Altra Torin 7 - Women's Review

The Altra Torin 7 has been slightly reconfigured and is, by and large, a comfortable choice for runners seeking a zero drop option (though we technically measured the drop at 1 mm in our lab).

Performance Comparison

Landing Comfort

The Torin 7 feels plush underfoot, though its insole isn't particularly fluffy. But the forgiving stack provides great cushion with a bit of pep. The standard-style insole also offers durability that many super-comfortable shoes lack internally. Even after our testing runs, the insole didn't pack out or show indentations where our feet were. Some runners like it when shoes conform to their feet, and others don't, which is why this element is important to note. Overall, the landing comfort and cushioning of the Torin is what we have grown to expect from Altra. It protects your joints well from impact, provides long-term comfort, and is plenty spacious so toes can splay.

Responsiveness

While the sole of the Torin has a nice bit of pep and rebound, it did not score especially high in this metric when placed next to its competitors. The midsole foam provides a semi-soft landing pad, which directly contrasts many of the super rigid midsoles among speed-focused shoes. The wide toe box shape, which Altra is known for, also cuts down on this shoe's responsiveness. The foot-shaped forefoot can feel slightly slappy and large, inhibiting speed. We don't recommend the Torin for speed workouts, but for slower runs in comfort, the mid and outsole materials will do the trick.

Stability

Zero-drop shoes allow your heel to lock in closer to the ground and provide fantastic stability, and the Torin is no exception. The snug heel cup combines well with the outsole design, including some additional lateral bumpers, which add further stability at the rear foot.

Upper Comfort

The upper mesh of the Torin 7 runs a bit hot due to its tightly wound fibers. The tongue is somewhat plush but feels a little flimsy and imbalanced, especially considering how comfortable the rest of the shoe is. The tongue is not adhered on either side, and our testers had comfort issues due to it wrinkling when putting the shoe on. To fix this, we needed to remove the shoe, loosen the laces, and hold the tongue flat as we put the shoe back on. From there, we tightened the laces and felt ready to run. The tongue is on the thinner side, standing at only 2 mm thick. This isn't a total dealbreaker, but it is a disappointment since the tongue was one of the elements that was redesigned for this iteration.

Weight

This isn't a heavy shoe, but it isn't the lightest one in our lineup, either. Each women's size 6.5 Torin shoe weighs 7.23 ounces, and the weight is well-distributed and feels comfortable during runs. Since the Torin is not a speed-focused shoe, we would have preferred the bit of additional weight be used on a more comfortable tongue and lace bed over its current configuration.

Traction

The Torin is a near-perfect road shoe when it comes to traction. Although the Footpod traction comes at the expense of a bit of weight, this is a shoe that we trust no matter the weather or ground beneath us. While not exactly recommended, we have bombed through some mild single-track trails in the Torin and found plenty of reasons to celebrate. We never lost our footing and instead found its lug depth and traction pattern to be profoundly functional.

Should You Buy the Altra Torin 7?

If you want a zero-drop shoe, the Torin is on the short list of options that our gear testers recommend in this category. With great underfoot cushion and strong stability, it is a reliable shoe that will stay strong throughout the course of training. For some runners, the toe box space is not negotiable, so if that is your stance, definitely check out what the Torin has to offer. If you are neutral toward the forefoot space and the Torin's zero drop profile, other shoes are more highly recommended.

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