Forums >Gears and Wears>Altras?
Runs in the rain
I have very wide feet and need a lot of toe room. For that reason I've always bought New Balance running shoes the come in the extra wide 4E size! However, I was just reading about Altra shoes and how they are designed with a very wide toe box, that might work good for me! As for the zero drop in their designs, I find I like the feel of my most worn out shoes where the heel has abraded down. Any comments or suggestions on which model I might want to try?
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Torin or Olympus are the most cushioned.
Out there running since dinosaurs roamed the earth
For roads, I really like the Torins, have been wearing them since the original version in 2014 (?). Very wide toe box, lots of room.
I also just got a pair of Riveras that I like for walking and slow recovery runs. They are a little narrower in the toe box but still have enough room for my wide forefoot. (By wide, I mean that I cannot wear any Hoka that doesn't come in 2E.)
If you've been running in shoes with any heel-toe offset to speak of, you should probably ease in to the zero-drop Altras to give your calves and Achilles tendons time to adjust. Maybe rotate them in for short, easy runs once or twice a week for several weeks at first.
I've been starting to wear Altras for that exact reason last year. For me the zero drop is taking A LOT of getting used to. I still don't wear them every day, but can handle about half of my runs in them. I also find I'm noticably slower in them than in my other shoes (anybody else noticing that?), mostly different models of Saucony. I keep at it, though, as the toe box space is so cool.
I would recommend to try them on first, as they have three types of toe box sizes (don't remember the names). I think the "original" shape has the widest toe box, but don't take my word for it. I just know different models don't fit the same.
Intl. correspondent
I wear only Altras and Topos as these are the ones that fit.
Altras come in 3 foot shapes:
Original: widest
Standard: wide
Slim: still wider than most other brands but narrower than the other two.
You can find the foot shape on the shoe description.
I adapted easily to the zero drop, maybe others take longer to adapt, dunno
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Thanks for the input! Getting used to the zero drop seems to be a concern, but my foot strike is almost flat, I don't land heavy on the heel, so I don't expect it would be an issue. I looked at the Torins that dumrunner recommended. I did read an online review that said the size runs a bit large and recommended getting a half size smaller. I'm not sure if that would be good, I like to have some space in front of my toes, but on the other hand if the space is too big I feel like I might trip over my toes.
Well reading further reviews I see that rather then going down a size some people say they need to go up a size for the Torins to fit. A number of comments about them not holding up very well. One person said the quality decreased after Vanity Fair bought them out. Another said the toe box is now slimmer and recommended the Olympus 4 instead, only they warn the sole of the Olympus is slippery on wet roads. I also see the Olympus 4 is a trail running shoe, mostly I run on asphalt roads. I would like to try a different running shoe than my usual New Balance, but now feel confused.
I have the Torin 5. They are wide and comfy (I believe they have the original foot shape). Not too slippery. The one issue I had with it is that the tongue would stick into my calves, so I had to trim it a bit. Other than that, it's one of my faves from Altra, super responsive.l
I will tell you that if the shoe is wide enough, you don't need as much room in front of your toes, maybe half an inch is fine.
I also have the Escalante, they're in the Standard width, they're probably my upper limit and narrower than I'd like. Very responsive shoes for workouts and races up to half marathon.
I have the Paradigm 6 too, they're very comfy and have a ton of cushioning, and are wide too. If you're looking for a shoe for long runs, then this might be your choice.
I did have issues with Altras where the upper gave up, but they were very close to end of life anyway at that point.
I did hear that the quality decreased after that acquisition, to be honest, I find that the quality increased, if anything, and the designs are now way nicer, they used to look like bricks.
Best would be to try them in the store, but it's not as easy to find them.
One extra thing about these shoes. The ones I listed are all good for people with high volume feet. I have very high arches, so I need that.
There are shoes which are still wide, like the Vanish, but are for low volume feet, you may want to check that too when choosing a shoe.
Here's something else, from the great Anya's reviews site. My feet are of the extra wide type.
Full article: https://anyasreviews.com/best-barefoot-shoes-foot-type
flavio1980 - Good information! I think the Paradigm 6 might be a good choice for me. I did go to the link about foot types and did a trace of my foot. I know I need extra wide in the toe room and I think I am medium volume foot type. Designs and colors are nice, but shoes get muddy anyways.
I ran in Instincts and Torins a long time ago (2012 - 2015) didn't really like them then (they felt 'slow'). I know that has nothing to do with 2023 but I was just searching for shoes and saw that Running Warehouse has the Torin 5s and Torin 6s for $60 and $80 respectively. Didn't check for available sizing. FYI.
I think Altra and Topo are the only foot-shaped shoes in the game.
I ran a lot in the first Olympus, later that year I had an achilles injury that has nagged me for a decade. Not sure if directly related, but zero-drop shoes, especially cushy ones that allow your heel to drop lover than the ball of your foot making them NEGATIVE drop shoes, put a lot of stress on the achilles. Other than that, I like the fit and concept of a foot-shaped shoe. Personally, I'd go with the Topo shoes and their little bit of drop.
There is a new road version of the Olympus out now.
UNVERIFIED RUMOR: new company bought Altra, and although they claim to still be zero-drop, they might be 3-4mm drop now. It all depends on where you measure the thickness of the midsole.
With any new shoe, gradually work them into rotation to avoid overuse injuries caused by changes to your gait due to shoe design.
Disclaimer; there is no one shoe for everyone. What works perfectly and solves injury dilemmas for one person may cause injuries in another. Asking here for personal experiences is a good move.
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This is great.
This exactly describes my feet; especially my right foot.
I had no idea that volume was even a factor in shoe choice.
I'm currently running in Olympus 5, but still feel like my feet are being "scrunched" up every time I push off; again especially my right foot.
..... One extra thing about these shoes. The ones I listed are all good for people with high volume feet. I have very high arches, so I need that. There are shoes which are still wide, like the Vanish, but are for low volume feet, you may want to check that too when choosing a shoe. Here's something else, from the great Anya's reviews site. My feet are of the extra wide type. Full article: https://anyasreviews.com/best-barefoot-shoes-foot-type
kcam - the clearance Torins seem to be in medium width sizes. I don't know if they make wider sizes for those models. I did find a local store that sells them, perhaps I can find out.
Surly Bill - Thanks for recomending the Topo shoes, maybe they would work better. Perhaps I should get a pair of each and try them both and see which I like best! The cost of running shoes is a factor and for that reason I have stuck with the New Balance that I know will fit, but sometimes its good to try different shoes.