****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
Altra, like every other running shoe company, feels compelled to rework its shoes every year or so. For Altra's Paradigm line, it's been downhill since the Paradigm 4, which was a pretty good shoe (as was the 3). The Paradigm 5 was a step backward -- less comfortable, less durable -- but it was OK. The 6 is not too much different from the 5, but the alterations are annoying: the loop at the heel of the 5 is gone, which makes the 6 a bit harder to pull on, and the flat laces on the 5 have been replaced on the 6 by short, fat, squishy tubes that resemble earthworms on the sidewalk after a rainstorm.Altra's made some structural changes to the 6, most notably a heftier "Guide Rail" to keep your foot in place. It doesn't seem to make much of a difference, but the shoe does have good stability. It also has Altra's flat plane from toe to heel and Altra's generous, foot-shaped toe box. These are features that make Altra wearers like me loyal to the brand but may take you some time to get used to if this is your first pair of Altras.If you are familiar with the Altra fit and feel, the Paradigm 6 mostly fills the bill, although the forward part of the sole of the 6 is more flexible than the 5. If you need a stiff sole to keep your toes from flexing (if you have arthritis, for example), but you don't want to pound around in Altra's maxo-mondo Olympus earth-stompers, you may need a stiff insole from your podiatrist or a shoe shop to firm these up.The good points outweigh the bad: if the Paradigm 4 or 5 was right for you, the 6 will be OK. It's just too bad that Altra can't leave a good shoe alone. Next time you mess with the Paradigm, Altra, just bring back the 4!
