Altra Vanish Carbon 3 Review
Below we are breaking down the specs of the Altra Vanish Carbon 3 race shoe and providing a review to help you decide if you should add it to your collection.
The Altra Vanish Carbon 3 has arrived and it’s looking to shake up Carbon County. Altra is bringing a modern super shoe to the lineup with 40mm of supercritical PEBA, a 4mm drop, and a patent-pending split-toe carbon plate designed to let runners drive more power through the big toe. Plus, as always, you’re still getting that signature Altra anatomical toe box.
Altra Vanish Carbon 3 Specs
Stack Height: 40mm in the heel with a 4mm drop
Weight: 8.2 oz or 232 grams in a US Men's sample size 9
Midsole Construction: supercritical PEBA foam with a split-toe carbon fiber plate
Price: $240
Altra Vanish Carbon 3
Development of the Vanish Carbon 3
Barefoot mafia no more. Altra is stepping into the super shoe game with the updated Vanish Carbon 3, delivering 40mm of supercritical PEBA and a patent-pending split-toe carbon plate. This first-of-its-kind plate is engineered to allow the runner to drive more power through their big toe. Altra states that this design contributes to a more natural feel at toe off compared to typical super shoes.
Meredith's Review of the Vanish Carbon 3
This newest iteration is a significant and welcomed departure (at least among the Max Cushion Gang members, myself included) from the previous versions of this shoe. Feel free to skip to the end to hear my overall take on the shoe, but I’ll try to provide as much information as possible after a short track workout at the Denver, Colorado headquarters launch event and a 20 mile long run this weekend.
My Race Shoe Preferences:
My favorite types of race shoes are generally lightweight with a higher drop (6–10mm), an aggressive forefoot rocker that puts you up on your toes, and a slightly firmer foam (not super soft and squishy). My favorite race shoes of all time are the OG Saucony Endorphin Elite for its aggressive forefoot rocker and dense, responsive foam; the Puma Fast-R 3 for its lightweight, slipper-like construction, aggressive toe spring, and responsive puck of foam in the forefoot; and the Hoka Cielo X1 3.0 for its aggressive rocker, perfectly tuned bouncy and responsive foam, and very protective, comfortable ride. I really like the Endorphin Elite 3 as a fun and crazy bouncy long run shoe, but I find it is a little too wild and not direct enough for my preferences and the really soft foam causes some foot and leg/hip fatigue for me. I don’t prefer racers like the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3 and 4 because the geometry is too flat and they require you to put too much power down to get anything out of them.
Story Behind the Development of the Vanish Carbon 3:
Altra is known for its zero drop shoes and commitment to developing running shoes that have a roomy toebox and conform to a more natural gate and stride, what we often refer to as the “Barefoot Mafia.” Both the Vanish Carbon 1 and 2 conformed to the zero drop model and had stack heights of 33mm and 36mm, respectively. They also used a PEBA compound that was not very light or responsive. The Vanish Carbon 2 featured a full-length carbon fiber plate. After listening to their athlete’s feedback about the need for a more competitive racer, Altra decided to go with a 4mm drop and to raise the stack height in the heel to 40mm. In fact, the first iteration that they sent to World Athletics for approval was denied because they said it was over the 40mm stack height rule. So, we are getting as much foam as they could get into this shoe to make it the opposite of a low-stack racer. Altra also tested various carbon fiber plate shapes and foam durometers and densities to come up with the most efficient combination possible. After many rounds of testing with their athletes, both in the lab and based on qualitative feedback, they landed on a patent-pending carbon plate design that has a split toe, allowing the big toe to move independently of your other toes and to provide a good toe-off experience, and then a rimmed design through the midfoot and heel. They also ended up with a top and bottom layer of 100% PEBA foam that is exactly the same on the top and the bottom. They stayed true to their commitment to having a roomier toebox, but made sure to have a secure fit through the midfoot and heel, without being too low volume through the midfoot (which I appreciate since I don’t do well with shoes that are too low volume through the midfoot). They also used a very specific eyestay system at the top of the laces to allow for natural movement in the forefoot and the ability for the toes to splay. My one complaint with the specs is that my pair (in a Men’s 9.5) weighed in at 235 grams, which is not very impressive these days for a competitive race shoe. Altra did hint at the fact that the next version, which is already being tested by their athletes, is going to be lighter.
For Yowana's first-run review of the Altra Vanish Carbon 3, check out the Supwell YouTube channel:
Step-in Feel & Fit of the Vanish Carbon 3:
The upper is made of a very lightweight, see-through mesh material and the tongue is appropriately thin for a race shoe. The Supwell-certified sawtooth laces and thoughtful eyelet design make it easy to get a good lockdown without experiencing any lace bite or gaping in the material. As advertised, there is ample room in the forefoot both from a volume and width perspective, but Yowana also pointed out in his video that the anatomical toe box in Topo and Altra shoes often makes them feel short, which is the case with this shoe as well. You might want to consider going a half size up if you know that is a problem for you. The aggressive rocker geometry is noticeable upon step-in, which I think is a good sign that the shoe will roll you forward onto your toes.
Ride of the Vanish Carbon 3:
My first run in the Vanish Carbon 3 was on a small rooftop track at the hotel where we were staying in Denver. We did a short warm-up and then the two Altra athletes (Nell Rojas, a marathon runner, and Alysia Montaño, a middle distance runner) led us through a dynamic warm-up, which I have to say was really nice since I normally don’t do any warming up before a run. After the warm-up exercises, they had us do two laps at marathon effort followed by two more laps at half-marathon effort, and then a lap at 5k effort. I thought this was a great way to demonstrate how the shoe felt at various race pace efforts, as well as warm-up and cool-down paces. The forefoot rocker was fantastic and the shoe felt really smooth at all of the race paces. It easily rolled me up onto my forefoot and the foam felt protective, responsive, and bouncy, but not too soft. It was also very comfortable at an easy pace for the warm-up and cool-down. My second run was my 20 mile long run with a progression down to marathon effort. I really enjoyed it for this run as well and was again pleasantly surprised by the speed assistance that the geometry and foam provided. The foam is not as soft and bouncy as the Endorphin Elite 3, but I’d say it is on par with the Cielo X1 3.0. The weight of the shoe wasn’t overwhelmingly obvious, but it was something that I could feel (albeit I was paying attention to this) during my long run.
Summary & Who Might Want to Get the Vanish Carbon 3:
While the Vanish Carbon 3 might not compete with the likes of the Puma Fast-R 3, ASICS Metaspeed Ray, or the Adidas Pro Evo 3, it is a legit race shoe that is worth considering. If you have wide feet or feel like the other racers on the market are too snug or low volume, you should definitely give the Vanish Carbon 3 a try. If you need stability in a race shoe, it is also worth considering. The wider forefoot landing pad makes it more stable than many of the other race shoes and the heel is not super narrow. I just ordered the Topo Specter Elite a few days ago, so I’ll be very interested to compare these two shoes since they are being marketed as more accommodating for wider feet and for people who want more comfort in a race day shoe. I would have never considered an Altra shoe in the past, but after running in the Vanish Carbon 3 and hearing from their development team about their commitment to their athletes to produce competitive training and racing shoes, and their willingness to let go of the low-stack, zero drop mantra, I am excited about this shoe and what they have coming. They hinted at another shoe in this line-up that will launch about a month after the Vanish Carbon 3. Also, the Vanish Carbon 3 is going to retail for $240, which undercuts all of the other carbon-plated racers on the market, which was a smart move.
Topo Specter Elite
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