Altra introduces the Vanish Carbon 3, its new carbon-plated racing shoe designed for the intensity of race day. Staying true to its DNA, the brand has placed foot anatomy at the heart of its design, building the plate, foam, and fit around the foot rather than the other way around.

The starting point is a technical observation. Carbon plates have transformed racing shoes by adding stiffness and propulsion, but they can also restrict forefoot movement during the toe-off phase. Altra therefore sought to leverage the speed of carbon without locking the foot in place. Their solution: a patent-pending split-toe carbon plate that provides the structure expected of a super shoe but separates at the big toe to allow for more natural movement. Beneath the plate, the FAST RCEfoam, a 100% PEBA supercritical foam touted as the brand's lightest and most responsive, provides energy return. Above it, Altra's signature "roomy toe box"gives toes the space to splay.

"We didn't want to create just another carbon-plated shoe, but an Altra racing shoe," summarizes product manager Kylee Barton. The shoe retains the brand's signature 4mm drop, with a stack height of 40mm in the heel and 36mm in the forefoot, weighing in at 220 grams for the men's version.

The culmination of three generations of development, the Vanish Carbon 3 shows measurable results: in laboratory testing, it improves running economy by 2.6% compared to the Vanish Carbon 2, rivaling other super shoes on the market while remaining World Athletics compliant. This progress aligns with the brand's commercial momentum, with revenue jumping more than 30% over the year to exceed $270 million.

The Vanish Carbon 3 is available for 250 euros in three colorways, ahead of the September 30th launch of the Vanish Tempo 2, a plated training model.

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