Dear Altra,

I’ve been a fan of your shoes since the Timp 1.5 (2020) and have discovered a great lineup of running footwear that meshes with my biomechanical and comfort needs. Yet, in the past few years you’ve decided to slowly strip away everything that made Altra unique, and instead try and emulate that “other brand”, for some unknown reason. Please understand that many of us fell in love with your shoes because of what they were. If we wanted to run in that other brand we would. Instead we’ve chosen Altra and we want to keep loving these shoes, but you’re making it harder and harder with every iteration.

Sincerely,

Runners everywhere

I’m here again with an Altra shoe review, and once more it’s back to a bucketload of questions about why Altra keeps changing the shoes that we’ve come to know and love. As I talked about in my Timp 4 review it appears that Altra is quickly changing many of their models around, and the Torin 7s are the next one in my personal lineup to take the hit.

What is the Torin?

First off, what is the Altra Torin 7? It’s a neutral road shoe built for a higher level of comfort with a larger stack size and more midsole material for long runs. I first started running in Torins back then they had two models, the normal model and the ‘plush’. The plush model had a great feel and has been my go-to road shoe for the past couple of years now. Altra dropped the regular model a while ago and focused the Torin on the plush line. It’s a great shoe for a back-of-the-pack runner like myself who needs to prioritize comfort for long slow distances over speedy responsiveness.

The Torin is mostly a no-nonsense shoe that focuses on giving the runner a comfortable ride with a roomy fit. So how does the latest version compare?

How the Torin has changed

Once again Altra has decided to reboot a shoe model and the result bears little resemblance to it’s namesake. In the comparison shots below you can see the Altra Torin 5 (blue) lined up with the Altra Torin 7 (red).

The side profile view shows a completely redesigned heel collar that mimics the weird flare that you often see on HOKA shoes. However, unlike on the Timp, the Torin does not have any kind of loop to grab on to for helping to get the shoe on. This is an oversight in my mind as the flared heel tail is awkward to grab on to.

You can also see that the upper materials have changed and the Torin 5 has a much softer appearance to it. I can confirm that the Torin 7 is much stiffer in the upper, but that’s not always a bad thing. As comfortable as the Torin 5 has been, a bit more structure on the top has benefits to keeping the foot in place.

The last thing of note in the side view is how the previous Altra would slant downward to provide more room for the ankle. The new version is higher than I would prefer and I’ve felt a slight bit of rubbing on the outside of one of my ankles from time to time.

Moving along to the top down view you can see that the Torin 7 continues to have a wide toe box, which is great. However, the mid-foot area is noticeably more snug. Once again this feels like a nod to the fit of a HOKA, and I feel like it detracts from the overall comfort of the shoe.

Additionally, as you can see in the image, the sizing for the Torin has changed. In the 5s I was a size 9.5. In the new 7s I’m a 9. This is despite the fact that the smaller Torin 7 looks bigger than the Torin 5. All this to say, make sure to try these on before you commit to your size.

Altra has also changed up the laces, and the upper now has slightly different lace locking mechanism with a sewn-on loop and a cutout area where the laces cross. One big perk of the new version is that the tongue is no longer a stiff rubber material and instead is nice and soft. I hope Altra brings this style of tongue back to their other lineups.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the outsole. It’s identical to the Torin 5, and a very basic road shoe tread. Nothing of note in this area.

Is this a good shoe?

Despite my frustrations with Altra constantly changing their line up, the Torin 7 is still a solid road shoe. It’s cushy and comfortable and provides a great platform for an all-day run. Although I wish the upper was a slight bit softer (somewhere between the 5 and 7), it fits comfortably and holds the foot snug. If you’re coming from the 5 though be warned that the mid-foot is a tighter fit and you’ll need to size appropriately for that.

I also would like Altra to return to the previous collar around the ankle. This one feels too high and the occasional ankle rubbing gets really annoying when it happens. It’s not consistent, so it might come down to how I’m tying my laces, but it shouldn’t be there at all.

I also don’t know why the heel collar needs the flare, as it doesn’t seem to provide any benefit. It just makes the Torin look like other brand’s shoes. The pervious heel collar had a great fit, and wasn’t in need of a redesign.

So should you buy this shoe? It’s a cushy ride built for comfort over speed, so if that’s what you’re looking for the Torin 7 would fit the bill. However, there are some design decisions that I would classify as questionable, and so I would encourage folks to try this on before you buy it and don’t expect that it’s going to fit just like the old Altra Torin, or frankly any other Altra shoe for that matter. Though I guess if you’re coming from HOKA this will feel right at home.