” said Altra founder Golden Harper. “With this shoe, you get slipper-like comfort in a racing flat that is all performance.”

The Vanish-R is a chameleon—a road shoe, a fast flat or a technique training tool—all with Altra’s signature FootShape™ toe box and Zero Drop™ platform. The lightweight, breathable knit upper will keep you dry and comfortable, while the built-in Propel Plate™ push-off feature helps you spring forward to delivers maximum energy return from footstrike to toe-off. This shoe is great for serious runners to have in their arsenal to use on speed work and shorter runs to strengthen feet and improve technique.

“Altra’s distinctive FootShape toe box is ideal for a racing flat — it allows the big toe to straighten out, for a faster, more powerful toe-off and more natural stability,” said Harper. “Our balanced, level cushioning, known as Zero Drop, provides two performance benefits in a go-fast shoe. First, it allows for deeper loading of the spring system of the lower leg, allowing for a more explosive push off. Second, it makes the foot to land closer to the body, reducing ground contact time, so the muscles don’t have to work for as long on each step.”

Color options are black, yellow/gray, electric blue, racing red and neon yellow/pink in unisex sizing, so you have your choice of any color.

Technical Specs

• Ideal Uses: Running, Road Racing, Speed Work
• Cushioning: Light
• Stack Height: 14 mm
• Weight: 4.2 oz. / 119 g
• Designed To Improve: Natural Foot Positioning, Toe Splay, Comfort
• Platform: Fully Cushioned Zero Drop™ platform and FootShape™ toe box
• Last: XC
• Midsole: Durable, exposed, springy EVA with Propel Plate
• Outsole: Laminated rubber pods
• Insole: 6 mm Contour Footbed
• Upper: Engineered mesh forefoot, glove-like fit, midfoot A-Strap support system
• Other Features: The TPU Propel Plate offers maximum energy transfer for maximum propulsion

The Altra Vanish-R retails for $100 and is available now on www.altrarunning.com or at your local specialty running retailer.