Customer Reviews Altra Rivera

have run in Torin for over 4 years, through every evolution. This shoe is OK, but not a solution if you are a torin lover. For me it is 1/2 size too short. Ride seems good but is not the land cruiser the Torin has traditionally been, and i do not mean that the torin is a heavy shoe but is firmer and seems more durable to me. I also read with the same concern as others, Vanity Fair may be monkeying too much with a good model. The Torin could use some update but this is, as the reviews indicate, more along the escalante line of shoe. More to come later as i alternate this shoe with the Topo UltraFly.

Former favorite was the Escalante Racer. This shoe is now taking the top spot for Altra shoes IMHO. Maybe a little sluggish *feeling* at slower speeds but really starts snapping when you pick up the pace. Very responsive. And stays comfortable for long runs. 4-stars because the colors are still not doing it for me. Ordered the blue but ultimately black is the only one I think I'll wear in the future out of this group.

Perhaps it is due to me being a light runner, the Rivera just does not have the cushiony feel others have noted. They feel more like my time trial flats perhaps with a little more rebound. During an initial 8 mi piece I found them to be easy to maintain a steady pace; no clunkiness or side-to-side issues at all. Light and crisp on toe-off. Landings on the forefoot were the big thing for me. I really expected a softer landing and it just isn't there. Another thing that was bothersome on run #1 was the tread's ability to snag very small rocks....ugg. Hearing the annoying 'click, click, click' every stride for about 10 minutes hoping they'd dislodge but nope. Had to stop and remove them before they dug into the sole. QC was surprisingly off too. I used some clear nail polish to help secure some loose threads and a small fray in the tongue...right out of the box. All in all, a decent shoe that will go fast (at the end of my initial run decided to crank it up and easily hit 5:30 pace) though using these for zone 2 runs as I train for an ultra; not so much.

There's not as much cushion on the inside as I would like

This is my first pair of Rivera's. I have a pair of Torin Plush that I love. The ride is definitely different due to the lower stack height. I'll probably go back to the Torin for my 3rd pair.

Really liked the Torin 4s but had to get these. Did a quick walk about and while the length is good, the box is certainly narrower and I'm not sure that I care for it, I guess we will see.

I was hoping to replace my Altra Duo 1.5 (a very comfortable shoe) but it is not the ideal replacement. The Riviera feel a bit stiff and not as bouncy as I hoped.

I love the ride of this shoe. In some other Altras, you kind of feel like the heel is actually lower than the forefoot like you have to push your way out of a hole to run. These have a slight toe spring which is just perfect for me. They need to lose all of the soft padding in the tongue and close up the ankle opening. Between the wide open ankle collar and the puffy tongue, you just can't lock in the heel whatsoever. And like other reviewers said, it runs a little short and narrow, but not too bad for me. You could size up but the rear foot lockdown would be even worse so that's not a good option. I'm looking forward to version 2 because if they can fix the fit issues, this is a real winner.

I really wanted this shoe to work, the cushioning was great, but, it was way too narrow in the forefoot for me, and was half a size short. I decided to return then and get the Escalante 2.5's instead

Since I started running in 2010 I ran in Brooks. They dropped the ball on their Pure line. I was introduced to Altra. Torin 2.5s were great. Ugly, but great. 3s were ok. 3.5s moved further from what I loved and the 4's sucked, but I bought 3 pairs and wore them out hoping for something new and improved. The fit was still fine, but the breathability was compromised. My feet were continually soaked after a run no matter the socks I wore. When the Riveras came out, I was stoked that Altra had finally come out of the Covid craze with the shoes I had been waiting for. Sadly they were not. The shoes just fit weird. The toe box is compromised compared to the Altra shoes I had grown to love and they don't fit at the ankle. I'm on my second pair of Riveras (only because I hate change and wasting money trying to find shoes I like), but still don't like them. I've bought 14-15 pairs of Altras (for myself and accounted for over 30 pairs with referrals and purchases for family) since first being introduced to the Torin 2.5s, but I'm quickly reconsidering. While the newer Altras are breaking away from the horrible designs of "yesteryear" they're also breaking away from what made them a great shoe. Cool looking shoes don't matter if they don't fit. It's sad. I'm sure my review will fall on deaf ears, but I'd love for them to make a shoe I can be happy to run in again.

Very comfortable shoe for the most part me I wear them as an every day shoe, just not for running. The toe box seems smaller and I really love my older Torins. I still recommend Altra shoes though.

great

Previously wore Torin exclusively for road miles. Purchased a pair of Rivera's some time ago and have 198 miles on them and I am seeing significant balding of the tread under ball of foot and what appears to be the material under the treads. Would think this would not occur until 300-400 mi range. Shoe size also seems about .5 smaller than the Torins in my experience. Enjoy Altra's and may need to revert back to Torin or another model for road running.

I have had the Torins and Escalante as well as the Timps and Lone Peak shoes. The Rivera may be my least favorite. Mostly because the heal doesn't seem fit snug on my feet so that I have to stop a lot to remove small rocks, etc. from my shoes. And that's not something I've dealt with before on other Altra shoes. Also the tongue on the Rivera is so spongy it may be contributing since it is hard to get a good lock down with all the cushion in the tongue.

The fit is fine except for the toebox. I don't have super wide feet but I do like the extra room in the toebox and ALTRA has definitely reduced the size of the toebox in this model. Otherwise I like the shoe. I took them for a 6 mile run right out of the box. I like the way they felt while running but could tell if I ran much further I would have developed a blister on one of my toes I would rather they add a little more weight to this shoe than sacrifice the room in the toebox

This shoe is great and comfy out of the box. Yes it's not as wide as a typical Altra but if you go a half size larger it's fine. The ride out of the box is smooth and makes you want to keep running! My big problem is durability. I've put about 80 miles over a month on this shoe and theres already substantial bald patterns on the tread, and the support feels like its breaking down. I love the initial feel but cant justify the purchase if it cant give me 300-400 miles.

Toe box a bit tighter than previous instinct shoes

A comfy, lightweight trainer that fairs well on easy and fast runs alike. A bit too small/narrow, but mostly very low volume. The cushioning is a bit too soft for my tastes. Thank you for finally offering size 7.5!

Most or all versions of the Torin maintained the wide toe box and zero-drop which made them great and super-special. Otherwise, why not buy Nike, Adidas, Asics, Puma, etc., and all the myriad knock-offs? Usually cheaper and with far more innovative "colorways", etc.. I maintain my previous ALTRAS because of their uniqueness which I can't get from the other brands. Whether that translates to the company's success going forward is a boardroom decision and not the end-user. It's the very "oddness" of the former ALTRA look and feel that "we" loved. And non-Altra bystanders often complimented on the comfort-looking nature of the shoe and ASKED about where to get it and the brand NAME...! Just another Nike? Nike will always do Nike BETTER!

I Have loved Altras for the wide toebox and have loved 15 various pair of their running shoes in the past five years.When ordering these online without trying a pair on, I just assumed all the Altra shoes had a wide toebox. When opening the box I immediately noticed they looked like a regular shoe. I cannot imagine that the narrow toebox will work for me four running anything over 5 miles. This is so very disappointing to me and now I am seeing a lot of other reviews saying Altra is getting away from the wide toebox. I will probably have to start my search for another brand with a wide toebox.

Comfortable shoe but the quality is missing or I got a defective pair. The outsole is already peeling from the bottom of the shoe after 1 month.