I got the Anta Fold from Anta Sports EU for the purpose of testing an review. However, Anta Sports has no editorial control over this review. They will not read up front what I write about the shoe. Despite the fact, that the shoes where send to me, I will try to give my honest opinion on them.
When testing running shoe, I normally do various runs in them. From easy runs to tempo / treshold runs, mostly even short interval workouts and longruns. But not this time around. I think that the Anta Fold with it’s unique midsole design has also a bit of a unique purpose. Therefore I tested it differently. But first let’s look at the story behind the shoe.
What does Anta say about this shoe
Whether you’re setting a 5AM alarm, putting in lunchtime road work, or heading out after dark, everyday miles are a labor of love. The all-new Ellipse matches this enthusiasm. The Ellipse combines the unparalleled comfort of Fresh Foam X cushioning with a bouncy underfoot feeling, designed to make your daily run the most enjoyable part of your day, every day.
The Anta Fold Running Shoes combine lightweight comfort with responsive cushioning to support every step of your run. Designed for smooth transitions and lasting comfort, they provide a balanced feel that keeps you moving with confidence. With a clean, versatile design and reliable performance, the Anta Fold is ready for everything from daily training sessions to everyday miles, wherever the road takes you.
By reimagining the midsole with folding geometry, Anta creates a unique cushioning system that offers flexibility, stability and effortless energy return.
Fit and upper of the Anta Fold
Over the last few years I ran in many different running shoes from many different brands. And I have to say, that the midsole is not the only unique part of this shoe, so is the upper. The shoe fits me true to size and I had no blisters or hot spots while running.
Back to the upper. The heel cup has a lot of structure and is very rigid. This rigid structure runs around the whole shoe. It get’s less rigid and thinner towards the midfoot and forefoot area bit it’s still there. The rest of the upper is thin an breathable. The tongue is gusseted on both sides, with a lot of plush padding on the top part.
I’m not sure if I ever mentioned insoles in one of my reviews. With the Anta Fold I will. The insole of this shoe has little wings, that run from the heel area to the midsole part. Together with the structure of the upper they provide a very secure lockdown. Your foot will stay in place, even when running through tight corners.
Personally I had no issues with this upper structure. But I could imagine, that people with wider feet could have an issue. If you have wider feet I recommend you try the shoe before you buy it, or consider changing the insole for one, that doesn’t have this little side wings.
Midsole, outsole and performance of the shoe
The midsole of the Anta Fold is where this shoe stands out. It has a unique origami like design, called Auxetic Structure by Anta. It’s made out of 14 aligned cushioning units that track every subtle shift. These units are also there for true adaptive support and rebound on take off.
Till now I ran about 120 kilometers in this shoe and I used it more or less only on my easy runs. From 6 to 14 kilometers. The ride is not super soft. You don’t sink into the midsole foam when hitting the ground. There is some rebound at take off but it’s not propulsive or bouncy. More like a smooth and comfortable ride.
The Anta Fold is not a shoe you would pick for marathon or half marathon longruns. Probably also not for fast track workouts. For me personally the shoe performs best on those easy daily runs. A few times I even did hill sprints and strides in this shoe and I had no issue.
The outsole rubber coverage is generous and I had no grip issues even while running on wet roads. Once I took the shoe even for a run on a gravel road and the grip was fine. Today, after all the runs I did in the Anta Fold there is little to no wear on the outsole rubber and I think, the shoe will last quite long.
Would I recommend the Anta Fold
Before answering this question some running statistics: The average length of a run typically falls between 5 to 8 kilometers or 3 to 5 miles. When looking at time, the average length of a run is between 30 and 45 minutes. There is no exact data on run-walk. It is presumed, that hundreds of thousands of runners use this method on a daily basis.
This shoe is made for the average runner. If you are a run-walker and if you run 2-4 times each week, you should consider this shoe. As for more serious runners, those training for half marathons or marathons: if you are looking for a reliable daily trainer, that you will use on your easy days, the Anta Fold could be a good option.
Just today I ran 14 kilometers in the shoe. Somehow I think that the shoe can handle runs up to aybe 20 kilometeres, not more. For longer runs I would prefer a shoe with more midsole material, maybe a bit more bounce and one with less ground feel.
One more thing to consider: the price point of the shoe. Don’t think I ever wrote about this either. In Central Europe the price of the Anta Fold is 100€. In today’s running shoe market a good deal, especially for those new to running, who need a long lasting, stable and reliable running shoe.
If you are looking for Anta running shoes outside of China, you can find them at
You will find more of my running shoe reviews, if you click on this link running shoes
