Double discs
Footwear brand Altra has partnered with lacing system specialist Boa to create its latest long-range trail-running shoe, the Mont Blanc. It uses not one but two Boa discs on each shoe.
Performance footwear brand Altra has launched a new trail running shoe, the Altra Mont Blanc Boa, that it claims will revolutionise long-distance running.
Altra worked on the shoe in close partnership with lacing system technology developer Boa and, as a result, each Mont Blanc shoe features not one but two Boa Fit System discs.
In 2001, Boa launched its system of allowing sports and outdoor enthusiasts to adjust the fit of their footwear by ‘dialling into it’. It emerged in Colorado, where founder, Gary Hammerslag, was living out his passion for snowboarding. He loved spending his spare time in the Rocky Mountains, but at the same time kept trying to think of ways to keep his boots tight on his feet. He used his experience in developing medical devices to come up with Boa, a system that uses an adjustable dial, strong but lightweight laces and low-friction lace guides to give footwear “precision fit” and fast release functionality.
Colorado was also the birthplace of Altra, which launched in 2011 and quickly became well known among runners for its foot fit from heel to-toe box and its zero-drop platform. It was acquired by VF Corporation in 2018. In spite of their Rockies connection, the companies have taken inspiration from the highest mountain in the Alps for the new shoe. Inspiration also came from specialist mountain-trail runners, athletes who cover huge numbers of kilometres of mountain track.
To meet their demands, Altra has applied a system it calls Perform FitWrap to the vamp, with easy-to-adjust, but reliable fasteners across the top to reinforce stability and control. These are controlled by the first of the two Boa discs, positioned at the side of the shoe, just where the ankle meets the instep of the foot. The disc appears high up on the shoe, but is really only halfway between the top of the upper and the outer sole, which is from Vibram’s Litebase range. The sole is thick, to provide comfort, grip and what Altra describes as unparalleled spring on all types of terrain.
Users push the button down to engage the mechanism, turn it to tighten the laces to the level they prefer, and pull the button up again at the end of the road for fast release. A second disc sits further along the upper, towards the centre on the vamp, flatter against the top of the foot. It works in the same way as its partner, but controls a separate set of laces that tighten the shoe in the area around the base of the toes.
The shoe’s upper is in a combination of white and burgundy. One Boa disc sits in each half, colour-coded to match the material. The discs are from the company’s L6 range, with the L standing for lightweight and low-profile, according to the technology provider. There is proprietary Altra Ego Max gel in the midsole. All of these factors combine to give each shoe a weight of 318 grammes.
Altra has said it has constructed the Mont Blanc to be adaptable enough to fit any foot morphology and to suit the needs of any long-distance runner. Only essential components and materials have made it into the finished product to keep the shoe as light and as breathable as possible, specifically with long-distance runs on mountain terrain in mind.
With an August 2022 launch date, the new shoe will be released in time for the 2022 Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc. This ultramarathon has been running since 2003 (with an interruption in 2020 because of covid-19). It follows the route of the Tour du Mont Blanc hiking trail, which is a circular route around the mountain, running for 171.5 kilometres, starting and finishing in Chamonix in France, but with stretches in Italy and Switzerland as well.
This race has attracted as many as 2,500 competitors, with the fastest completing the course in a little over 20 hours, and others taking more than a day-and-a-half to reach the finish. An evening start, and with the race continuing through the night, the early finishers return to Chamonix towards the end of the afternoon on day two. Slower runners often have to run through a second night before reaching the finish (there are rest areas and places to eat a hot meal and receive medical attention along the way). Courage, strength, resilience, tenacity and skill are prerequisites for being able to take part in the event. Shoe comfort and performance are high-up on the what’s needed list, too.
Boa-sponsored athlete Florian Grasel puts the new shoe through its paces while training at Monte Grappa in northern Italy.
Credit: Boa
