These shoes are perfect!!! 5 stars!!!
I love these shoes.. I’ve done a 4m & 8m run in them so far & I cannot find one thing wrong with them!! Definitely my new go to running shoe!! Please altra I beg you please do not change a thing with the rivera!!! Y’all nailed it on this one!! I’ve been a huge Torin fan for years, but these imo are SO much better.. I’ve also worn a few different escalantes in the past & liked them but they never held up much longer than 100 miles or so.. the Rivera just seems to fit my foot perfect.. & the cushion is spot on.. I feel like these were made just for me!! I hope these hold up & I can get 300+ miles out of em!!! Thank you altra for making this shoe!!! Well done 👍🏻I have not done any speed work in these yet, but they feel super light & I think they will be great for any speed or distance!!
✔ Verified Purchase
Had to order them a size larger to fit.
Ordered an 11.5 which is my normal size and my toes were at the very tip and slightly squished. Ended up with a 12.5 (because it was cheaper than a 12) and it fits well. It is a smidge long for me but worth saving $40 to me. The toe box is not as roomy as many Altras but still nice. They are very light and super comfortable. It is like walking on cushions all the time. Time will tell how durable they are. The super light materials have me questioning how long they'll last but 3 weeks in I have no issues.
✔ Verified Purchase
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EmmJay Reviews
October 15, 2021
It's an interesting choice
These sneakers are replacing a very old pair of Nikes (FS Lite Run 2) that I had worn for way way too long. Those Nikes had a very tight fit with a rock solid heel lock that I had grown accustomed to. However, my toes were wearing a hole in the upper so I knew it was long past time to replace them.Because I have a history with minimal running shoes I wanted to try a zero drop sole with a good amount of cushioning to help me deal with some persistent heel pains (the Nikes I was in had only a 1/2 inch stack height). The Rivera definitely fits that description. It was important for me to get back into a zero drop shoe because I tend to midfoot/heel strike and a positive drop can get in the way of my stride. Basically I’m sort of edging away from a minimalist shoe back to a more supportive one. Going from a 3mm drop in the nikes to a 0mm drop in the Rivera but also going from a stack height of .5 inch to just a tiny bit over 1 inch. I’ll see how this combo works out for me; I like the idea of a “flat” shoe with substantial cushion.What I like:-The fabric of the upper is very comfortable and breathes well.-The EGO cushioning feels just right in terms of support and the arch support also feels just right.-Zero drop, love it so far-Overall build quality very good, they look really sharp, better in person than pics, you may hate to get them dirty.What I don’t like so much:-Primarily I don’t like (or am having a hard time getting used to) how loose the shoe feels in the heel. I’ve strapped them up as tight as I can tolerate with the laces and my foot still moves around in the heel if the surface I’m running on gets even slightly uneven. I think part of the problem is the super flexible/slippery fabric of the upper makes it hard to get a solid grip on the foot, combined with a comically thick tongue and the odd v shape they cut into the collar.So overall I’d say these are outstanding road runners for flat surfaces if you want zero drop combined with a substantial cushion. However, as soon as you go even a little bit off road, say level grass, it starts to get to be more dodgy. If you venture to anything more challenging than grass and you’ll hate how sloppy your foot feels in the Rivera. I tend to do a mix of road, grass and a tiny bit of x-country hills and the x-country bits are not good in this shoe. However, the road running is outstanding. It’s not perfect for my use case but it’s pretty good and laced up very tight they are working OK (and my heel feel better). Again, if you’re exclusively a road runner I think you will love the Rivera as a daily trainer (and to be fair to them that’s how it’s marketed).
✔ Verified Purchase
Great Escalante alternative, but go 1/2 size up.
Escalante lover here. Three pairs deep. Tried the Rivera because it is significantly less expensive that the Escalante these days, and I was curious.Only two runs down so far, but feels very similar and as advertised...it's an Escalante with thicker sole. Still nice and bouncy. You can still feel the road. Same drop feel.It is certainly less sock-like than the Escalante. The front of the toe box and heel wall have structure to them, which is different but nice. I actually needed a 1/2 size larger in Rivera because of the extra structure. My foot is probably 99% the total length of the Escalante size I use, but my toes touching the end doesn't bother me because of how sock-like it is (fits like a glove). But I was stubbing my toes on the same size Rivera. A 1/2 size larger was perfect.
✔ Verified Purchase
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Misti Schneider
October 16, 2021
Comfortable, good fit toe room.
Size 13, 6’4”, 210lbs, recreational runner about 12-15 miles per week.Happy with this shoe. Reminds me of an early generation Brooks Pure Cadence. Fairly low ride with just enough cushion for comfort and protection. Upper is a stretchy, mesh material, provides a nice secure fit, seems more durable than other mesh type shoes. Lining of the shoe is soft, supple comfortable on the foot. Toe box is not as big as other Altras I’ve worn (Superior, Lone Peak) but it is perfect for me, wide enough but without any slop and the material is stretchy. If you have Fred Flintstone feet and like the super wide feel of other models, you might find these snug. For me, these have the right combination of toe room, with a secure fit.
✔ Verified Purchase
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Alan Customer
October 30, 2022
Very Comfortable and Light
It took me a while to find a good running shoe that I really like this time, and it took trying on a few of these to find the right size. Now that I found it, I really love it. It's super comfortable and roomy, but it stays perfectly snug and moves with your foot at every step. It's a little more cushion than I'm used to. I used to go more minimal, and I run with a barefoot style, ball of the foot strike. However, I decided to go with a little more cushion because of stone bruises on the balls of my feel. I love this shoe, but I can't vouch for longevity yet. Just bought them.
✔ Verified Purchase
Worked great at first, then problems
I really enjoyed running in this shoe. It has a cushiony feel but it's not too soft. It's great for larger runners, like me, who need a neutral shoe with a bit more cushion.Unfortunately, one of the shoes didn't last long. After 3 weeks of regular use, the rubber on the tip of one shoe started to peel away from the upper. This should absolutely not be happening after only about 35 miles of use.Luckily, I was only 3 days away from the end of my return period so these are going back to Amazon.
✔ Verified Purchase
