Altra Superior 3.5

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

Trail shoe · Neutral · Trail · 9.1 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’s rating is an early estimate. We’ve collected 5 runner reviews so far, with product line history also informing the score.

Below average

Overall

Below average 68

Comfort

Good 86

Value

Decent 77

Appearance

Below average 69

Durability

Below average 68

Cushioning

Bottom-tier 53

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 is low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

78 Moderate

Moderate 78

Based on

The bars show roughly how much each source contributes to this shoe’s rating. Their influence depends on how many reviews we’ve collected, how many earlier versions are in the product line, and the external ratings available.

Product line track record
Our ratings
External ratings

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 Oct 22.

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 68. This shoe has moderate confidence. 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

69 2016 66 2017 68 2018 66 2019 72 2021 72 2023 65 2025 68 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

68 Below average

78 Confidence
Superior 7

2025 · 0 reviews

65 Below average

65 Confidence
Superior 6

2023 · 5 reviews

72 Decent

62 Confidence
Superior 5

2021 · 5 reviews

72 Decent

68 Confidence
Superior 4

2019 · 2 reviews

66 Below average

65 Confidence
Superior 4.0

2018 · 2 reviews

68 Below average

61 Confidence
Superior 3.0

2017 · 3 reviews

66 Below average

64 Confidence
Superior 2.0

2016 · 3 reviews

69 Below average

72 Confidence

Runner 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: 9.1 oz
Men's / women's: Men's 9.2 oz · Women's 9.0 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