Altra Provision 6
The Altra Provision 6 is the perfect mid-cushioned stability shoe that provides a lightweight and springy ride for runners that love to rack up the miles on daily runs.
It boasts modest stability features while maintaining excellent flexibility throughout the foot, and is the ideal shoe for overpronators that want something light and snappy yet supportive.
Where to Buy
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Pros & Cons
Pros
Innovarch support system
Ego midsole offers an energetic and adaptive ride
Very durable rubber outsole
Hosts a very roomy toe box
Provides plenty of interior space for custom orthotics
Affordable price point
Breathable and stretchy upper
Ideal for long distances as well as agility work
Cons
Runs a little too wide for some runners
Key Features
Key Features
MIDSOLE
The Altra Ego foam found in the midsole is what provides such a smooth ride. Ego foam is composed of elastic foam fibers that provide a squishy step-in feel, and these fibers start to tense up as you start to pick up the pace. One of the most notable features of this shoe is that it provides an incredibly energetic ride.
Runners felt that this midsole material was lightweight, agile, and offer a super responsive ride. Whether your run for speed or distance, this unique midsole is able to adapt to your stride to keep your gait cycle nice and bright.
The midsole of this shoe is that it provides Guiderail technology to guide your feet into a nice and even gait cycle. If you place your weight on the inside or outside of your foot (referred to as overpronation or supination), it places strain on your knees, joints, and lower back. These guide rails are made from stiff materials that push up against your foot to guide it into an even stride.
What makes Altra shoes unique is that they also offer zero drop, and Provision 6 is no exception to the rule.
With a zero drop design, runners can gain a better ground feel when running on hard surfaces, and it also allows for a more natural range of motion that doesn’t feel like you have scaffolding strapped to your feet!
OUTSOLE
While the midsole is built to help keep your stride nice and even, Altra also added stability features built right into the outsole. This grippy outsole provides rubber crash pads in key areas of the foot that work to slow your stride down to keep it nice and even.
What I love about this newly designed outsole is that it provides runners with more durable rubber pods in key areas without a lot of extra weight and bulk.
In true Altra form, this outsole is also insanely durable. If you love racking up the miles on your daily runs, this rubber outsole is up to the challenge. Each rubber pod is constructed with grippy grooves in the rubber that help runners really ground down to the pavement.
It’s a perfect shoe for running in wet or dry conditions, and runners didn’t feel like they needed to slow down when running on slick sidewalks.
UPPER
Many stability trainers pop on stability features in the midsole and call it a day. What makes the Altra Provision 6 unique is that it also hosts a few stability features in the upper as well. If you take a look at the lacing system of this shoe, you will notice twin tabs on the inside of the foot.
These tabs are a part of Altra’s Innovarch support system that acts like a mesh webbing that holds your foot in place. When you tighten the laces, this internal support system lifts up your foot inside of an internal mesh webbing to boost lockdown and supports your foot as you run.
This upper is composed of super lightweight mesh materials that work to lift hot air up and away from your feet as you run. While previous versions of this shoe were a tad on the stiff side, this updated version offers runners much more agility and movement. It has a high padded heel collar to reduce blisters and a thick padded tongue that wraps your feet in 360 degrees of plush comfort.
The upper of this shoe also provides runners with plenty of interior room that allows your toes to naturally splay. With plenty of interior room, it also allows runners to add their own custom orthotics without causing their feet to become crammed inside of the shoe.
For some runners, they felt that the wide frame was just a little too wide, especially with runners with narrow feet. Be sure that you give them a test run before you make your final decision!
PERFORMANCE
The Altra Provision 6 is technically classified as a mid-cushioned stability shoe, but I found many neutral runners are drawn to this shoe as well. The stability features in this shoe are very modest, and neutral runners are able to reap the benefits of the Innovarch support system and the responsive Ego midsole cushioning without a lot of extra weight and bulk holding them back.
Many stability shoes out there on the market are often bogged down with heavy outsoles and thick uppers that keep your feet locked in place, but don’t offer much in terms of flexibility and movement.
The Provision 6 works a little bit differently and provides modest stability features to keep your gait cycle nice and even, but a flexible upper and dynamic outsole makes this shoe perfect for agility work and cross-training as well.
It’s a perfect fit for overpronators, but the lightweight and flexible build is great for neutral runners that want to get in on that responsive Ego midsole action!
