Hey, everybody, this is Steve Moore, owner of Run Moore, this brick-and-mortar running shop located in Westminster, Maryland. Today we will be talking about the Altra Vanish Tempo which is coming out in June of 2022. This is under Altra’s speed category and is $190.
First, let us talk about Altra running shoes. All Altra shoes have a couple of characteristics that are unique to them. Most notably is the zero-drop platform and rounded foot shape toe box. When looking at an Altra shoe, you can see that the heel and toe are on the same level. Compared to the Altra Escalante, which looks pretty flat, the Vanish Tempo looks like it has a bit of a lip to it. There is a bit of a lift from your heel to your toe. It is not just an optical illusion; this shoe is designed to give you a little bit of spring and bounce when running and put a little more propulsion into your stride. The Altra Vanish Tempo falls under the speed category because its purpose is to be a fast-paced go-run shoe. It is the companion shoe to the racing version, the Altra Vanish Carbon ($240). That is a carbon-plated racing shoe designed to be super-fast and is really fun. The Vanish Tempo works as a companion shoe and an everyday training shoe.
What is the difference between the Altra Vanish Carbon and Altra Vanish Tempo?
There are significant differences between the two shoes. Most notably, the Tempo Vanish does not have a carbon plate. I feel great running in the Altra Vanish Carbon. I have done some workouts and some speed stuff in it, and I really like it. I was working on a future video where I would compare four different popular carbon-plated shoes, and the Altra Vanish Carbon performed the best for me. I loved it; it was fast, and it felt super-efficient. When you run in an expensive race day shoe like the Altra Vanish Carbon, it is difficult to justify wearing them for everyday training. Carbon shoes change the way you move, and carbon shoes can put a strain on your muscles and joints as they are stripped back and designed to go fast. Carbon technology is something that should be reserved for race day, I find that even mentally the idea of special racing shoes gets me in the right racing mindset.
This is where the Altra Vanish Tempo comes in. You can happily wear the Tempo every day and then transition to the carbon shoe on race day without much hindrance. The Tempo weighs a little more, has a better fit, and has more cushion – as an everyday trainer, it has a more enjoyable running experience and you can train for many miles without feeling any guilt about using racing shoes.
Sizing
Compared to other Altra shoes, the Vanish Tempo is slightly slimmer. Recently, I have found that Altra are trying to better differentiate the sizing. Now we have a slim fit which is on the narrower size, an original fit on the wider side, and a standard fit which is in the middle. The Vanish Tempo and Vanish Carbon fall under the slim-fit category.
This is a narrow shoe. If you have been running in an Altra Torin and looking for a fast-paced shoe, this will feel a little snugger coming under your foot. In my opinion, the Vanish Tempo it fits more like a Rivera, which is also a slim-fit road shoe from Altra. I went up a half a size in the shoe because I wanted more length and width. I am typically an 11.5 in Altra shoes, but I did have to go up to a size 12 in my Vanish Carbons and Vanish Tempos. I suggest that you also round up a half a size. But if you are someone who has a narrower foot, you can wear your normal size.
I like the fit on the Vanish Tempo because it has a little more cushion than its carbon brother. Sizing was one thing that took me a little bit to get used to on the Vanished Carbon and even some of the other stuff Altra has released recently, like the Mont Blanc. So, it has taken me a while to get used to the fit. The carbon version has more of a thin, wispy heel cup, which influences the fit, but the Tempo version has a more traditional feel due to the more padded heel cup and I think this helps provide a better fit.
Durability and Midsole
The Vanish Tempo has a rubber outsole compared to the Eva outsole on the Vanish Carbon. In addition, the Vanish Tempo is designed to be more durable. Quite honestly, after running a bunch of miles in the Vanish Carbon, including some gravel, it has held up much better than I initially thought. Comparing it to some other carbon shoes, the Altra Vanish Carbon appears to be pretty darn durable.
Altra is telling me that the Vanish Tempo will be even more durable due to the rubber blend, and you should be able to get more miles out of it. If you spend $190 on a pair of shoes as a daily trainer, you do not want them to fall apart and feel all beat up and flat after 150 miles. I hope this shoe will be a 300+ mile companion shoe that you can use all the time and not feel like you are wasting miles on it.
The Altra Vanish Tempo also feels a little firmer to me than its carbon companion. Interestingly, I felt more propulsion with the carbon plate, whereas with the Vanish tempo, it felt a little bit denser underfoot, but it gave a nice springy feel to it, even without the carbon plate. Both shoes also have the best midsole in the Altra line-up compared to any other shoe, the EGO PRO midsole. Altra has different versions of ego midsole. To compare, the Escalante has EGO, the Torin has the EGO MAX, and now this Vanish Tempo has the EGO PRO midsole, which is very responsive, exceptionally light, feels great, and has an excellent rebound in it.
The Altra Vanish Tempo is light and bouncy; it has a good feel on the cushion and has a lot of padding on the heel.
Not ready for the Altra Carbon shoe?
The Vanish Tempo is an everyday trainer, not necessarily a race day shoe. But, if you are somebody who only does a couple of races a year, you could still use this as your race day shoe. I know plenty of people out there do not have a go-fast shoe on race day, they prefer to use an everyday trainer that is on the lighter side and this would fit the bill.
Altra Vanish Tempo Weight
Although it weighs more than the carbon plated version, it does not weigh much. It is just coming over at 8oz for the men, and the women’s is just over 6.9oz. It is light. It is less than an ounce more than the vanish carbon. It is something that you can go speedy in, but it will not be a big clunky shoe.
Conclusion
If you have any questions about the shoe, feel free to leave them on our YouTube channel. If you want to pick up this shoe, please use the promotional code, RUNMOORE, and you can get 10% off + free shipping (some exclusions do apply, please see our website for more information).
Men’s Vanish Tempo | Women’s Vanish Tempo
Men’s Vanish Carbon | Women’s Vanish Carbon
Happy running out there, and as always, we will see you around town!
