Customer Reviews Altra The Torin™

I was headed for a place where I'd be doing PT rehab daily. I was really lost with all the choices there are. Finally, I phoned Zappos and spoke with a caring and knowledgeable woman who helped me. I'm a size 12, and my feet are medium width, but often swell, and some days I can't even get them in my regular "hard" shoes. The Zappos employee recommended these: I didn't know about an enlarged toe bed, or the other technical aspects of the shoe - but I really do like fuchsia! I also like it that these really don't need lacing, for my purposes. I haven't had such comfortable shoes in a long time, and even when my feet are aching and swollen, they fit in these shoes and feel wonderful! So this barefoot feel along with reasonable cushioning where it matters, and the shoe's interior and exterior design, actually add up to a sum greater than its parts, here, as far as I'm concerned. I head for my shoes every day and am looking forward to putting them on. Two more things: 1) I'm buying a pair of this same exact shoe in the black today - I think they look great, neon blue laces and all - when I find something perfect, I sometimes get two of whatever it is. And 2) A week after I'd shared my story with this uber-sweet Zappos employee over the phone about the major rehabilitation I'm doing now, a week after the shoes had already arrived, I received one of the most unusually lovely bouquets of spring flowers ever. I can identify a lot of flowers and know their common names, but this bouquet had blooms and blossoms I've not seen often from a florist. So then I opened the card to read, wondering who could have sent this, and it read: "You're inspiring people every day with what you're doing! Good luck from the staff at Zappos!" I was floored! The speedy shipping and return policy at Zappos is great. The caring work ethic, among and from Zappos employees, though, truly inspires me, and should not be taken for granted in these times! What cool folks, and what a class act! Heartfelt thanks, Zappos.

I ordered the Altra Torins for their advertised wide toebox. I'm a distance runner and most shoes rub my little toes. Unfortunately, I found the toebox too shallow - the top pinched down on my big toe and there was no way I could wear them. I even tried a bigger size but had the same problem. I can't comment much on the shoe's comfort or performance because I didn't get beyond putting my foot in one of them. I take a size 10 in regular shoes. I tried a 10.5 and an 11 in the Altra Torin and, while they are not compatible with my feet, I would recommend going up a full size to anyone wishing to try them.

Bought for my daughter. She and I both wear size 9, but had to order one whole size up. Other than that, they are so comfortable, my daughter suggested I buy myself a pair, as I have a bunion that is beginning to hurt in other shoes. I tried hers and they feel great! Highly recommend this brand!

This is the most comfortable running/walking shoe that I have ever worn. I love them! They have such a nice wide toe box, so even though they're a medium width there is tons of toe room. They do run a full size small. I normally wear an 8 1/2 wide, but with the Torin I need a 9 1/2 medium.

Was looking for another running shoe and discovered these! I have to say that I've run in many shoes and had many issues with knee pain and IT band. These are by far the best ones. No pain. I just bought the Altra Olypmus for my marathon training as they have more cushion and are good for trail running, but the Torin's are my go to running shoe! They are meant to be wide just be aware! Hope they continue to make them.

I am so grateful for the shoe. The zero drop is crucial for my foot comfort. This particular model has the biggest toebox, and the laces tie up the shoes snug around the ankle. It took me a couple of years to find this shoe. I have bought 7 pairs because they are the only comfortable shoe for me. Might get more.

Wonderful sneakers. I have Plantar Fasciitis and these are great. Only one warning for you...I wear an 8 to 8.5 in all shoes and sneakers but needed 9.5 in this particular sneaker.

These shoes are awesome. I use them for running and working out. At first they will feel a little weird and wide but they're just different and it takes a couple runs to get used to them. After that I'll always run in these.

