Customer Reviews Altra Paradigm 7

Very good shoe. True to size and fit. Comfortable to run short and medium distances on a variety of surfaces - pavement, gravel, track and cement. I haven't run long distances in them yet but would assume that the comfort would be similar to the shorter distances.

I received this running shoe as free product to test. I have not used Altra before and was pleasantly surprised on the comfort of the shoe. The design and comfort of the bottom sole is unique and is formed to help you during the run while providing the support/cushioning where it is needed most. The shoe is light and breathable and the neutral color scheme with a touch of color was a good mix. My only complaint with the shoe was it seemed like they could tighten the top of the foot. I liked the width for my feet, but there seemed to be too much material on top of my foot that wasn't doing anything and made it slightly loose above the toe. It wasn't terribly bothersome because of the light material, but if the company is looking for something to change that would be my only recommendation. Overall a solid choice in the running category that I will keep in mind during my next purchase.

Altra kindly gave me this pair of Paradigm 7 for free so that I could review it. I recently had ankle sprain, so I was looking for a new pair of more supportive shoes that were also designed to address my pronation issues. These shoes perfectly fit the requirements I need. Although I am still not quite able to run the full distances I usually do, I can jog for a few miles again without any pain to my injured ankle. My favorite aspect of these shoes is the wider toe box of the shoe. I have purchased shoes in "wide" sizes before to get a larger toe box, but then the rest of the shoe is too wide for my foot. In regular width, these shoes conform to the shape of my whole foot, giving me enough width and comfort in m toe box to avoid any compression or rubbing of my toes. Because of this shape alone, I definitely intend to check out other models of Altra shoes in the future.

Such of amazing shoes. Feels great when you walk on them. I compared them to running shoes from under armour and is so different. The feeling is great when you walk on them. I highly recommend this shoes.

Super comfy and wide and I didn't order the wide size. Not the coolest looking shoe on the planet, but if comfort is what you're looking for these are great

I received these shoes last week. They are comparable to brooks running shoes. I would say they are more comfortable than brooks though. They have a unique design in the insole that forced me to walk with better posture. I like that a lot. It relies a lot of unneeded pressure from my legs. I just had knee and ankle surgery 6 months ago from a motorcycle wreck and these shoes help a lot. As for style, I'm not a huge fan of the shape/ look of the shoes but I can over look that for the upgrade in comfort. As for price, they are pricey. I would like to see them a little lower in the same range as brooks.

Myself: I'm typically putting in 15-20 miles of running every week. My normal running shoe is the Adidas Adistar 2.0 but my racing shoe is the Adidas Adios Pro 2. I have a fairly neutral gait with a slight over pronation. Specs/Looks: The shoes came in at 318 grams or 11.2 oz (size 10.5) which is a decent weight for the price of shoe. Overall construction appears to be well made with no apparent flaws in the shoes I received. The color scheme (grey with yellow) isn't the best but given they have other colors to chose from, I would choose another color. The venting in the toe and sides are decent but the amount of material would lead the foot to get hot on longer runs especially in the summer. There is ample padding on the back of the ankle with two reflective strips for being seen while running. There is also sufficient tread on the bottom all around which appears to favor all-around running styles and road conditions. Who are they good for: I would rate these shoes as great for the average runner than is putting in more than 10 miles each week. If you are a walker or go for a jog every so often I would pass on these given the price. These shoes are best for runners who have a slightly wider foot and primarily runs with a heel strike with a supination landing (appears it would move the foot more neutral). These would be a good shoe for your normal everyday sort of runs under 8 miles. Anything more and you might want to look for a shoe with a carbon insert. I would be curious how their top-tier shoes would work on those longer runs or races. Positive: I really liked the amount of room in the toe of the shoe. Unlike some other brands which narrow the toe, Altra provides a wider toe for comfort. The shoe also has a decent amount of springiness even when walking in them. This is due to the considerable thickness of foam in the arch and heel. The construction of the shoe is very well done and appears it would hold up for many miles of running. I found it easy to use an insole insert in these given the amount of room in the shoe, while still being able to tighten the shoes snugly even without the insert. Negative: The negatives I am listing are mostly due to these shoes not fitting my running style. I run in a neutral gait with a slight inner pronation. These shoes caused my foot to land then my heel to roll back. This caused more fatigue on my shins than normal. I added an insole during my run which helped level off my foot which did help some. This shouldn't be an issue if your running style is more of a heel strike though. I also had more shin hits from the shoe due to the inner pronation of the shoe. The shoe also caused me to land awkward at times because of this design. Overall Thoughts: I feel these shoes are a decent mid-level running shoe for the right type of runner. The shoe has a medium amount of cushion in the mid to heel giving the runner ample protection from the pounding of the road. The toe of the shoe is roomy giving the foot plenty of space to breath on those longer runs. The lighter weight of the shoe will make those long runs easier and more enjoyable. The amount of tread on the bottom should hold up for a couple hundred miles also. If you can get these on sale and your running style matches these, I would give them a try.

