Altra Provision 5 Review
Hey everybody, my name is Steve Moore, and I am the owner of Run Moore, this brick and mortar running shop located on Main Street in Westminster, Maryland. Thank you for checking out our channel and some of our shoe reviews. If you enjoy what we are doing, give us a like and subscribe. It really helps us find new people.
Today we are going to be talking about Altra Provision 5. This is coming out in the spring of 2021. This is a much-anticipated update to version four, and I say much anticipated because this was version 4 was probably the most disappointing shoe we had last year.
I was really excited about the Provision 4. On paper, everything that Altra tried with version 4 seemed positive but the execution failed. We tried to make this shoe work, and people really liked it. But many of our customers and other Altra Fans who did give the shoe a try were not pleased.
We are now excited to see what feedback Altra has received and see what changes are in version 5. The conceptual ideas that Altra had for version 4 were great. I am pleased to see that they have carried these ideas, and fixed the major problems for v5.
Guide Rails
The Provision is a stability version mid cushion shoe from Altra. When people say, you know I run in -and I am going to just pick a popular shoe, the Brooks Adrenaline, which is also a very popular mid-cushion stability model shoe, especially for somebody who overpronates. Thanks to guide rail technology, shoes like the Adrenaline, like the Provision, are their friend.
Purpose of Guide Rails
Guide rails hold you in place, like bumpers in bowling. No matter which way your foot goes, they guide rails gently guide your foot to run neutrally without the hard medial posting. If you do not need the support, the guide rails do not interfere with the way posting would. The Provision really captures the attention of many people who have some sort of pronations issues. It is also popular with people who may be newer to running and have a bit of sloppy form or just need extra stability. While Altra shoes in the road neutral category, like a Torin, have a higher profile arch than some of the other shoes we carry, it was not a stable arch.
Why the Provision 4 did not work for us
Last year the Provision 4 was going to be the big summer release for Altra, but it just kind of fell flat. There are a couple of reasons why this happened. First, we found sizing to be a big issue. A lot of the fit issues in v4 were due to the little tabs from the InnovArch. The idea was that when you pulled on these tabs a net would keep your arch secure. In the last version, one of the tabs was too high on the shoe. This furthest tab at the top caused bunching when tightened. This caused all kinds of weird fitting issues through the forefoot.
How the Altra Provision 5 has changed
For version 5, they removed the top tab near the toe box. Now we just have two tabs, which seem have helped the shoe fit little better. For the Provision 4 we were sizing people up a half across the board. The shoe was narrow, which isn’t something people looking at the Altra brand, necessarily want. There were many complaints that runners felt constricted wearing the shoe. Luckily for the newest version, the sizing is a lot better, and the upper has been improved. In version 4, it was scratchy and was not flexible, so it also did not help with the bunching either. It just was not a good material on the upper. Now there is a much softer traditional upper that is a little bendier, has a little bit more stretch to it, a little more breathable. Now the sizing and the upper feel better as a whole.
There is also a padded heel cup to it. We always get a lot of questions on the heel cup. You can see in there it is sort of more of a V heel cup along your Achilles here. It is not like super loosey-goosey. There is a little bit of definition that will kind of hold your heel a little bit better along your Achilles.
The Midsole
One of the other things that we kept from the last version is this contoured insole. This is one of the only shoes I could think of that we have ever had here that had some definition. We had a Newton shoe years ago that had a little metatarsal pad built into the insole, but besides that, this is the only one that I can think of that has some unique characteristics to its insole. It is almost like a bit of massage as you step into your foot. The design of the new insole engages the nerves in your foot. It is also more padded and more cushioned than any other insole that we have from Altra.
Many people think that some inherent stability is built into the insole that comes in with many of their shoes. But if you really take them out and examine them, there is not much substance to them. But for both versions, 4 & 5, there is a little bit of cushion built into it, and this contour feels good when you put it on. One positive bit with the previous version was this insole, I never had a customer who put it on and said, like I do not like that, or I will not get used to it. It was a positive aspect of the Provision, and Altra stuck to it.
Where the Provision falls in the Altra Lineup
The Altra Provision 5 is a great item to add to the Altra lineup because, previously, if somebody came in and had some stability issues, the only thing in Altra’s family that we felt confident pulling is the Paradigm. If you were somebody with a more traditional or narrower foot, you might have struggled with the Paradigm. It is a giant shoe, on the men’s size; the Paradigm is a 12.5-ounce shoe, it really is a beast of a shoe, it is Altra’s version of a Brook’s Beast. They both are big old max stability max cushion shoes.
Altra Provision: Slimmed Down Stability Shoe
Now, thanks to the Provision, we have a slimmed down stability shoe. Importantly, the Provision has a little bit lower profile, fits a little bit lower. The men’s shoe is 10.8 ounces, which is a good bit lighter than what we had before. I like to say a runner can run a mile to a marathon in the Provision 5. It is a true everyday mid cushion trainer. It has got a little bit of arch support, it is going to be great on the roads, it is not too heavy, it is comparable in weight to other stuff in that mid cushion stuff on the neutral side, and the stable side we are back to having a more rounded wide toe box.
Features:
- Updated Innovarch™ arch feature discourages over-pronation.
- GuideRail™ designed to provide extra medial support only as needed, incorporated into the A-Bound midsole for adaptive stability.
- Natural Ride System (NRS) design includes a more natural, foot-shaped last, zero millimeter heel to toe drop, and metatarsal-specific shapes in the outsole to assist in proper foot mechanics and allow for more natural foot movement. Contoured insole surface designed to engages with the nerves of your feet
- Rubber outsole offers increased durability and traction.
- Forefoot Mesh is light and breathable and wicks water away.
- Weight:
- Men’s: 10.8oz | 308g /
- Women’s: 8.28oz | 235g
- Stack Height: 26mm
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Altra Provision 5 fits better, looks better, and the upper is better. Above all, I really hope that people enjoy the newest Provision. Again, I hate to keep harping on it, but people that think that we work for the brands or involved in manufacturing. We are not I am just a guy who owns a shoe shop. We hope that this shoe will be a nice, updated version for everybody out there trying it.
In conclusion, if you want to try it, you can check out our website shop.letsrunmoore.com use promo code RunMoore, one word, and you will save 10% off your order, and we will ship it out for free. Again, thank you so much for checking out our channel. Like and subscribe if you can do us a solid. If you have any questions on this, you leave it down below.
If you have any feedback on the last version, let us know because we might have a skewed interpretation. Still, I would love to know your feedback on version 4, and if you were excited about this update. Thank you so much; stay safe out there.
