So glad to hear the old skool Torin features are back. The Torin 4s were my fave, 5s we're terrible so I have been running in Provisions for my LRs since then (love them). I think the Torin 8s will tempt me back!
Got to try the 8 at a local demo night. Definitely concur that they upped the forefoot volume in this one. The rep was specifically interested in whether or not I thought so, they were aware of that deficiency in older versions apparently. I may not size down but did appreciate the roomier fit. Will still probably go with a 7 if they drop below $100 on discount.
If they don’t fit properly or comfortably then they’re not worth the bother. You can find a lot of altra products marked down all the time anyway. I’ve seen torins and paradigms on amzn for $100 going back 6 months or more. The real question for me on this new model is, does it actually fit a normal human foot properly? Can the upper even begin to accommodate anything other than narrow low volume feet without removing the insole? And does it actually have functional heel bevel? Also curious to see what the midsole feels like, the 7 was vastly softer than their other offerings including models which used the same “ego max” branded compound. The midsole on the Torin 7 was almost fresh foam x soft, whereas the “max cushion” via Olympus and version 2 are much firmer. The newer via fwd which felt like it dropped a month after the via Olympus 2 came out (not a good look) also uses a firmer but lighter compound but they added a double layer of the super soft lasting material and use a slightly thicker of the x55 insole to give it a more compliant feel. I doubt the stack height on the via fwd is actually 37 mm in the heel though excluding all that.
cool I just literally bought a pair of the 7's and went for my first run in them this evening. I like them... maybe by the time I need a new pair the 8's will be on sale.
Looking forward to trying the 8! Have really wanted to like the Torin the past few years but it has disappointed me time and time again...excited about the changes you pointed out and going to grab myself a pair!
Is the midsole formulation on the Ego Max similar to the 7? The 7 became my athleisure shoe (now replaced by the Wild 'black', thanks for the recommendation) because it was so comfortable. I didn't like putting running miles on them because I didn't feel like there was any energy return at all from the Ego Max. The Rebel is my ride or die daily trainer now.
Great review! I’m curious: my Torin 6s ripped on the inside part of my foot side of the shoe along where the curved line design is. I got the eacalante 4s and the mesh upper is much better and hasn’t ripped yet. Do you anticipate ripping to happening on the Torin 8s? Is the shoe upper mesh closer to the eacalantes?
my biggest problem with this shoe is the fabric in the heel. the 7 and 8 for me the fabric in the heel wore out too easily. and i can tell it wore out too easily because it didn't and hasn't worn out in my lone peaks. i wore out two pairs for torin fabrics in the heel, but the fabric in my lone peak hasn't worn out or got torn, and i've slipped them on and off for over a year, maybe almost two years!!! this past summer i hiked almost every weekend and i just kept my lone peaks tied and would just slip them on and off, but the fabric is still solid and hasn't worn away!! but i went through two pairs of tories and i am starting to wear out the torn 8 fabric again. so they definitely used some so so fabric for the last two torins. i wonder whether they've improved it this time?
The one thing that bothered me in Torin 7 was the depth of the toebox. Put too much pressure on my toes. Hopefully Torin 8 will fix this and also the high sides in the heel region.
I had several pairs of 5s and 6s, never had issues with them. The 7, it caused me injuries and cost me giving up half way of a 50K because of pain. I'm not sure what happened between the 6 and the 7, but as someone who always liked Altras, I would be willing to give the 8 a try if whatever happened with the 7 was fixed in the 8...
So Troin 8 is the most cushioned zero drop shoe and not Olympus 2 which I have and love. The stack height is 34 on the OP2 vs 30 in the T8? Very close in height but it is called the mid cushion vs max cushion in the OP2? Is the T8 in original foot shape? The T7 is standard whcih I found to be a tight fit for me. I was thinking to get the LP9 as a day to day shoe but this T9 might be another option.
T8 is standard foot shape but seems to be more volume in the toe box. They felt great. I’m a forefoot striker and stack isn’t too much lower than other brands max stack because of their drops.
More detail on the cushioning please - are they more or less cushy than the 7's? You mentioned "mid cushion" in the review, but wasn't the Torin always classified as a "max cushion" shoe? Please clarify.
I picked up the Torin 7 a year ago to add an occasional zero drop shoe into my rotation. I wanted something to that would take the pressure off the hips/hams. My wear spot is the rear outside portion of a shoe. I can normally get 4-500 hundred on a Brooks, 3-400 on Adidas/Saucony/Asics...........but my Torin's are almost worn through at 200. I have a similar experience with the Alt Fwd's. Do you know if they changed the outsole compound at all on the 8's?