I ordered the black /white shoe. These are a not color true, they are dark green with dirty white grey sole. The company needs to disclose this information. The green color is very apparent when against black pants. Although they fit as expected and I only wear Altra Paradigm, sadly these had to be returned due to the off color.

I've be running in Paradigms for the last several years. The Paradigm 7 feels lighter than my Paradigm 6, but they aren't as comfortable. The 6 provided more support and fit my feet just right. The 7 doesn't provide as much support and either the heel cup is too deep or the rear is too tallthe rear of the shoe rides too high on my Achilles tendon. The shoes seems to be built well and the design looks nice. Overall, I think the 6 was a better shoe.

I use this shoe for long distance running and fast/slow training. I had to put tape on the edges of the arches of the shoe insert as they were sharp and causing blisters. I usually run in the Ultra Via Olympus 2. The Paradigm is very loud on the pavement compared to the Olympus. Psychologically, I feel like my legs and feet are pounding the pavement very hard. The sound reminds me of a dogs claws on a wooden floor. I find it hard to enjoy the run.

The guiderail on this product causes a good amount of friction with the inner arch of my foot. Anything past 3-4 miles a day with these is just blisters on both feet.

These are the only shoes that provide enough toe box room and arch support for me. Unfortunately, I bought a pair and after about 3 months the bottom sole started coming apart. I used super glue to make them last longer. Had to buy another pair and same thing happened. At the price point, I can't afford to keep buying these every 3 months or so, or using super glue to hold the bottom outside sole together!

These are about a full size too big for me (I wear 13's in almost every brand). Hard to gauge comfort, but they felt as if they'd have what we've come to expect from Altra's- very comfortable.

These shoes did not fit like Altras typically do. The material seems ok but the structure of the shoe is too rigid and you feel your foot slide around a lot. Not as comfy as most and not good for running. Overall disappointing. Returned

We have flat feet in our family and we have bought several pairs of Paradigm 6. When P7 came out we bought two pairs, but they are too wide for us and do not give the support we need. We therefore ordered more P6 to bulk up. We now own 10 pairs on three persons, because Paradigm 6 is the best shoe ever made for people with narrow flat feet. P7 is perhaps suitable for people with wider feet.

I've only had them for 2 months, but I love the fit and feel for my wide, zero-arch feet. This could be a 5/5 rating, if not for the fact that the wides don't have a neutral color option, as usual for Altra. This bright blue color is particularly garish and almost put me off of buying them entirely. It severely limits where I can wear them. If the black option was available in wide, I'd have bought a second pair for work and general wear, in addition to my pair for exercise. Maybe even a third in case I can't find something that fits better than this in the future.

Great shoe buy PLEASE make more of them with the wider toe box and better colors. I would stock up if so. I miss the Paradigm 5.

The support is good, but my midfoot has pain when I wear the shoes longer than a few hours. I wish there were more shoes with the original fit for a wider toe box. I wish this supportive shoe was more comfortable. I am concerned about the many complaints about the sole coming apart and holes in the mesh part.

I have never had any problem with my lone peaks or brooks I've worn but these shoes have a super narrow midfoot that pinches the side of your foot while running. It's not a break in thing I've ran 50+ miles in them and it hasn't gotten better. It's a real shame because they're supportive and comfortable but the pinching and how narrow it is leads to blisters I don't want to wear them all day.

This review only covers the fit of the shoe. I wear a 10.5 and own the Torin 7 wide. They are a perfect fit for my foot width. These are 10.5 wide for the Paradigm and they are too narrow for my feet. There is plenty of toe room, but immediately after the toe cup the material digs into the sides. In addition my foot doesn't quite fit the shape of the insoles and given the amount of toe space I am hesitant to size up to an 11 or 11.5. Given the Torin 7 success I had hope for another Altra "wide" model. I wish we had more original foot shaped or wide options for road running shoes.

The black color isn't black at all. More of a shiny navy blue. Definitely not as pictured.

My pinky toe feels a little too tight. Do these things break a bit? There's a slight buldge on both outer sides where my pinky toes are. I want to like them but not at the cost of blisters from thwm.being too narrow. I don't have a wide foot either.

I have worn my Paradigm 6 down and went to repurchase. I found the 7 toe box especially on my right foot too tight. What are the dimensions of the two shoes. I live in a city with old cobblestone streets I need cushion and ankle stability. My current pair are US 13 Medium. Suggestions please

I don't buy wide in any of the other Altra's I have owned but in these my metatarsal pushed over the edge of the sole and caused me pain. The sole in these is also firmer than my other purchases.