Type a shoe name, like Pegasus, Clifton or Kayano.

Altra Provision 3.0

Daily trainer · Stability · Road · 10.3 oz

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Altra Provision 2.5 replaced it

How it ranks

The Altra Provision 3.0 ranks above most daily trainers in our data. Comfort and value are its strongest sub-ratings. The rating rests on 7 runner reviews and 6 other rated shoes in the Provision product line. Another 5 reviews would set the confidence on this shoe's own reviews.

Altra Provision 3.0

of 2

Good

81/100
Overall
81
Comfort
92
Value
88
Durability
87
Cushioning
77
Appearance
75
Confidence

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence will score low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

65/100

65

What runners say

“I ran 590 miles in them before they started to fall apart”
5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo
“The wide toe box gives my narrow foot plenty of room”
5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 19
“The support rail would jab into my foot every now and then causing a little discomfort”
5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo
“The zero drop on these shoes has kept me injury free”
5/5 Full review 21 mpw training for a marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 21
“The shoe is very comfortable and surprisingly light”
5/5 Full review 15 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Altra Provision 2.5
“These definitely are not light but if you like zero drop and run longer these are good”
4/5 Full review 32 mpw training for a marathon came from the Altra Impul
“Really allows my foot to spread out when hitting the ground”
5/5 Full review 21 mpw training for a marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 21
“The Altra provision is a good balance between minimalist shoe with support”
4/5 Full review 32 mpw training for a marathon came from the Altra Impul
“The issues I had previously had with my hips are no longer a problem”
5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a marathon came from the Brooks Ravenna 9
“I feel the road really well”
5/5 Full review 21 mpw training for a marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 21

Prefer this shoe over another

30% 3/10

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.


Pros

  • Reviewers repeatedly praise the wide toe box and the room for toe splay.
  • One reviewer gets 400 to 500 miles per pair.
  • Zero-drop runners say it works for easy miles and long runs, two of them crediting it with staying injury free.

Cons

  • Cushioning draws the lowest ratings of any dimension, at 4.3 out of 5.
  • One reviewer had trouble with the support rail of Altra's stability system.

Rating & Confidence vs. other shoes for sale

Each dot is one rated shoe for sale, placed by its rating and by how much evidence sits behind it. Shoes toward the top right are both well rated and well established.

Confidence
50 60 70 80 90 100 25 50 75 100

Better Shoes Rating

Provision 3.0 rates 81. This shoe has low certainty. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Altra Provision

Each dot is one version of the Provision, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.
  • Provision 3.5

    2018 · 1 review

    85 Good

    46 Confidence

  • Provision 1.5

    2014 · 2 reviews

    78 Decent

    26 Confidence

  • Provision 8

    2023 · 2 reviews

    82 Good

    24 Confidence

  • Provision 7

    2022 · 2 reviews

    85 Good

    31 Confidence

  • Provision 6

    2022 · 4 reviews

    61 Below average

    17 Confidence

  • Provision 3.0 This shoe

    2017 · 7 reviews

    81 Good

    65 Confidence

  • Provision 2.0

    2015 · 2 reviews

    69 Below average

    16 Confidence

Reader Ratings

7 ratings
5/5 5
4/5 2
3/5 0
2/5 0
1/5 0

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight
10.3 oz
Release
2017 Q3
MSRP
$120

Runner reviews

Write a review

Showing 1–5 of 7 written reviews

No injuries

5/5

Overall

These shoes have allowed me to overtrain without injury. I have a tendency to over do it. I really believe that the zero drop on these shoes has kept me injury free. I also love the extra room I have in the toe box. Really allows my foot to spread out when hitting the ground. I feel the road really well. I tried running barefoot, loved the concept but needed more protection. These shoes give me the feel of barefoot running without the fear of cuts or abrasions.

Anonymous runner · Jul 26, 2019

21 mpw training for a marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 21

Comfort
5/5
Cushioning
4/5
Durability
5/5
Appearance
5/5
Value
4/5

Altra Provision 3.0

4/5

Overall

Solid shoe, I don't usually run with shoes that have a stability bar, as this shoe is more for overpronation, but I bought the shoe due to a sale price, and its durable. Solid shoe for just running easy miles to longer runs in. I like the zero drop and extra sole to the shoe.

Anonymous runner · Oct 2, 2018

30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Altra One 2.5

Comfort
4/5
Cushioning
3/5
Durability
4/5
Appearance
5/5
Value
4/5

Good trainer for zero drop fans

4/5

Overall

I like shoes with less features typically but always get sore knees if I don’t have some arch support. The Altra provision is a good balance between minimalist shoe with support. I’ve run 3 Ironmans in them and appreciate the extra shoe toward the end. These definitely are not light but if you like zero drop and run longer these are good.

Anonymous runner · Jun 11, 2018

32 mpw training for a marathon came from the Altra Impul

Comfort
4/5
Cushioning
4/5
Durability
3/5
Appearance
3/5
Value
4/5

Altra Provision 3.0

5/5

Overall

I really liked this shoe, I thought that it was pretty good. But the one main problem was with the support rail that it has. This is part of Altra's "Dynamic Support" system. This support rail would jab into my foot every now and then causing a little discomfort. Nothing too bad, just a little annoyance. The cushioning was good. Durability was amazing, I ran 590 miles in them before they started to fall apart. To me,​ the appearance is also good, but that is opinion. I find this shoe to be a great value for anyone wanting to get into the Altra shoe line but who still needs supportive footwear.

Valley Runner · Jun 6, 2018

40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo

Comfort
5/5
Cushioning
5/5
Durability
5/5
Appearance
5/5
Value
5/5

Natural Sportive Shoe

5/5

Overall

The Altra natural foot shape lets my foot move and work in its own way without constriction. The wide toe box, while built for toe splay, also gives my narrow foot plenty of room in a shoe that is really too small for my toes, but fits my heel. While I was worried about the zero drop heel after running all of my life in 12mm drop shoes, I immediately took to the zero drop (I wear orthotics so its not a true zero drop, but it was still a 12mm change from my previous shoes). My first Altra experience was at a Altra group run at my local running store. I ran in the neutral supportive version, and even with my orthotics my ankle was still rolling inward. I ordered my first pair of Provision that night and I have never looked back.

Gonzo2003 · Feb 11, 2018

40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 19

Comfort
5/5
Cushioning
5/5
Durability
5/5
Appearance
5/5
Value
5/5

Alternatives

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Compared to other shoes

See how this shoe compares to others like it.

Current shoe
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Best value
Newest
Lightest / Best overall / Best comfort
Shoe properties
Type
Daily trainer
Daily trainer
Daily trainer
Pronation
Stability
Stability
Neutral
Weight
10.3 oz M
10.2 oz M
8.5 oz M Lightest
Stack
28/28mm
40/35mm
Drop
5mm
Release
2017 Q3
2023 Q4 Newest
2023 Q1
MSRP
$120 Lower MSRP
$145
Best price
$149.99
Ratings
Overall
Good (81)
Good (82)
Exceptional (99) Best overall
Comfort
Very good (92)
Good (89)
Exceptional (99) Best comfort
Cushioning
Decent (77)
Decent (76)
Exceptional (99) Best cushioning
Durability
Good (87)
Good (82)
Very good (92) Best durability
Appearance
Decent (75)
Below average (69)
Very good (91) Best appearance
Value
Good (88) Best value
Good (84)
Good (88)
Specific shoe

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