Article by Matt Kolat
Altra Torin 8 GTX ($170)
Introduction
Altra is a leading brand specialising in zero drop shoes (where there is no difference in the height in the back and front of the shoe) with an anatomical foot shape upper. I don’t often test zero drop shoes but in the past I did run in a handful of Altras and always with positive experiences. I don’t remember all of the models I’ve run in as this was mainly before I started contributing to Road Trail Run but if memory serves my favourite line is the Paradigm - the brand’s stability shoe. Let’s see if Torin 8 GTX lives up to the expectations!
Pros:
Very stable
High waterproofness
Approachable for runners used to shoes with drop
Dependable daily trainer for zero-drop runners
Excellent, non-aggressive shoe for tempo days
Feels lighter than the weight would suggest
Cons:
Not enough cushion for long runs
Dull ride at slower paces
Going from high drop to zero requires some caution and adaptation
Stats
Spec Weight: men's 9 US 10.5 oz / 319 g
Sample Weight: men’s 12 US/ 11 UK / 46 EU 12.31oz / 349g
Stack Height: men’s 30 mm heel / 30 mm forefoot (0mm drop spec)
Platform Width: 90mm heel / 87mm midfoot / 123 mm forefoot (12 US/ 11 UK / 46 EU)
First Impressions, Fit and Upper
Let’s start with the fit. The shoe runs true to size, perhaps a tad long but I am splitting hairs here. Despite it’s anatomical shape of the toe area, the width of the forefoot and midfoot is around average for my foot which is slightly wider than normal width. Most feet should feel at home in the Torins at least as far as the shape of the shoe is concerned. The back of the shoe however does feel quite shallow and I was worried that the foothold might be poor - it wasn’t.
The entire upper, barring the heel cup which is a molded piece, is made of an engineered mesh and the large Gore-tex logo on the medial side looks really cool, perhaps adding a little structure.
Other details include a semi-gusseted tongue which is relatively thick (my preference) and the shoelaces have plenty of length to utilise the final eye-let and runners knot (also my preference).
The molded heel counter is semi structured but does a fantastic job holding your foot in place even for someone like me who has some stability needs (my overpronation typically increases after around 10 km and therefore my favourite style of shoes are stable-neutrals).
The Gore-Tex layer is excellent. I had the ‘pleasure’ of training a few times in Scottish torrential rains and I have to report that my feet remained dry every time without becoming a hot mess.
What is also worth mentioning with regards to the upper are the sidewalls present on both sides of the shoe. You don’t feel them pressing against your foot on the run but there is a feeling of being centered and aligned which contributes to high levels of stability of this shoe.
Midsole & Platform
The platform is broad and adds to the feeling of stability and security. You know that feeling where you can just let go, relax and do your miles rather than having to heavily focus on technique.
The midsole is made of EGO-MAX foam which I could not find very much information about but it comes across as a modern, responsive and quite soft EVA. Unfortunately, like my colleague Kurt (Kurt’s excellent review of the non-GTX version here), I found the cushion somewhat lacking on longer runs but very good for faster workouts due to the fact that EGO-MAX is quite responsive and never mushy.
What was interesting was that I did not feel like the midsole and platform particularly encouraged my foot to land on my midfoot or forefoot. This is probably due to the lack of a rocker to which I normally respond by midfoot landing. Heelstriking in this shoe is not a problem if that’s what you’d worry about.
Outsole
The outsole has very good rubber coverage and sticks to the pavement very well even in wet conditions. After completing around 30 km in these shoes there is no wear and tear at all and at my weight (80kg on a good day) this promises very good longevity of the shoe.
There is however one gripe I have with the outsole - the grooves which run pretty much throughout it do contribute to the feeling of flexibility however you do come home with a collection of tiny pebbles every time you’re out running on any surface apart maybe from a running track. That said however I am not sure if much can be done about it.
Ride, Conclusions and Recommendations
Overall I really liked Torin. Although it is a daily trainer, the cushioning it comes with mainly lends itself to runs in the region of 10-15 km but not beyond and I would not recommend it for marathon training unless you are of a very light frame. Where the cushioning really shines are tempo runs. My final run before concluding this review was a workout of 1 km warmup, 8x1km with a cooldown afterwards. What made the workout more interesting was the unexpected torrential Scottish rain (we sometimes call them crazy-showers here). Not only was the shoe excellent fun to speed up in but my feet remained completely dry. With regards to how the midsole performs - it should not be a surprise to anyone that if you’re not used to zero drop shoes there will be an extra strain on the lower part of your legs, particularly on the calves and shins until you are used to them. Start slowly .
The midsole per-se is relatively soft but not unstable in the slightest. I would go further and say that this shoe is a stable-neutral shoe, ideal for me. The heel counter and the semi-guiderails of raised foam side walls keep your foot centered throughout the gait cycle.
With regards to recommendations I don’t really have much to ask here, Altra Torin 8 GTX is a very good shoe as long as you don’t expect a ‘Jack of all trades’ as it is not ideal for long runs. However as far as waterproof daily trainers go, this is an excellent shoe.
Matt’s Score: 9/10 (1 point deduction for somewhat dull cushioning at slower paces).
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Comparisons
Hoka Clifton 9 GTX (RTR Review)
If you are in the market for a waterproof daily trainer but don’t fancy a zero-drop shoe the Hoka Clifton comes out in GTX almost every year and can be a good alternative to the Torin. The cushioning on the Clifton however is even softer and the back of the shoe is as neutral as they get. So in other words compared to the Torin, Cliftons concede quite a bit of stability but only for heel-strikers.
Asics GT-1000 12 GTX (RTR Review)
If you are reading this review and find yourself wanting a GTX trainer but your overpronation requirements dictate that you go with a proper stability shoe - good news- almost the entire asics lineup comes out in a GTX version every year. Last year I tested the entry level GT-1000 stability shoe and I enjoyed it. Of course there are slight concessions to be had with regards to the entry level cushioning but as far as daily training goes it performed really well. Another advantage is the very accessible price tag, most runners use GTX shoes only as a supplement in their rotation and don’t want to splurge on a shoe that gets used only every now-and-then, GT-1000 fits that bill perfectly and especially for overpronators.
Kurt’s Review of the non Gore-Tex Torin 8, (RTR Review)
Index to all RTR reviews: HERE
Tester Profiles
Maciej 'Matt' Kolat- 39 years old, hailing from Poland but pounding Scottish pavements and trails since 2007. Mainly runs shorter distances on pavement 5-10 km and reserves longer runs for beautiful Scottish Glens. Matt’s opinion sometimes may differ from other RTR testers as he is the slowest of the bunch (5k at 25:38). Matt also uses running as a way to stay healthy having shed 100 lbs so far (and counting).
Europe only: use RTR code RTR5ALL for 5% off all products, even sale products
3 comments:
The toebox is much narrower than my other altras - escalante 4, rivera 4, and even the vanish tempo. I returned them.
Any suggestions for a GTX road shoe with a wide toolbox?
How does fit compare with Torin 7?
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