FIT
Overall, the Altra Provision 6 runs true to size. When compared to previous versions of the Provision, this updates design is built to be much wider than previous versions. It is only offered in one width option, and runners found that this standard width might be just a little too wide, especially for narrow feet.
With a wide fit and a super roomy toe box, pinched toes and uncomfortable hot spots won’t be much of an issue. This shoe provides more than enough room in the interior to add your own custom orthotic without causing a tight and uncomfortable fit.
This shoe may be wide, but the dynamic lacing system and Innovarch support ensure that your foot will stay locked in place.
Due to the wide fit, I suggest heading down to your local shoe store and giving these shoes a test spin before you make your final decision.
PRICE
Overpronators and neutral runners alike are flocking to the Altra Provision 6 because it’s lightweight, supportive, and energetic, and also because it clocks in at a super affordable price point.
It’s not exactly considered to be budget-friendly, but when you take into consideration the high-end performance features of this shoe, it comes in at an excellent value.
As the price of good running shoes creeps up over the years, the price tag of the Altra Provision 6 harkens back to the days where you didn’t have to empty your bank account to invest in a super durable and innovative pair of running shoes.
The price tag, features, and innovative design of this shoe make it an excellent choice for runners that want to give Altra a try!
The Altra Ego foam found in the midsole is what provides such a smooth ride. Ego foam is composed of elastic foam fibers that provide a squishy step-in feel, and these fibers start to tense up as you start to pick up the pace. One of the most notable features of this shoe is that it provides an incredibly energetic ride.
Runners felt that this midsole material was lightweight, agile, and offer a super responsive ride. Whether your run for speed or distance, this unique midsole is able to adapt to your stride to keep your gait cycle nice and bright.
The midsole of this shoe is that it provides Guiderail technology to guide your feet into a nice and even gait cycle. If you place your weight on the inside or outside of your foot (referred to as overpronation or supination), it places strain on your knees, joints, and lower back. These guide rails are made from stiff materials that push up against your foot to guide it into an even stride.
What makes Altra shoes unique is that they also offer zero drop, and Provision 6 is no exception to the rule.
With a zero drop design, runners can gain a better ground feel when running on hard surfaces, and it also allows for a more natural range of motion that doesn’t feel like you have scaffolding strapped to your feet!
OUTSOLE
While the midsole is built to help keep your stride nice and even, Altra also added stability features built right into the outsole. This grippy outsole provides rubber crash pads in key areas of the foot that work to slow your stride down to keep it nice and even.
What I love about this newly designed outsole is that it provides runners with more durable rubber pods in key areas without a lot of extra weight and bulk.
In true Altra form, this outsole is also insanely durable. If you love racking up the miles on your daily runs, this rubber outsole is up to the challenge. Each rubber pod is constructed with grippy grooves in the rubber that help runners really ground down to the pavement.
It’s a perfect shoe for running in wet or dry conditions, and runners didn’t feel like they needed to slow down when running on slick sidewalks.
UPPER
Many stability trainers pop on stability features in the midsole and call it a day. What makes the Altra Provision 6 unique is that it also hosts a few stability features in the upper as well. If you take a look at the lacing system of this shoe, you will notice twin tabs on the inside of the foot.
These tabs are a part of Altra’s Innovarch support system that acts like a mesh webbing that holds your foot in place. When you tighten the laces, this internal support system lifts up your foot inside of an internal mesh webbing to boost lockdown and supports your foot as you run.
This upper is composed of super lightweight mesh materials that work to lift hot air up and away from your feet as you run. While previous versions of this shoe were a tad on the stiff side, this updated version offers runners much more agility and movement. It has a high padded heel collar to reduce blisters and a thick padded tongue that wraps your feet in 360 degrees of plush comfort.
The upper of this shoe also provides runners with plenty of interior room that allows your toes to naturally splay. With plenty of interior room, it also allows runners to add their own custom orthotics without causing their feet to become crammed inside of the shoe.
For some runners, they felt that the wide frame was just a little too wide, especially with runners with narrow feet. Be sure that you give them a test run before you make your final decision!
PERFORMANCE
The Altra Provision 6 is technically classified as a mid-cushioned stability shoe, but I found many neutral runners are drawn to this shoe as well. The stability features in this shoe are very modest, and neutral runners are able to reap the benefits of the Innovarch support system and the responsive Ego midsole cushioning without a lot of extra weight and bulk holding them back.