This is a neutral running shoe, it doesn't tell your foot how to move. However, if you're looking for a neutral shoe with some cushion, this is Altra. I love the idea of barefoot running, but tried that, not going to happen (45 years old with heel spurs from years of doing it wrong!). The wide toe box is amazing -- your toes need to spread to help absorb the shock of landing (look at your foot, it is not shaped long and narrow the way your shoes are shaped! Whose idea was that?!). The Altra's toe box is just lovely. I wear these shoes all the time now, and I get lots of comments from people (including my mom) exclaiming that they've been looking for such a wide toe box for years! It looks a little weird at first (and I wear a size 11, so my feet already look pretty big), but overall I have grown to love the look. So this is a zero-drop shoe - most shoes have a 7-mm differential from the heel to the toe. (Hoka one one shoes have a 4-mm.) These shoes have zero, and that takes some getting used to. But if you're interested in chi running, evolution running, or you just like and appreciate the idea that our feet know how to move better than any shoe can tell them to - then you'll want to put the time into letting them do their thing, and giving them time to strengthen / stretch slowly into these. Which meant, for me, one to two of my short runs the first few weeks, increasing time slowly, and after a month they were more or less all I wore. (Okay, the first time I tried them, I loved them so, and I wore them for too many runs right away and I got Achilles tendoninitis. But that was my fault. So go slow.) Last note is on the tread. There is none with these shoes. However, I live in the German Alps, and I wear them on technical trails and...whatever. I work it out. They hold up to running through water, sharp rocks, etc. I have the pink and the blue, and both are cute. Final note: this is a small company, and I love that, too. I love these shoes.

I have been buying form Zappos for over 12 years. I decided I needed a new pair of sneakers and intentionally searched out sneakers and shoes to accomodate underpronators. Normally, runners seak out the best shoes if they are underpronator, overpronator, or neutral runners. I am not a runner and I don't workout often but I do walk A LOT. So, I was looking for a very supportive pair of sneakers. I did a search under underpronator. Thank you Zappos for making that a searchable topic, it made my life easier. These sneakers had great reviews. I liked the streamlined look and it was on sale. I went for it. Coming out of the box the look was still fabulous and the blue color bright. As far as support, it was like my feet were in heaven. Extremely comfortable pair, they felt light weight, true to size for fit, and the flexibility in the foot bed was fantastic for easy manageability.

I have a bunion on my right foot and bought these shoes for the larger toe box. I did size up a whole size based on the recommendations posted on Zppos. I would probably go up another half size in the future. I found these shoes to be very comfortable for my long walks (5-6 miles a day) and had no problems adjusting to the zero drop. I do not usually wear shoes around the house so that probably helped with that. I wish Altra would make a plain black or grey shoe to wear with street clothes as I would wear them everyday, but I do not like the look of workout shoes with my normal clothing. I highly recommend these shoes for anyone with bunions.

The Altra Torin is wonderful. I love the wide forefoot and low heel of Altra shoes! My feet feel better in shoes with cushioning, so I really appreciate the additional cushioning in this shoe.

Love these shoes and this is my third pair. Love the wide toe box. Love the cushy feel on brick and concrete. Love not having a heel in the way. These are not, however, shoes for people who pronate a lot. A note on sizing: Torins come with two inserts. I wear a 10.5 shoe normally, but with one insert I wear a 11 in Torins and with both inserts need a 12. The 12 arch does not hit my foot correctly with only one insert. So, when you try on the shoes, keep the inserts in mind.

I wanted a zero drop shoe with more cushioning than your standard "barefoot" shoe offers. I think these offer the best of both worlds - the wide toe box allows my toes freedom of movement. I get some excellent cushioning for when I want/need it. I did order a half size larger than I typically wear and was glad I did. They fit perfectly.

Simply put, these are the only running shoes that fit me perfectly and feel comfortable straight out of the box. Although I'm not a runner, I use these for walking and/or hiking. Order a full size larger. Based on other reviews I ordered up a half size, not imagining I would need a full size more, but I did. I have bunions and need a wide toe box, and often the heels are too loose. Not with these. The width of the shoe was fine, the length very short. The shape of the shoe is different (more rounded) than most running shoes, and the shoe does not make the foot look big. Literature included with the shoe suggests having a half-inch space between the big toe and end of the shoe. The shoes are well-cushioned, very light weight, support the foot very well and feel great. The color is as pictured.

