Altra Men's AL0A546V Solstice XT 2 Cross Training Shoe

Product Information

He’s been formally reviewing shoes and training gear for over 7 years and has hand-tested over 300 pairs of shoes.

The Solstice XT is a rare exception that gives users comfortable, natural foot movement during exercises as wide-ranging as box jumps, Turkish get-ups, ladder drills, and 400m track repeats. This model provides a mid-range level of stability and a fair amount of responsiveness with its high-abrasion EVA midsole. They try to squeeze the feet to prevent them from slipping around during dynamic lateral movements but leave the feet feeling bunched-up, preventing optimal lower leg performance. The 0mm heel-to-toe drop, wider toe box, and low-profile cushion help to attribute to this shoe’s overall stability.Again, we find this to improve the feel of the shoe, but it starts to become less of an ideal utilitarianism and more of a liability once you start putting in serious miles — anything over an hour.

Shoes are made in many factories around the world and even models within the same brand can be quite different.To my knowledge, it is the only lightweight cross-trainer that provides both zero drop and wide toe box. However, if you’re not that into this shoe and you want to save a little money, then you can certainly find more budget-friendly cross-training shoes.