Many stability shoes out there on the market are often bogged down with heavy outsoles and thick uppers that keep your feet locked in place, but don’t offer much in terms of flexibility and movement.
The Provision 6 works a little bit differently and provides modest stability features to keep your gait cycle nice and even, but a flexible upper and dynamic outsole makes this shoe perfect for agility work and cross-training as well.
It’s a perfect fit for overpronators, but the lightweight and flexible build is great for neutral runners that want to get in on that responsive Ego midsole action!
FIT
Overall, the Altra Provision 6 runs true to size. When compared to previous versions of the Provision, this updates design is built to be much wider than previous versions. It is only offered in one width option, and runners found that this standard width might be just a little too wide, especially for narrow feet.
With a wide fit and a super roomy toe box, pinched toes and uncomfortable hot spots won’t be much of an issue. This shoe provides more than enough room in the interior to add your own custom orthotic without causing a tight and uncomfortable fit.
This shoe may be wide, but the dynamic lacing system and Innovarch support ensure that your foot will stay locked in place.
Due to the wide fit, I suggest heading down to your local shoe store and giving these shoes a test spin before you make your final decision.
PRICE
Overpronators and neutral runners alike are flocking to the Altra Provision 6 because it’s lightweight, supportive, and energetic, and also because it clocks in at a super affordable price point.
It’s not exactly considered to be budget-friendly, but when you take into consideration the high-end performance features of this shoe, it comes in at an excellent value.
As the price of good running shoes creeps up over the years, the price tag of the Altra Provision 6 harkens back to the days where you didn’t have to empty your bank account to invest in a super durable and innovative pair of running shoes.
The price tag, features, and innovative design of this shoe make it an excellent choice for runners that want to give Altra a try!
Comparisons to Previous Versions
The evolution of the Provision series has been a bumpy ride over the years. Previous versions of this shoe were technically classified as a mid-cushioned stability runner, but they were often very stiff and heavy.
Newer runners often flock to mid-cushioned stability runners to help gauge what they need in their running shoes (whether they need more stability features, or less). Previous versions of the Provision were just a little too much shoe for entry-level runners.
However, Altra finally got it right with Provision 6. This shoe boasts a lightweight and more flexible upper, and the grip on the outsole far outshines previous design options. It lost a little bit of weight and swapped out the mushy midsole for Altra’s Ego cushioning that is far from cushioned as well as responsive.
The updates made to this shoe provide a more streamlined ride that is not only ideal for runners with pronation issues, but it’s also a great choice for neutral runners that need a splash of support and a zippy and responsive ride.
Newer runners often flock to mid-cushioned stability runners to help gauge what they need in their running shoes (whether they need more stability features, or less). Previous versions of the Provision were just a little too much shoe for entry-level runners.
However, Altra finally got it right with Provision 6. This shoe boasts a lightweight and more flexible upper, and the grip on the outsole far outshines previous design options. It lost a little bit of weight and swapped out the mushy midsole for Altra’s Ego cushioning that is far from cushioned as well as responsive.
The updates made to this shoe provide a more streamlined ride that is not only ideal for runners with pronation issues, but it’s also a great choice for neutral runners that need a splash of support and a zippy and responsive ride.
Verdict
The Altra Provision 6 made quite a few waves when it hit the scene. Whether you overpronate and need a shoe with modest stabitliy features, or you are a neutral runner that just loves plush cushioning and an energetic ride, this shoe hits all of those marks.
It boasts a super durable outsole that is able to tackle long-distance daily runs with ease, and the flexible upper and adaptive midsole is built for agility work as well.
Overall, I highly recommend this shoe for entry-level runners that want something plush and responsive that isn’t quite as heavy as other stability trainers out there on the market. It’s lightweight, super comfortable, provides a zippy ride, and comes in at a price point that won’t break the bank.
It boasts a super durable outsole that is able to tackle long-distance daily runs with ease, and the flexible upper and adaptive midsole is built for agility work as well.
Overall, I highly recommend this shoe for entry-level runners that want something plush and responsive that isn’t quite as heavy as other stability trainers out there on the market. It’s lightweight, super comfortable, provides a zippy ride, and comes in at a price point that won’t break the bank.
Where to Buy
See Deal
