Altra Vanish Tempo 2 Review | Bouncy, Fast, and Ready for Speedwork

I knew right away that the Altra Vanish Tempo 2 was going to be a fast shoe. The Vanish Tempo is built for tempo and speed runs, with a FAST RN dual supercritical foam midsole and a split PEBAX plate that adds propulsion.

And if that sounds a little bit jargon-y for you, you can just look at its sleek design and cushioned heel to know it is built for speed. 

Altra is, of course, known for its roomy “foot-shaped” toe boxes and its low- or zero-drop running shoes, which differ from the plated running shoes that are more common today. 

This shoe is great for… runners who want a fast, responsive tempo shoe without sacrificing cushioning and comfort.

Altra Vanish Tempo 2 Overview

I put roughly 25 miles on the Vanish Tempo 2, splitting my testing between easy running and tempo workouts. My variable speeds were a useful way to understand the shoe because its personality changes considerably depending on pace.

At an easy pace, the Vanish Tempo 2 is, in a word, comfortable.

The cushioning is one of the things I liked most about it: there’s plenty underfoot, without the shoe feeling excessively soft or cumbersome. I could happily run easy miles in it all day.

But once I picked up the pace, I understood the Vanish Tempo 2. The shoes are fast.

And I can measure that: I found myself setting new PRs at various distances without over-exerting myself. On my tempo efforts, my speed improved, and the shoe’s bounce became much more noticeable. Rather than feeling like I had to force the shoe to turn over faster, these shoes were propelling me forward.

Some of that feeling likely comes from the FAST TRN midsole, which uses dual supercritical foam, along with a split PEBAX plate. Unlike an extremely rigid plated racing shoe, however, I didn’t feel as though comfort had been sacrificed in the pursuit of speed.

I normally run in ASICS or Saucony, and had not tried Altra’s before…….

Of the different runs I tried in the shoe, tempo was the obvious winner. That’s where I’d use it going forward.

The streamlined profile of this shoe means it looks as fast as it performs.

I did wish that more color varieties were available: the shoe comes in a pink, teal, or white base, but all three options are white on top. As someone who sometimes dodges puddles and prefers a darker shoe, the lack of a less white-based option was disappointing.

The material of the Vanish Tempo 2 was different from the shoes I’m used to running in, and not necessarily in a good way. The engineered mesh is lightweight and comfortable, but in my hands it feels a little cheap for a $190 shoe.

That didn’t translate into discomfort on the run, but the initial feel of the materials wasn’t as premium as I expected.

That said, $190 remains reasonable within the increasingly expensive world of plated performance shoes, particularly considering how well the Vanish Tempo 2 performed for me.

Altra Vanish Tempo 2 Fit

Length: Runs slightly small
Width: Snug midfoot
Toe Box: Narrower than expected from Altra
Arch: Neutral
Volume: Medium

The biggest thing I’d flag about the fit is sizing. The Vanish Tempo 2 ran a little small for me, so I would pay attention to sizing rather than assuming your normal running-shoe size will automatically be right.

 I was surprised by this from Altra, given the brand’s reputation for roomy shoes. The Vanish Tempo 2 still incorporates Altra’s FootShape design, but it uses the company’s Racing fit, which is the snugger of its three FootShape options. The idea is to preserve room for natural toe movement while providing a more secure midfoot for faster running.

Once running, however, I found the shoe very comfortable. Nothing about the upper distracted me from the run, and despite my reservations about how the material felt in hand, it worked well on the foot.

The fit also contributes to the shoe’s sense of speed. There’s enough cushioning to make it comfortable, but I didn’t feel as though my foot was swimming around inside a bulky upper.

Everything feels oriented toward keeping the shoe relatively light and secure.

Altra Vanish Tempo 2 Feel

The Vanish Tempo 2 has a high-cushion setup, but it doesn’t translate into the soft, sinking sensation you sometimes get from highly cushioned trainers. Instead, I felt the cushioning compress and return energy as I increased my pace.

There are plenty of highly cushioned running shoes that I love for slow or recovery days but wouldn’t choose for speedwork, but this isn’t one of them.

The cushioning actually seems to become more enjoyable the faster you go.

The split PEBAX plate also gives the shoe propulsion without making it feel oppressively rigid. Combined with the rocker geometry and responsive foam, the overall effect is a shoe that encourages turnover.

That’s ultimately what stood out during my 20 miles of testing: my pace improved. Obviously, a shoe isn’t doing the training for you, but on my faster runs I found it easier to settle into and maintain speed.

If I’m heading out specifically for an easy run, I’d probably still reach for one of my familiar ASICS or Saucony daily trainers. If I’m heading out to run a tempo workout, however, I’d choose the Vanish Tempo 2.

Who Tried It?

My name is Kirsten, and I am a hobbyist runner who laces up for 5Ks and 10Ks regularly. Living in Maine means I find myself running in every weather condition, and hills are a part of my daily training.

Even my road-running shoes see the trails on occasion. I have not completed a Marathon (I’ve done two Half’s), but I am working on speeding up my 10K time to under 45 minutes and spend most of my runs doing easy miles or quick tempo workouts. 

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