Altra Superior 3.5

Name: Altra Superior 3.5
Brand: Altra
Rating: 4.6 (5 reviews)

Trail · Neutral · 9.2 oz

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Altra Superior 4.0 replaced it

How it ranks

The Altra Superior 3.5 ranks among the stronger trail shoes in our data. Comfort and value are its strongest sub-ratings. The rating rests on 5 runner reviews and 7 other rated shoes in the Superior product line. Another 7 reviews would set the confidence on this shoe's own reviews.

Good

87/100

Overall

Good 87

Comfort

Excellent 95

Value

Good 84

Appearance

Decent 73

Durability

Decent 71

Cushioning

Below average 61

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

60/100

Low 60

What runners say

“Great traction and stability, and the low to ground profile helps avoid rolled ankles.”

4/5 Full review 35 mpw came from the HOKA Challenger ATR 4

“The soles and cushioning break down a little too quickly (300ish miles).”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Grid 8000

“Amazing ground feel, great cushion, great lateral stability.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Altra Superior 3.0

“Doesn't hold up for high mileage training.”

4/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a marathon came from the Altra Superior 3.0

“Wouldn't recommend for anyone running more than 50 mpw.”

4/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a marathon came from the Altra Superior 3.0

“Comfy, wide toe box, decent cushioning.”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Grid 8000

“This is my trail workout/intervals/race shoe.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Altra Superior 3.0

“Wish the uppers lasted longer.”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Altra Superior 2.0

Prefer this shoe over another

33% 1/3

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Reviewers rate comfort 5.0 out of 5, and three praise the roomy toe box.
Two reviewers report good traction and stability on technical trails.
It weighs 9.2 oz, and one reviewer uses it for trail workouts, intervals and racing.

Cons

Reviewers rate durability 3.8 out of 5, and two report the upper or midsole breaking down near 300 miles.
One of five reviewers so far would not recommend it above 50 miles a week.
One of five reviewers so far finds the cushioning too thin for rugged trails, while another says it improves as trails get technical.

Superior 3.5 rates 87. This shoe has low certainty. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Altra Superior

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

Rating

40 60 80 100

90 2016 84 2017 85 2018 76 2019 84 2021 85 2023 80 2025 87 2017

Release year

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

Superior 3.5 This shoe

2017 · 5 reviews

87 Good

60 Confidence
Superior 7

2025 · 0 reviews

80 Good

38 Confidence
Superior 6

2023 · 5 reviews

85 Good

39 Confidence
Superior 5

2021 · 5 reviews

84 Good

53 Confidence
Superior 4

2019 · 2 reviews

76 Decent

17 Confidence
Superior 4.0

2018 · 2 reviews

85 Good

23 Confidence
Superior 3.0

2017 · 3 reviews

84 Good

44 Confidence
Superior 2.0

2016 · 3 reviews

90 Good

55 Confidence

Reader Ratings

5 ratings

5/5 3

4/5 2

3/5 0

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 9.2 oz
Release: 2017 Q4
MSRP: $110

Runner reviews

Write a review

Superior is Superior

5/5

Overall

This is my catch-all running shoe for distances less than 12 miles. I have a pair I do treadmill runs on and another couple for trails. They're exactly what I've been wanting in a running shoe: comfy, wide toe box , decent cushioning (a bit too minimalist for really technical/rugged trails), and light. The soles and cushioning do seem to break down a little too quickly (300ish miles) which is a bummer, but it's still worth it to me to buy them over and over again.

Anonymous runner · Aug 9, 2019

40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Grid 8000

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

Love It

5/5

Overall

I love the Superiors. Wish the uppers lasted longer and that the laces were a bit longer, but I run in them on any surface, for any distance. They fixed my feet!

Anonymous runner · Jul 29, 2019

40 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Altra Superior 2.0

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

Altra Superior 3.5 review

5/5

Overall

The 3.5 is my favorite Superior. I always take out and discard the removable rock plates, so this review is for the shoe without them. Amazing ground feel, great cushion, great lateral stability. This is my trail workout / intervals / race shoe. The new Superior 4.0 is a reinvention in a way people will love or hate - sometimes both at once - but either way is so markedly different than the perfect 3.5s that it feels like a different line of shoe. Anyway, for the 3.5s, I wish I could wear them forever.

Anonymous runner · Jul 7, 2019

60 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Altra Superior 3.0

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

Altra Superior 3.5

4/5

Overall

Great shoe, but doesn’t hold up for high mileage training. Wouldn’t recommend for any one running more than 50 mpw.

Anonymous runner · Aug 10, 2018

60 mpw training for a marathon came from the Altra Superior 3.0

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

Great trail shoe

4/5

Overall

This shoe gets better as the trails get more technical. Great traction and stability, and the low to ground profile helps avoid rolled ankles. The cushioning is not quite minimal, but plenty for moderate duration runs on the trails.

Anonymous runner · Feb 7, 2018

35 mpw came from the HOKA Challenger ATR 4

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

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Analyses

Altra Superior 3.5

Good