[7] Since 2018 Altra is owned by VF Corporation, an American global apparel and footwear company with other brands like Icebreaker, The North Face, Vans, JanSport, Eastpak and Timberland.

"Altra Footwear" was launched in 2009, partnering with Pulse Labs, an engineering firm at Brigham Young University, and with contract manufacturers in Asia.

[2][7][12] Harper chose the name "Altra" based on the Latin word "altera", which means "to fix or mend something that is broken.

[13] In April 2017, the company announced a partnership with the Utah State University Outdoor Product Design and Development (OPDD) program.

[16] Harper recruited local runners and store employees to test prototype shoes where the heel and forefoot were the same distance from the ground.

Altra entered the North American market in 2011, winning the Runner's World Magazine's 2012 Editor's Choice Best Debut award.

[11] Each year since 2011, Altra Running has doubled its sales revenue, and over 1500 retailers are now selling its zero-drop, foot-shaped toe box shoes.

Outdoor recreation gear and sporting goods Retailer REI started selling Altra Running shoes in the past year.

The shoe is designed for both men and women and has an embedded sensor in the insole that measures a runner's landing zone, cadence, ground contact time, and impact rate.