Altra Vanish Tempo 2 Review

The Altra Vanish Tempo 2 is a speed-focused performance trainer that can serve double duty as an everyday shoe. Its versatility is applaudable, but we found it missing a little bit of the 'zip' we want for our absolute fastest workouts. The shoe has a barely detectable drop and a relatively flexible, natural feel that keeps its ride feeling "low key" instead of hyper-aggressive. And yet the tech is there to run fast. We found the FAST TRN foam to be appropriately named, and the split plate that Altra has added to the midsole feels appropriately responsive as we pick up the pace.

Overall, the shoe feels stable, balanced, and energetic, but it still makes you put the work in to get the most out of the shoe. With some performance trainers nowadays, their geometries and overexaggerated bounce can feel like they're making you go faster and propelling you through your workouts. And while it's great to see time falling off the watch with each rep, there's also something to be said for a shoe that helps you go fast, but also trains you to work hard. That's the point of workouts, right? To teach your body how to push through the pain and to break your muscles down so they can build back stronger. The Vanish Tempo 2 feels like it threads the needle between allowing you to run faster while also challenging your mechanics to stay sound while building strength.

Also noteworthy, the Vanish Tempo 2's outsole rubber performed exceptionally well, even across wet, post-hurricane slicked surfaces.

The midsole strikes a just-right balance between cushioning and responsiveness. At some easier paces, it’s nice and comfortable. At faster efforts, it provides a grounded feeling that works with us without overly assisting us. It’s a shoe that's ready to work with you underfoot and overfoot. It has a just-right pleasant squish at the top, but mostly feels supportive, direct, and strong, with an encouraging (not extreme) bounce. It’s pretty flexible, not too rigid, so that all keeps it feeling appropriately ‘natural’ instead of overly aggressive. We were pleasantly surprised that we could pound pavement for around 2 hrs with our feet staying comfortable the whole time.

The flexible, medium collar padding is ideal, as is the strategic padding at the top of the thin tongue. The mesh isn’t ‘barely there ’-it strikes a nice balance that gives me a favorable impression of durability and support. 

We had a wide range of experiences when it came to the fit of the shoe.

Loucas, for his part, found himself battling both the toe box and the heel. For the toe box, he found that the performance-focused fit was just a bit snugger than he would have preferred, recommending that if you’re between sizes and you like a lot of toe room, he'd go a half-size up. However, since this is a performance shoe, and many runners prefer a snugger fit for performance shoes, your standard size is almost certainly fine. Regardless of your preferences, it's worth noting that this is a low-volume toe box, which may surprise Altra or Topo regulars who expect a lot of room to splay their toes out.

In the heel, Loucas found it hard to balance lace pressure across the top of his foot with a confident heel lockdown. It was easy to cinch the laces too tight, creating discomfort across the top of his foot, but securing his heel. But alleviating that pressure caused heel slippage. Cameron and Amelio were able to adjust their laces, utilizing higher eyelets to make the necessary adjustments, but the low heel collar necessitated some focus and attention.

"Ohh, my all-time love sets the highest bar possible. The Evo SL feels taller throughout (despite the same 30 mm forefoot stack on paper), making it much better suited to longer distances than the Vanish Tempo 2. It’s equally well-suited for shorter tempo work, but I feel like I could do a full marathon in the Evo SL and enjoy every step. The more connected ride of the Tempo 2 is better suited to track intervals, though. Believe it or not, the Altra feels equally bouncy and propulsive, which I didn’t expect to say. If the Evo SL has a weakness for me, though, it’s the relative lack of outsole, which gets slippy in damp conditions."

-Loucas

"If you want a shoe that can go unapologetically fast with a fuller feeling underfoot, the Evo SL can RIP! I had some quarrels with the fit of the Evo SL and its midfoot stability, but I can’t deny how good it is. These shoes serve the same purpose, but I think the Vanish Tempo 2 provides a more natural feel. It lets you feel the ground more closely and feel like you’re putting in the work on each push off, while the Evo SL will assist you to those top speeds with less effort. Totally up to preference!"

-Cameron

"While they serve the same purpose, the Endorphin Speed 6 is much closer to shoes I typically wear. A little more stack, a higher drop, and an aggressive toe-off that make it feel easier to run faster. I like what both shoes bring to the table; it’ll really just depend on what you’re looking for. The Endorphin Speed 6 feels more approachable to the masses and definitely feels more aggressive in the forefoot. For the more natural experience, I’d go with Altra."

-Cameron

"You get more of a natural feeling with both shoes, but the Tempos are more 'race-feel' than a base trainer. The stability of both of these shoes gives an energetic feeling and a great underfoot experience."

-Amelio

"The Aero Razor pairs the grounded feel of the Vanish Tempo 2 with that added spring for toe-off I might’ve been missing. For the more naturally fast feeling, I’d go with Altra. For a grounded, more assistive rocket of a shoe that’s also lighter, the Aero Razor may have my vote."

-Cameron

"Whoa, the Aero Razor feels like a legit, speedy trainer that more runners should give a try. It’s sleek and pointy-toed, more aggressively rockered than the Vanish Tempo 2, and feels like more of a drop than the Vanish Tempo 2 (both are listed at 4 mm, but the Altra feels more level). It’s over an ounce lighter than these 3 comparisons, and it’s an absolute steal of a value at $140. In this group, I might pick the Razor if I was attacking the speediest track intervals or hardest tempos, but it doesn’t have a lot of impact-absorbing comfort underfoot. It feels like the firmest of this group, and feels slightly taller than the Vanish Tempo 2. Did I mention it was pointy-toed? The exact opposite of a ‘standard Altra’ toe box."

-Loucas