Altra’s first prototypes were created in a toaster oven.
Altra Co-Founder Golden Harper baked existing shoe models in his family’s toaster oven to modify different characteristics, eventually creating the ZeroDrop platform on which Altras are built today. Brian Beckstead, Altra’s other founder, took their first trail shoe prototype out for the Wasatch 100 and marveled at how comfortable is felt.
The first Altra running shoes rolled off the production line in 2011, and the brand has since won awards and gained devoted fans around the world.