Customer Reviews Altra Commute

I wouldn't be expecting the running shoe feel. Soles are more rigid than the typical running shoe. Has a more loose feel but not enough to go down a size. I would greatly appreciate it if altra developed a safety toe shoe/boot that didn't sacrifice inside dimensions of the toe box. Particularly if the soles were flexible.

These boots are the best! The sharpest pair of shoes I've ever worn. I love the Altra fit, and these things are right on the money. Stylish and warm, and easy to dress up or dress down.

Tried these on in a running store & wasn't in love with them, however I did feel that they fit well. I ordered a pair and when they came I put them on & wore them around the house for about 10 minutes. The longer I wore them the better they felt. I decided to give them a try & put some other insoles in them. After 2 days of wear I am thoroughly impressed. They have broken in nicely (& quickly) & I find them very comfortable. I'm sure if you have a wide foot, I'm average, they might be snug. They are certainly not as wide as my Olympus 2.0, either pair of my Torin's, my Lone Peaks, or my Duo's. However they are wider than your average casual shoe & they have plenty of space for me in the toe box. Of course they're zero drop which helps me tremendously to maintain proper posture. A great effort for a casual shoe. Keep them coming!

I tried these on and walked around the house for about 10 minutes. They need to be broken in like most high quality leather boots but are more comfortable and not too stiff out of the box. I have a pair of the Escalante and Superior in the same size. These feel slightly longer most likely due to the taller toe box design of boots, but, the area just beyond the base of the shoe strings at the ball of my foot, the widest part of my foot is a little snug so I would be leery of ordering a half size smaller. I think they would be okay after they are broken in. I would love to have more business casual options in the "low cushion" category. Thanks Altra!

A really great shoe for kicking around when in casual office attire. Love the grey as it makes them a universal shoe.

Like many runners who started wearing Altra shoes, I did so in part because of the fit and profile. Yet, I spend most of my day (work, etc.) in shoes other than runners, and finding casual/work shoes that fit the bill is quite difficult. Combined with their mix of style and comfort, these shoes definitely fit the bill! Thanks for expanding into this market, look forward to future developments in the casual/lifestyle line...

Writing this review purely for the fact I hope Altra reads it and starts making the full leather version again because I will buy it again in a heart beat. Not sure about the style of this shoe but may be forced to buy it if the full leather doesn't come back. The leather version of this boot is the perfect fit without the inner sole inside (for me anyway.. Maybe I have wide feet. I might try the size up next time, but the length is perfect so don't really want to). And looks amazing for a zero drop perfect foot shape shoe.

Fits well, very comfortable. It took a little getting-used-to around the ankle because they have a higher cut than others. But, with the wool tops, they stretched/gave enough to become very comfortable on my feet. They run a little short, you might want to order a half-size larger. We live in AZ so in the summer these black shoes would not be suitable. They're perfect in the winter.

Got these last week. The fit was weird at first but once broken in they're awesome. The sole is stiff which is weird coming from only wearing Altra running shoes for the last few years but now that I've worn them for many days I'm used to them. I also like how warm they are now that it's getting cold, the wool even stays warm when wet, which is really nice cause I had frost nip on my toes last year and they're frequently cold when the rest of me is sweating.

As I noted in my previous review, I wear 13 in Altra Instinct and Lone Peak. 13 in this shoe was too big. Ordered the 12 and the fit is now correct. I noted that there is no padding at the back of this shoe which probably accounts for the sizing. This is where I would offer feedback for Altra. Add a little padding in the back of the shoe and around the ankle section and this shoe would be a 5 star. The lack of padding in the mid upper and back means some sliding of the foot around the ankle and achilles area. Since this shoe is named "Commute", build it for walking a mile to work like i did this morning. These look the best with jeans. Did not look right with my dress pants.

I wear a 13 in the Instincts and Lone Peaks. Ordered this shoe in a 13 and it is large. At least a half shoe size and maybe a whole shoe size. The running shoes have padding at the achilles tendon where this shoe does not. This could be part of the sizing issue? Convenient that the return label and instructions are in the box. Ordered a size 12 to see if that will work. Hopefully I will be able to update this review to let you know if they run a full size larger than the running shoes.

I ordered a pair of these right when they came out. Received them yesterday and had to stick them right back in the ol' box to go back. The sizing seems to run very true to size. Hoever, they seem VERY narrow through the midfoot area, and the toe box didn't feel any wider than any other pair of causal boots I've worn. I think Altra is onto something with these, but there needs to be a bit more refinement with this model.

I loved the material. I've always liked wool shoes (usually go with chucks though). However while I really like the look of these off my foot, they look rather clunky on me. The design of half rubber and half wool makes it look really odd. But that's not why I returned mine. The sizing, yeah it's a bit tighter in the toe box compared to my Lone Peak 4s but it's still way looser than any other of my shoes. So that's not an issue. The height though is. The boot goes just high enough to hit my malleolus (pointy bits in my ankle, thanks Google). While over time this might break in and be softer, I didn't really want to chance it. I had plans to use this as a travel shoe and just didn't feel like I'd be able to log miles with it rubbing on my ankles constantly. As for the soles, they're really cushy and comfortable. I wish it had fit me better. I may opt to try the Smith boot instead.

I wanted the Commute Boot to be just right and it's close but falls short in a couple areas. The midfoot area feels just a touch too narrow. I wear custom orthotics thanks to horribly flat feet and the trouble with so many shoes is that the inside arch area of the midfoot always bulges out the shoe. Altra is better than most in the shape which is why I like their running shoes such as the Instinct line. The toe box is perhaps just a touch wider than it needs to be. The shoe would look even better if that was reduced just a touch. It was very stiff when I first wore them but did seem to soften up a bit after a couple wears. Finally, the footbed is rather lacking. With such cushioning on the running shoes, I thought the Commute Boot would be amazing. The liner is pretty thin and uninspiring and the bed underneath looks rather...cheap. Especially if you compare with the running shoes! I'm almost out of the 30 day window to return these and truly I'm on the fence. For $140, these should be better but they are still the closest thing to a stylish, casual boot that has the features Altra is known for (zero drop, foot shape).

They don't bend at all. I tried them on and my heel just rubs up and down as I try to walk. The blisters would be insane if I tried to really wear them. I can't imagine them wearing in enough to be comfortable. The toe box shape is fine but I need a sole that bends when I take a step. I am a woman who buys altra mens 8 for the extra width and these were 7- I know their casual shoes run bigger. I'm really bummed they are not comfortable. I had to return. I wear altra shoes for studio carpentry work just for the comfort.

I have owned 4 different pairs of trail runners from Altra and they've all been fantastic. You immediately notice the wider footbox. As many other reviews of these shoes have stated, these DO NOT fit like other Altra models. They are very narrow. I have a medium width foot and even as I'm wearing them now trying to break them in, my feet are hurting! The construction otherwise seems very good and they're very attractive shoes. Just know that if you purchase them because of Altra's wider fit, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment.