Altra Vanish Carbon 3 Review – A Barefoot Runner Tries a Super Shoe

In short, the Vanish Carbon 3 is a real super shoe, and it’s weird. I wasn’t convinced it makes you faster, and at $240 I wouldn’t buy it as a tool.

I’ve been pretty vocal about this shoe, and I can’t be vocal if I’ve never tried it. So I bought a pair with my own money. It’s one of the first real super shoes I’ve run in.

I was never going to like it. I’m called Barefoot Run Review. What did you expect? Take what I’m saying with a pinch of salt.

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At a Glance: Altra Vanish Carbon 3

• Best For: Runners chasing a PR in a 10K, half marathon or marathon who don’t care how they get there
• Skip If: You are a casual runner, want a foot-health shoe, or plan to train in it all the time
• Stack Height: 40mm heel / 36mm forefoot | Weight: 220g (7.7 oz) | Drop: 4mm
• Overall: 4/10 — It’s the bounciest, squishiest shoe I’ve worn, and in my 3.5km test I saw no benefit over the Vanish Pulse. It’s too expensive for what you actually gain.
• Price: $240 | Prices on Amazon

Fit

Size up. This shoe runs small. Here’s the thing: it’s a race fit, not a comfort fit.

Does the Altra Vanish Carbon 3 fit true to size?

No. I got a US 9 and it was way too small for me. I’d go a half size larger next time, just to get a little extra room.

How wide is the toe box?

It’s narrower than a Torin, and I’d nearly call it a conventional shoe. Not a Nike, but you could say Hoka, and you could definitely say Topo. Some Altras fit narrower in the toe box than others, and this is one of them.

Put it next to the Torin 9 and the wider footprint through the front of the Torin is obvious.

It still gives people like me the option of a super shoe with some splay. But with a toe box like this, I wouldn’t tell anyone they should always have an Altra.

Is the shoe made for a high or low-volume foot?

Low volume. It’s a shallow shoe. I had to swap the insole for something very thin just to get a bit more room.

I also had my usual ultra pain along the side of the midfoot until I got the lacing right and let the upper expand a little. Don’t get me wrong, the upper is quite good. It’s just snug.

The upper is plasticky, thin and lightweight, and it feels pretty durable. The only worry is if it rips away from the middle section, and I don’t imagine that happening. I’d love to see this material on other Altras. Imagine the Vanish Pulse with it: a stable lockdown and a really lightweight shoe.

The laces and tongue work well. The ribbed laces keep everything in place nicely. The tongue is really thin and not gusseted, but it sits high on the upper, so it didn’t slip around.

Does the shoe have a good heel lock?

The heel is nice and flexible and gives a nice fit, but I wouldn’t call it a great lockdown. I felt unstable and like I was swishing side to side. I think that’s the cushion, not the shoe’s lockdown, because it’s so squishy.

If you land on that heel and squish over to either side, a lot of pressure goes through the side of the upper and you slip off the side of the shoe. The shoe is made to run in a straight line most of the time, so I understand why.

Feel

Is the 40mm stack height good or bad?

It’s 40mm in the heel and 36mm in the forefoot, with a 4mm drop. I don’t think that matters here. We’re not looking for zero drop in a format like this.

This is the bounciest, squishiest shoe I’ve ever worn. Again, it’s not made for me, so I’m putting caveats in. But squishing around on that heel when you walk is weird. I felt way unstable.

I can’t imagine this is beneficial for most people in conventional shoes who don’t have the ankle strength. A lot of force goes through your ankles when you squish down into the side. Even walking in it was weird. I get it, you’re not meant to walk in it.

Is there a rocker?

Yes, and a lot of toe spring. It tapers up a lot from the forefoot, which promotes that roller, rocker motion.

This is not a foot-health-friendly shoe. It doesn’t matter that it says Altra on the side, or that it says foot shape. That’s okay, as long as we acknowledge it.

Why does a super shoe have a carbon plate?

The plate is a necessity, not a bounce engine. A lot of people think it’s there for a bouncy sprint. I don’t think it’s even there for that most of the time. It adds stiffness.

With a firmer foam like the Torin’s, you get some twist and flex in the shoe. A foam this soft needs structure through it, or you’d be wobbling all over. So carbon plate? I don’t care. It’s just a necessity.

How heavy is it?

Altra lists 220g (7.7 oz) for the men’s shoe. On my own scale my US 9 came in around 230g, depending on the insole. That’s pretty light for a stacked shoe.

Is it the lightest super shoe? No. I don’t know all the stats, but most super shoes are lighter than this. And a lighter shoe feels awesome.

Does it make you faster?

Not for me. I ran a quick 3.5km speed test in the Vanish Pulse and in this shoe, holding my heart rate around 165 to 170. The Pulse is a 22mm, foot-health-friendly Altra at near enough the same weight.

I ran the Carbon 3 after the Pulse and expected to see so many benefits. I didn’t. I saw a slight decrease in performance.

It’s not a completely fair test, and I’m obviously not trained into this shoe. I need to do 5K and 10K tests to prove this out. But it tells us two things. It’s not a given that you’ll get 5 or 10% extra speed. And you need to train into these shoes. It’s a case of “it’s me, it’s not you.”

Durability

How long before the outsole wears out?

It’s a thin piece of rubber and it’s probably going to wear down quite quickly. Fair enough. It’s a race shoe. You expect that.

Is it durable overall?

It’s not made to be durable. That’s the whole point. Let’s ignore that completely. The upper at least feels pretty durable.

A word on injury

This will likely cause as many injuries as a barefoot shoe. A barefoot shoe stresses your foot in certain ways that you have to build up to. Super shoes are the same. The loads are just in different places.

So go careful. Don’t use them all the time. Train into them, and make sure you’re comfortable in them. I’m not saying they will hurt you. I ran a fast 10K in these and my back was hurting quite a bit. My body wasn’t used to it.

The Bottom Line

Would I buy these as a tool? No. It’s too expensive for what you actually gain. I did buy them with my own money. I’d likely do better in a Torin, which is a little cheaper and does near enough as much.

If you want a super shoe on marathon day, get any super shoe. If you train in this all the time, I don’t recommend it.

One message for Altra: please stop putting this shoe in front of casual people. It’s a speed-focused performance shoe, not a foot-health shoe. Put it on racers.

And if you do buy it, tell me. Did you see a measurable performance increase? My data is likely skewed. This is not my arena.

Choose the Altra Vanish Carbon 3 if:

• You want a PR in a 10K, half marathon or marathon and you don’t care how you get there
• You accept that it may help you, but it isn’t a guarantee
• You’ll train into it before race day
• You size up half a size and want a shallow, snug race fit

Skip the Altra Vanish Carbon 3 if:

• You’re a casual runner, or a performance runner not invested in whatever 10 seconds
• You want a foot-health shoe
• You plan to train in it all the time
• You want a durable shoe: there are cheaper, more durable options, and I’d likely do better in a Torin or something like that