The Altra Torin 2.0: A Shoe Review

About two months ago I received a reviewer’s copy of The Altra Torin 2.0 and have been messing around in them ever since. First off, this is a big shoe, this is not to say that the shoe is large in size, but that it is thick, with a 27mm stack height. The height in and of itself is of no consequence to me, but since I typically run in a fairly minimal shoe, the Torin shocked me with the sheer volume of padding. I am taller in this shoe, and while an inch is menial, it is enough for people to notice and comment on them. Also, seeing that Hoka tends to have a cornerstone on the maximal shoe market, I have been asked numerous times if I liked my Hoka’s only to have to explain that they were indeed Altra branded shoes. A couple people looked at Altra's extra wide toe box and spotted the brand, but there was some brand confusion here.

That said, this is my second foray into Altra and their shoes. I’ve previously worn the Altra One, a shoe I had a mixed relationship with, especially on the construction side. This time around, Altra is more true to size—the 11.5 I ordered fit as it should and I didn’t have to swap for a 12. Further, while the One was a racing flat, the Torin is more of a highly cushioned road shoe that seems very well put together. The tongue makes sense, the shoe seems durable, and able to take a pounding, all positives.

The Torin has a high level of padding, the padding filling up the tremendous stack height of 27mm, and it feels like I am putting on a pillow. This feature took some getting used to, but felt great on recovery days. Yet the shoe remains zero drop, meaning you can run flat without an elevated heel, and thus while you don’t feel the road, your feet hang out in a wide toe box (no friction blisters here) and have a neutral, natural ride. Even with the thickness, the shoe remains flexible, and it moves with the foot surprisingly well. They lace quickly, can slip on and off, and unlike some brands, they do no rely on the heel collar for foot adhesion, thus freeing up my Achilles tendon from screaming at me in pain.

I do have mixed feelings on the padding. There is the age old debate of less versus more, am I landing softer or harder with more padding, and the science falls on both sides of said debate. Either way, the Torin doesn’t bother me while running, and feels comfortable overall, especially on recovery efforts. As an advocate of rotating shoes (I have four active, different pairs going right now), this shoe tends to be the model I slip on for the last 15-20 minutes of a recovery effort. Something to take the edge of the pounding off, something to put some good zero drop work on my calf muscles, and something to help me with my stride in a neutral setting. They handle grass and gravel well, the rocks are little bother, but I am hesitant to take them on the trail, especially a root laden path where one wants to feel the ground in order to remain safe.

Finally, they feel great for walking, and once I enter a more active phase of training I plan to update this section for speed work impressions.

The Brooks Ghost 7: A Shoe Review

Stock Photo

Continuing with the flow of neutral shoes I have been demoing lately, I started wearing the Brooks Ghosts for recovery runs in July and have been doing so off and on since. The shoes fit what I need right now: a loose heel collar, one that does not hug the heel tightly and thus alleviates Achilles Tendon stress. While I find these positives, I am very mixed on the shoe in general.

The ghosts land quite neutral, mimicking both my typical and preferred style. The sole is thick, almost too thick, and thus if you don’t want to feel the road, the gravel, the trail, then this model is for you. While this is not my preference (I’m not a fan of rolling my ankle), they work for recovery purposes. I’ve used them for regular runs, regeneration efforts, and range as well, but their lack of response prevents me from using them for speed purposes.

They are comfortable without feeling like an overstuffed pillow, but in general they feel big, almost too big. As I note below, I feel like my feet are too big in these shoes, almost clumsy at times despite the proper sizing. The toe box is ample, but the toes slide around, leaving a feeling of needing to grip unless you heel strike in them. They have 12mm heel drop, which is subtle, but enough to feel odd and force me onto to my heels more, especially when I usually use 8mm or less.

Pros:

• Mostly neutral in design. I said this when reviewing my New Balance 890’s as well. You land fairly flat, and the calf wear is mostly central.   
• Loose heel collar that does not rub on the Achilles Tendon.
• Solid base that does not show wear anytime quickly—they told me that it would last and it has.

Cons:

• This shoe feels like a giant box. When I was sold on it, I was told “neutral shoe that will take the pounding,” but I don’t give a ton of pounding. That said, I feel as if my foot is in a large container that is not road adaptive much less trail adaptive. Given that I run on many surfaces, often on the same day, this fact can be a problem.
• I feel my foot moving around in the shoe, it is not overly secure, and while I like to feel my run, typically that is done with the adage that
• The laces shredded on day one. I was in the middle of nowhere with 50 kids about to run a mountain trail, and the laces frayed and ripped. Not something one would expect on the first run.
• 12mm heel drop finds me landing on my heels a lot more—it is hard not too in these shoes.