The good news is that for most folks who loved the 3.0 and the 3.5 for the comfort and fit, it is reported that they also approve of the 4.0. One of the nicer improvements is a sorta segmented 'rock plate' that allows more forefoot flexion. Of course, what most report to be true is irrelevant if such isn't true for you, Laurie. So trying them out and if they are a no-no, the ability to make easy return to the seller will be important.
The bad news. They changed the composition of the outer sole.
There are two common complaints.
- They seem to have a bit less traction on wet surfaces. Others say this is not so.
- Since their release last fall, some have complained of premature wear of the outer sole.
I find both of these complaints to be potentially subjective.
Traction issues are extremely difficult to reproduce for testing, much less for regular wear. This means that there is no way certain for someone to compare an older shoe with a new one in identical traction situations.
The other factor is that it is important to assess exactly when during the life of the shoe are people making a comparison. It is a known fact that after the outer soles have been worn for a while, they become 'grippy-er'. That's because there are thin layers of embedded production 'oils' in a new outersole that allow it to release from the mold that forms them. The new outersoles are also 'harder'.
Both of these factors resolve with some wear. The oils wear off, and the 'hardness' of the outersole becomes gritted and pitted and softened a bit. The 'grippy' factor goes up.
Premature wear of the outersole could be an issue of an initial run of the shoe where a defect in the 'ingredients' of the outersole production caused something to be not included in the batch or a wrong ingredient added accidentally. Sorta like leaving out salt in bread dough. . . normally the bread will turn out great, but the flub up with that one batch of dough creates a bread that tastes 'flat'.
The other issue is that with all of the different ways that a person will wear a shoe, from how it is fitted to the addition of inserts like insoles or orthotics to changes in a persons stride (like increasing problems with pronation) ANY new shoe might exhibit premature wear.
And there might just be an issue with the shoe, period. That is why shoe manufactures will hire people like me to continuously do quality assurance testing of their shoes throughout their production life. If there is a fault in manufacture that shows up with testing at any time, then production methods can be examined from where the raw materials are sourced to final construction. If the problem is identified, it can be corrected.
My best advice is to try the 4.0. Everything I've heard suggests that the comfort will either be similar to your 3.0s or better. If there is an issue with the quality of the pair of shoes you purchase, the manufacturer will have their warranty which they are great about honoring.
), heat, and the rest in my Altras.