Very happy with these shoes. I ordered them after a lot of research, everything pointed back to them. I'm so glad I did! I will say, they definitely run short, I wear a 9.5-10 and after reading all the reviews, I reluctantly ordered a 10.5. I'm glad I did, they fit perfect! A 10 never would've fit and I would've had to exchange them.

I came back for a third pair for fear they may get discontinued at some point, that is how great these shoes are. I bought my first pair of Torins in April 2013, second in May 2013, and now this third pair. The first was the men's black, the second these same women's black ones. I have been running in the two pairs I have every day for the past few months, and they are holding up great. I have never again experienced knee, heel, and back pain like I did in past years with other shoes, so these are a god given. Keep on making these, Altra, but in an all black sole including the midsole, please!

I am a 67 year old woman training for a 24 hour race. I train on hard surfaces. I suffer from forefoot pain and bunions and got to the point I thought I could never run long distance again. I own the Altra One, Merrell Bare Access Two, and the Altra Torin. I alternate shoes and because the Torin has more cushioning, I use this shoe to rest my joints from impact. I have two sizes, 8 1/2 for walking around town and 9 for running. Altras are miracle shoes for me. I love the wide toe box and narrow heel. They stay on my feet because of the superior lacing. Finally someone has made the shoe I dreamed about.

I'm using these shoes for daily walking. I love the wide toe box and overall comfort. They are very light weight as well. The manufacture recommends breaking them in slowly but I haven't worn another pair since I bought them.

I ordered a 1/2 size up & they're so short - I really like them & I'm going to try another whole size larger.

Fantastic shoe. It promotes a midfoot strike, but it's not a minimalist shoe -- it has cushioning and some structure inside. If you want to feel the road/earth, this is not the shoe for you. Definitely a bit more support than the Intuition. Great wide toe cup so your toes can splay. Love them so much I just bought a second pair. Order one half size up (I'm usually an 8, but took an 8.5).

I had these shoes already in black and love them. I ordered this pair to wear in summer, just because black doesn't look right with most summer clothes. These shoes are NOT the same size, although they are supposed to be. They are shorter. I kept relacing them thinking they just needed to break in but now I am positive they are mismarked. Disappointing because they are expensive and now are too worn to return. Still love the black ones though.

I love this shoe. I know this shoe is intended for running, but that's not what I use this shoe for. I prefer doing high impact classes at the gym, four times a week. My classes include aerobics, kickboxing, Zumba, plyometrics, and step. This shoe allows me to do all of that with zero discomfort. I own quite a few pairs of athletic shoes, but none provide the support and cushion that this shoe offers. I have to say that for me it was a risk going for this shoe, for three reasons. I had never heard of this brand, I was buying it without first trying it on, and there were not a whole lot of reviews to guide me. I'm glad I took a chance.

The comfort level of these shoes is right up there with Birkenstocks! When my Zero Drop shoes arrived, I put them on and was instantly in love!

I've used them on my trail runs for the past few weeks and adore them. I usually wear 9 or 9.5 in running shoes, and had to go up to 10 because my big toes were hitting the top of the front. In 10, they are absolutely perfect. The wide toe box and cushioning is a dream, and I can not feel the shoe anywhere - everything is padded, including the tongue (which I could feel on the Intuition 1.5). I also bought the black men's Torins, because I hate the white sole on the women's black Torins, but the women's ones do feel better on the feet, in case you are thinking about doing the same. I used a sharpie to get rid of the white and am urging Altra to ditch the white sole on colored shoes - it's so darn ugly! The pink shoes are even worse. I ordered those as well and the white on them was already yellowing. Also, the black ones have 7 lace holes, while the pink ones I received have only 6. On the Altra website the pink ones are pictured with 7 holes, so maybe Zappos is still selling last year's stock? I give these only 2 stars for style because of the color combinations, and am hoping that the next models will be nicer colors. I don't see myself ever running in anything else.