Altra x Smartwool We Run The Cold Collection Review: Let Your Memes be Dreams

What You Need To Know

Oh, we’re trolling @YaBoyScottJurek now?

SAM: Nothing beats wool for running in cold weather, and Smartwool has been the benchmark in comfortable performance wool for so long that “Smartwool baselayer” has almost become the Kleenex of winter sports clothing. It’s basically genericized, and if you’ve ever had the delight of wearing a Smartwool baselayer backpacking or snowboarding, you know why.

Fortunately for runners, Smartwool has taken their ubiquity and continued to innovate on wool in activewear (casual wear too, but we aren’t talking about that here). This Fall/Winter 2024 Smartwool teamed up with Altra for a collaboration release designed specifically for winter running. When we say “winter running” here, we mean the really cold stuff – sub-freezing temps with cutting wind and snow. This Collab was available only at REI for the month of October, and features a limited edition Altra Escalante 4 road shoe equipped with a Smartwool upper. That might be the standout of the collection, but there are some unique clothing pieces meant to be layered and a couple of pairs of Altra branded Smartwool socks.

Everything in this release is pretty fantastic, and even an Altra hater would find it hard to complain.

Altra x Smartwool Escalante 4

SAM: Altra’s enduring zero-drop Escalante road-running shoe gets the Smartwool treatment as the focal point of this Collab. The wool weave is very pretty in both the men’s and women’s versions, and the texture slightly resembles some Allbirds offerings, which is a good look. There are Smartwool logos and coloring on the outside of the heel and the tongue, but nothing ostentatious, so this could even serve as a casual shoe if you’re one for the casual wide-toebox look.

While this wool blend upper is designed for winter weather, it is a testament to Smartwool’s product and the versatility of wool that it remains plenty breathable, even on warmer days. It’s roomy and stretchy where it needs to be, but it secures comfortably to your foot and never feels baggy.

This limited-run shoe is a great addition to your shoe quiver if you’re an Altra fan and need a cold-weather road running option that breathes far better than Gore-Tex.

PRICE: $150

Altra x Smartwool Run Targeted Cushion Socks

SAM: Smartwool started with socks, so it makes sense that this collab would feature a few exclusive pairs that sport Altra branding alongside Smartwool’s own logo. Both the crew and mid versions of this Altra x Smarwool sock spot exclusive colorways, and the crew especially looks really great sticking out of the Altra x Smarwool Escalante 4, so you might as well grab a pair when you get the shoe.

PRICE: $28

Smartwool Intraknit Active Seamless Long-Sleeve

SAM: This multi-use shirt has a wider weave than a traditional Smartwool baselayer and looks and feels more like a sweater when you wear it. It’s plenty warm when it needs to be, but the wider weave helps with breathability. This shirt is one of those unique pieces you can wear out for drinks in the evening and throw on the next morning for a chilly fartlek.

PRICE: $115

Smartwool Active Fleece Insulated Wind Vest

SAM: Do you love a vest but hate the bulk? This is your solution. With insulation via wool, windproof and water-resistant panels, and chest and mid-back zipper pockets, the Active Fleece Insulated Wind Vest provides warmth and protection with a sleek profile. This is the winter clothing version of that friend who’s always up for a run and never wears sleeves. Throw it over a baselayer for that extra core warmth or under a windbreaker for insulation and bonus protection.

PRICE: $180

Smartwool Active Fleece Wind Half-Zip Pullover

SAM: Let’s face it, many of us live in places where temperatures hover between 30 and 45 degrees for a chunk of the winter. Those cold-but-not-freezing days call for a one-and-done layer that you can throw on without anything else. This half-zip is that layer. It’s made from Smartwool’s wool blend but sports wind- and water-resistant panels so that you’re ready for basically anything a mild winter has to throw at you.

PRICE: $170

Smartwool Active Fleece Wind Tight

SAM: What the Wind Half Zip is to the top half of your body, these tights are to the bottom half. They sport a zipper pocket in the back and a slide-in pocket on the leg for decent storage, a wind and water-resistant front panel, and zippers at the base of the leg for easy on and off. If you’re the type of runner who hates cold legs, you can’t get much better than this for warmth and comfort in the midst of winter.

PRICE: $140