Altra Experience Wild 3+ Review

The original Experience Wilds were an interesting experiment from Altra, their first non-zero drop trail running shoe, using a 4mm offset. It was designed, like their road running counterparts the Experience Flows, as a transitory shoe for folks curious about the Altra style (wide toe box, cushion that retains ground feel, low to the ground) without having to go fully zero-drop (a transition folks used to a more traditional running shoe often struggle with).

What we ended up with was a good jack-of-all-trades daily trainer for a relatively inexpensive price. They were comfy, light, and made good summer trail shoes.

However two things really held them back: first was the grip, made of Altra's proprietary Maxtrac outside. Despite the name it's traction is notoriously poor, especially in the wet, and durability wise it wears quickly. Second was the midsole, it was nice out the box, but quickly felt a bit flat.

I skipped the second version due to it being a minor update, but was intrigued when I saw the Experience Wild 3+ took a leaf out of the Lone Peak's book and slapped a solid Vibram layer on the outsole.

Impulse purchase complete, let's see whether they are worth the update.

Features

• 323g weight: a hair lighter than the Lone Peaks, 40g heavier than the Mont Blanc Speeds
• 32mm heel, 28mm forefoot for a 4mm drop
• Mesh upper with solid overlays, more durable than the previous versions
• Gusseted tongue with textured laces that grip well
• Uses the new Ego P35 midsole, a bouncier upgrade from the prior bog standard CMEVA midsole
• Outsole is ~3.5mm of Vibram Megagrip with Traction Lugs (those little nobbly bits on the lugs that the Hoka Speedgoats and Merrell Agility Peaks use)
• The outsole wraps round the front of the shoe to create a substantial toe bumper

Fit and Feel

These come up true to size for sure, the toe box also rounds a little more generously over the lateral side of the toes I found so your smaller toes feel like they've got more space. Compared to the original Wilds the toe box feels a hair longer and wider.

Good length to the laces, you can tie a heel lock with these, and the textured laces grip well.

The padding around your foot is very "road shoe" like, rather than a thin racy upper. It's nice and comfortable, with the padding of the tongue helping reduce any lace biting. I will say though I'd imagine these will take some time to dry out when they get wet. The padding also makes locking them down a little tougher, but I had no real movement in the shoe.

On The Run

These feel wonderful to run in, despite the weight being on the chunkier side they don't really feel heavy. The rocker of the shoe flows nicely, and over both road and trail they felt lush underfoot.

Cushion wise these are definitely on the lower stack end: you get some solid ground feel for them which is great for stability over uneven ground, but can also feel rocks and gravel poking underfoot. The outsole coverage is better this time so mutes it a little more, but if coming from a high cushion shoe it's definitely noticeable.

The grip of the outsole is solid, as you'd expect from Vibram Megagrip. The lug depth is more hybrid though so, whilst they can tackle mud, I wouldn't pick these for winter fell running any time soon.

In terms of lockdown my feet felt secure from the padding and structured heel collar, and the laces didn't bite. I did however use a heel lock to prevent any heel movement.

What I Liked

• Comfort is key and these are king, so comfortable underfoot with the plushy cushioning & springy midsole
• Grip wise these are in another league to the original Wilds, I'd happily take these up the mountains in winter and feel confident in my footing
• Mixture of ground feel and cushion, they are a stable feeling shoe with good feedback underfoot
• Altra had zero chill on that toe bumper, I've not seen one that protective in a LONG time, solid as the rock it'll prevent you bashing your toes against
• Midsole durability: it feels like the midsole won't flatten out as quickly as the previous versions, retaining it's life better
• Outsole durability: proper chunky Vibrams I expect to stand the test of time like that Lone Peak 9+'s outsole does. For a jack-of-all daily trainer that's a big win
• Cost! You're getting a pretty damn solid shoe for £130, you'd be hard pressed to find a better deal out there

What I Disliked

• For longer distances, especially over sharper terrain like rocks and gravel, the lower cushion may be fatiguing
• Slappy feeling, you can hear me coming a mile away due to the wide base and tough outsole
• Squeaky! Hopefully that will dissipate with time, or I can get some talc under the insole, but I remember the squeakiness being a bugbear in the previous ones for me

Conclusion

For me Altra have nailed the jack-of-all trades daily trail trainer here, I can't think of another in their line up that would be both as accessible and as well equipped for most terrains. Combined with the price it's a no-brainer.

Compared to other similar Altra shoes:

• The Lone Peaks are heavier, ploddier and not that much fun to run in, I'd pick the Experience Wilds any day over those now the grip has been vastly improved
• The Mont Blanc Speeds are lighter, springer and better suited to summer trail racing. They are also less durable and have shallower lugs, so for winter races the Wilds would be a better pick

For my own races I think I'll stick to the Altra Mont Blanc Speed for longer distances, but will use the Experience Wild 3+ as my backups, my winter racing shoes and for good training miles.