Customer Reviews Altra Paradigm 6

I gave this shoe a 3 because of the poor color choices. It feels the best of any shoe I have purchased. I have the paradigm 5 in black. Altra, if you are listening, make this shoe in black. I tried the gray. It looks green and doesn't go with anything. Ultimately. I went with Brooks because I could get my chosen style in black. I tried black in provision but it didn't provide the support of the paradigm. If you make this shoe in a non intrusive black, I'll probably by 2. I wouldn't recommend to a friend because they don't wear these colors either.

These shoes as well as the Provision 6 are too narrow for me. I wish that a wide size was offered for Altra shoes that are more narrow, since I believe many Altra fans like the shoes for being wide. I ordered a woman's version of this shoe, and when it was too narrow, I ordered the men's version hoping the D width would be more forgiving. On both versions, my foot spilled over the side. I thankfully found a great fit in the Torin 5 wide. I'd love to see wide offered in more models. Thank you!

This is my second pair of Paradigms and after my third run outside, they are already showing noticeable wear on the top treads. I want to love them but can't keep replacing them if they don't wear well.

I ordered an 8 1/2 and a 9 but even the 9s are a bit too small. I also understand the other comments that say they're unbalanced. Feels like my heels are sinking into the shoe and the rest of my foot is propped up. Also cant tell if these are cute or if they look like my grandmother would wear them for knee support. I'm leaning more towards fashionable but I'll see what my nieces say.

I love the paradigm and the overall support of the shoe but the 6 feels a bit more narrow in the toe box than the 5. The new colors are great, I love the turquoise, but I wouldn't buy the 6 again due to the shoe feeling narrow.

I purchased the black paradigm six, because they had extra cushioning over the Rivera. They felt comfortable and I had no complaints in the comfort area. They were wider than the Rivera in the toe area, looked a little too wide, and I didn't need the extra width. They also had a darker band along the top of shoe near my toes, going 3/4 way around. They looked out of style, as does most of altra's shoes, and thought I could wear them at night where nobody could see them, but ultimately decided to return them.

Sizing is bigger than my usual size the shoe is remarkably comfortable and orthopedic I hope it will last for a while because it is quite expansive

I'm disappointed with the changes. I have metatarsalgia in both feet and a Morton's neuroma in my right foot, and with Paradigm 5, I felt as though I could walk for miles. With Paradigm 6, my whole frame feels the difference when I walk. I especially notice discomfort in my knees. The type of cushioning must've changed because the cushioning is more squishy, and the sole feels thinner. I also agree with other reviewers about the too-short shoelaces. On the plus side, the navy color is very nice, the silhouette of the shoe doesn't look "orthopedic' to me, and the wide toe box is appreciated. That's why I rated it 3 stars. For me, they're fine for limited walking and gadding about, but they don't hold a candle to Paradigm 5 for exercise walking comfort.

Still out on the fit. I had oved the Provision 3.5. Had three pairs perfect fit then you changed the last and it did not fit. On this one I went up a size and it is a little big but the 7.5 was a little short. So disappointed you changed the last on the Provision. For what I paid I expect a perfect fit not so.

I have had earlier versions of this stability shoe and it was perfect for when my back called out for super stable rigid shoes. The version 6 is a completely different, very cushiony shoe that lacks the support of earlier models and for me, does not provide the stiffness I need.

I was really excited a bout this new version of the Paradigm because I wanted the cushioning and the stability features that only kick in when you need them to. Plus the look of this shoe is awesome! I wear a size 9.5 in the Torin, Escalante, and Provision, and the Paradigm 5, so I ordered a 9.5 in the Paradigm. My toes were touching the end of the shoe. I ordered a size 10 and my feet slide around when I make a sudden turn, plus the heel is a little loose. I wonder if the problem is that this new version does not have the "Fit for Her" feature. I am hoping the Paradigm 7 will!

