Altra Women's The Torin Running Shoe

I ordered these shoes on a Wednesday and the arrived the very next day. That is lightning fast, People. I needed a shoe with a wide toe box and I've entertained the idea of the barefoot shoe phenom but financially I didn't want to take the plunge and have them not work out. I also was concerned about absorbing too much impact, the huge learning/retraining curve with those shoes. The Altra Torins have been a fantastic find for me. The are the best of both worlds of running shoe, all the ergo of barefoot and the all the cushioning of my $120 asics. This is where I'm at and why this works for me. I'm in a midlife crisis, I want to be fit but haven't run in a handful of years yet I have been a runner most of my life. I'm fat, lazy and the heaviest I've ever been. A hint of knee pain is all the motivation I need to quit any exercise routine. But I'm up to 6-8 miles a day of walking and just now starting to string together 2-3 mile runs, but man, my hips hurt my back aches, I'm developing knots on the tops of my feet (wtf is that about? seriously) and I have revolving pain in my knees. I have never had these issues before. I mean, I know I'm a slob right now but the discomfort screams 40-something and aging fast. I now have mid-range price Asics from Dicks Sporting Goods because I didn't want to drop the coin I used to on running shoes but my feet hurt so bad I had to try something new to keep on with my progress. All the other pains I've chalked up to old age and hibernation. The Altras were the right price and the reviews were so good. When I first tried them on they immediately took away the foot stress the second. They felt so different from the get go and I hadn't realized how much pain my conventional shoes we're causing just in my feet alone. For you girls out there it's like wearing the wrong sized bra until one day you get fitted and you never looked so good, ten years younger, right? Wearing the Altra Torins is like having an ah-ha moment, it's an amazing fit. I have very wide, flat feet and have always struggled with shoes eventually stretching or blowing out at the widest point. No matter what brand or style or gender shoe, to get the width right I usually start coming out of the heel. The Torins are engineered just right at the heel and toe box. You can literally feel your toes spread freely without constraint and the heel fits like a glove. I'm serious, my toes went "ahhhhhhhh." It's that ridiculous. This alone made me very hopeful for a different running experience. The first day I just walked around in them and I could feel the backs of my legs, mainly my hamstrings stretching, it was subtle but noticeable. That is the zero drop technology working and where I am most skeptical but I have to say, I have so much less pain even after just a week of quick short runs. Most noticeably, I don't have the horrible stiffness and nagging revolving knee pain and much less back pain. It should also be noted that I'm the worst when it comes to stretching so I'm doing nothing to help myself except for the shoes. Booo, stretches, yay shoes! Once upon a time when I wasn't so committed to the couch I naturally ran more on the balls of my feet, and I think that type of alignment is what these shoes will encourage again. Fat and lazy has made more of a heel striker, but as of late I haven't had any shin pain. This week is the first for sore calves so the retraining of muscles is noted again. I used to feel like I got hit by a bus even just from walking longer distances. I definitely don't feel like I'm 20 but I feel like I can handle being 40 and a runner. It's not impossible. Oh, and the cushioning is super nice too. You won't be disappointed here. I can't wait to get into better shape and get some longer runs in to see how the cushioning lasts. As I get used to these even more I'm optimistic that the impact to my body is lessened from both the cushioning and from the healthier running position these shoes encourage. These Torins have been a game changer for me and I will definitely get at least on more pair to rotate through. For what appears to be a niche shoe these get an incredible 4.5 stars out of 5 for a reason. They make engineering sense, they are very affordable and are a high quality product. They have made me optimistic that the world is sometimes right. Happy running!

I have extreme bunions in both feet and a morton's neuroma on my second toe. Needless to say, I've had considerable pain that sets in around the 8 mile mark. One of my gal pals recommended seeing Altra's at a running expo. I ordered this model after doing online research. I call them my 'duck shoes' because of the rounded front. As others have noted, it took awhile to adjust to the zero drop nature of the shoe. I switched back and forth for shorter distances. (I was wearing ASICS Gel Nimbus before this). I gradually increased to longer distances. I've now run in this model for 2 plus years. Why change a good thing when you don't have pain?! In street shoes I am a size 7.5 and have them in 8 and they fit fine. For my 4th pair I am ordering 8.5 to see if it gives a little more room especially when running down hill.As more support for these shoes, I went to a RunSafe run lab at Stanford University. They perform analysis on your running on the treadmill, your ability to stretch, your nutrition, etc. One of the stations had an orthopaedic foot doctor. After looking at my poor feet, he said with my conditions, this was the best shoe for me along with my custom orthotics.I'm stocking up on this model in case they drastically change the fit.I have also tried the Altra Intuition, but don't like them. The toe box is not nearly as roomy as this model and cushioning is not adequate for me.11/7/2014 Follow up: I normally wear a 7.5 and order 8 in running shoes. This last pair of Torin's I ordered a 8.5. I must admit I like them better. More wiggle room in the front for my toe issues, especially during downhill runs but the heel and rest of the foot fits snugly/comfortably. I'll be ordering full size up in these from now on.

I am a 66 year old runner and run 4-5 miles 3 times a week these days. I have had recurring pain in my knees going downhill for some time. I tried a pair of Asics and had numbness in my toes as well as hot spots though the cushioning was fairly helpful to my knees. I have used several other brands briefly and never found them satisfactory. It was getting to the point where I despaired of finding a shoe to run in comfortably, and started thinking my running days were ending. . Then I purchased these. After running in them 6 months I have found two out 2 things. I never get numb or hot spots, because the toe box gives me plenty of room with my strike for them to spread, and my knee pain has almost completely disappeared. Even going downhill I rarely notice any stress at all, and my knees feel stronger now than they have in years. The cushioning is not extreme but works for me. It is clear that how one's foot transitions through the stride in this shoe is more important than the cushioning for comfort. I wish I had found something like this 20 years ago, but I am surprised to have so much improvement just from wearing the right shoe. I had no trouble at all adjusting to these, but I walk barefoot most of the time so they feel more natural to me. They do not seem like clown shoes to me in any way, but I am far past the time when looking cool was more important than a shoe that delivers. This one does. I did order a half size up, and I have a pair a full size up somewhere in between those would be perfect but these fit well enough to be comfortable..

Love these runners. This is a spare. I wanted to get this older model before they are no longer available. The newer model has a smaller toe box and wider heel from what I read. Black toe problem greatly reduced; I could even get a half size bigger still.

I cannot wait to have more happy miles with these runners! I was looking forward to these and they have not disappointed me. They fit perfectly and just love them!