Loved the concept and the guide rails but not enough of a sole between feet and ground. Sill, always looking for that elusive, zero drop supportive shoe for my flat, flexible feet.! I don't know if this will be helpful to other buyers but I'm going Altra is listening.

I'll start with the positives -- the look of the shoe is fantastic. Lightweight, flexible upper, gray/purple color looks great. Negatives -- I normally wear a size 10 wide dress shoe. I always order a women's 11 in Altra and have never had an issue with squeeze considering lack of width option. I ordered an 11 in the new Paradigm 6 and my toes are squished to the end on length and so tight on width. These honestly fit more like a Brooks Glycerin. I also tried on the new Torin 5 in 10.5 in the new wide option, same problem. I've been wearing the LP Alpine size 11 for a few weeks and they fit perfectly. I'm not sure what's happening with adjustments of sizing, but I'm not a fan. This shoe will work if you don't have bunions or need any wiggle room on width. Ugh, I was so excited about this shoe but will be returning.

I bought my shoes in 2022 and I wore them inside only for my light dance workouts for only 3 months, 2x a week. I stopped the dance workouts, forgot about the shoes, then started wearing them again late 2023 on walks. Within 6-8 months of very intermittent walking (3-4 times a month) the bottom soles are literally peeling off and starting to squeak. I wanted to write an email instead of a review, but I looked all over the site to find an email and I couldn't find it and the chat bit wasn't helpful. I love the feel of Altras but if they are going to fall apart like this, I don't know what to buy next.

These are the first of this kind of fit I have ever owned, and they cured my knee issues almost immediately. The guide rail was a little narrow on one foot at first, but they broke in nicely. On the down side, both shoes are squeaky, sounding like I am walking with wet shoes on. I have tried adjusting the inserts but it keeps coming back. Also, they are wearing VERY quickly - pieces of the sole are detaching after 7-8 months or so, and a hole is starting to wear on one.

I have used the Paradigm model since the beginnings of the company, and it is great for working all day on concrete floors, and it cured my Planters Fasciitis. BUT newer versions of this shoe were changed to a regular width for some strange reason!! Please, go back to wide width or at least offer the option!! These were isupposed to be maximalist zero drop wide sneakers, to allow toes to splay and spread out, which is healthier for the foot and body. My podiatrist notes the same problem with these. Very disappointing. I looked into Hoka as an alternative but they don't have zero drop maximalist shoes. Altra is such a great company, please do the right thing and go back to your roots. Not everybody wants a rocker toe, as is on the Olympus.

I kept them, but had to go buy some expensive orthotics to support my arches! So all in all not a good value at all! I like the shoes but not for a good running option for pronation issues, NO ARCH SUPPORT!

Unmatched comfort, but sadly the look and comfort will far exceed the quality of this shoe. Haven't had mine for long and the inside is falling apart in two different areas. Very disappointed after spending what I did!

I've been buying these shoes since the Paradigm 2 and this recent version just hasn't been holding up as well as previous ones. They start off great like all previous versions but VERY quickly they start to give way and are much less supportive. After 3 months, my feet are starting to hurt and they need replacing. These are expensive shoes to need replacing that often.

Not enough height for toes. Toes to squeezed/pinched. Length and width are adequate. Tried to find a slimmer insole but the one in the shoe is already very slim.

Caveat: I do have a wide foot, but have found the Lone Peak style incredibly comfortable in regular width. I recently developed the need to switch to a more supportive shoe, and as a huge fan of Altra in general and the Lone Peak style in particular, I opted to try the Paradigm. Big mistake. I knew the last for this shoe was narrower than the one for Lone Peak, but I didn't expect it to be this much narrower. And it's still not the narrowest last!! I made it ten minutes before the pain across the ball of my foot became too much. This shoe is the most uncomfortable thing I've put on my foot since I quit wearing standard last shoes. The whole point of Altras is the foot shape. The move towards narrower lasts is making them pointless. Zero drop is the only thing going for them anymore. Unfortunately, there are no support shoes in Altra's lineup with the Original foot shape last, so I guess it's time to look elsewhere.