It’s ironic to me that the Torin 7 has a vastly softer midsole than their supposed max cushion shoe. Both are called ego max yet nothing alike. And yeah for sure the 7 fit tight and for sure the shape of many Altra lasts are wonky and don’t fit normal human feet properly. People tend to hang over the lateral side and dare I say truthfully the shape of the toebox has been gimmicky. I own several altras but don’t agree with the glazing. This is a brand that has promise yet constantly makes monumental disappointments, but some of the newer changes have been welcome. I’m glad they finally discovered the idea of a heel bevel. It would be nice if this new Torin actually had some. The via fwd actually does a great job with the heel bevel so that’s good. They also made the via fwd flexible and in the right spot, unlike either the via Olympus or version 2, which was as stiff as not plated shoe could get. 30 mm stack height is perfect imo. It’s crazy to me how gimmicky running shoes are and always have been. 3 years ago 30 mm was considered maximal. Now it’s like a racing flat. It’s absurd. The 1080v12, best version of that shoe ever made imo, had like 28 mm stack height and it was considered a max cushion shoe. Now we have 44 mm stack heights with overly soft midsoles that create stability issues and or add a ton of bulk, and stuff known for being high volume barely fitting low volume in the new versions. so Yeah good to hear it doesn’t fit as tight as the 7.
Yes, thats true. From a current Altra line up its the Torin 8 as the most cushioned zero drop shoe from Altra. It seems the FWD Via is replacing the Via line to my knowledge.
Oh no re: maybe more width in the midfoot! Some of us who want the natural foot shape and the width in the forefoot/toe box have narrow feet. Why the extra width when this shoe comes in a wide?
Liked the Torin 6, but the 7 had a stiff heel counter that irritated my Haglund's. It looks like the heel of the 8 is softer and more like the 6, is that the case? Thanks for the review :)
I love altra by they have quality control issues that make me not want to buy another pair. The Rivera soles fray from friction, the toes peel, and the sole protectors come unglued . Very disappointing. But the shoe is great otherwise
After Altra messed up the 4.5, I tried the later models. They were dreadful, and they destroyed what made it good. I will never buy an Altra shoe again.
I think that this 0 drop, 6mm drop, 12 mm drop stuff is overrated. I can run in anything from a zero drop shoe to something like a Mizuno Wave Rider with a 12mm drop, and it’s all fine. What I hate are overly soft and overly unstable shoes.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. I went from Brooks to Altra, then when Altra started making their heels and midfoots too narrow I switched back to Brooks. I’d try these out as I do miss the flatter feeling and feel the heel of my brooks at times gets in the way of my mid foot strike.
@ Well for some people that is an issue perhaps. The beautiful thing is that we have so many choices in shoes for each individual. I run in Vivobarefoot shoes, Mizuno Wave Rider with 12mm drop, ASICS Superblast 2 and Saucony Hurricane 24. All great. But what I get injured in are shoes with mushy heels and generally soft midsoles and unstable shoes.
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Are you excited for the new Torin 8? Leave you thoughts below!
So glad to hear the old skool Torin features are back. The Torin 4s were my fave, 5s we're terrible so I have been running in Provisions for my LRs since then (love them). I think the Torin 8s will tempt me back!
Torin 4 was the king! 👑
The best of all times. Bring it back!!
For sure !.. my favorite!
Excellent review, you have touched on many of my questions! Torin 5 tongue ughhh, especially when it got cold out. Thanks for this review!
Got to try the 8 at a local demo night. Definitely concur that they upped the forefoot volume in this one. The rep was specifically interested in whether or not I thought so, they were aware of that deficiency in older versions apparently. I may not size down but did appreciate the roomier fit. Will still probably go with a 7 if they drop below $100 on discount.
If they don’t fit properly or comfortably then they’re not worth the bother. You can find a lot of altra products marked down all the time anyway. I’ve seen torins and paradigms on amzn for $100 going back 6 months or more. The real question for me on this new model is, does it actually fit a normal human foot properly? Can the upper even begin to accommodate anything other than narrow low volume feet without removing the insole? And does it actually have functional heel bevel? Also curious to see what the midsole feels like, the 7 was vastly softer than their other offerings including models which used the same “ego max” branded compound. The midsole on the Torin 7 was almost fresh foam x soft, whereas the “max cushion” via Olympus and version 2 are much firmer. The newer via fwd which felt like it dropped a month after the via Olympus 2 came out (not a good look) also uses a firmer but lighter compound but they added a double layer of the super soft lasting material and use a slightly thicker of the x55 insole to give it a more compliant feel. I doubt the stack height on the via fwd is actually 37 mm in the heel though excluding all that.
cool I just literally bought a pair of the 7's and went for my first run in them this evening. I like them... maybe by the time I need a new pair the 8's will be on sale.
Looking forward to trying the 8! Have really wanted to like the Torin the past few years but it has disappointed me time and time again...excited about the changes you pointed out and going to grab myself a pair!
I retired the T7 a little early because I realized that I should’ve gone up half a size. Im interested in the T8. Thanks for the review!
Dear Altra, bring back the 4.5 Plush and call it the Torin Classic. Thank you and you’re welcome.
And make them in 2e and up to US 16 sizes
Loved the 4.5 plush
I have every version of the Torin since version 1 and I'm looking forward to running in this Torin when it becomes available.
Would rather see the stack back at 28mm like the 6 but excited to try the 8
Torin 5s lasted 75 miles before soles began delaminating. Also, the fit was 1/2 size smaller than other Altras.
Is the midsole formulation on the Ego Max similar to the 7? The 7 became my athleisure shoe (now replaced by the Wild 'black', thanks for the recommendation) because it was so comfortable. I didn't like putting running miles on them because I didn't feel like there was any energy return at all from the Ego Max. The Rebel is my ride or die daily trainer now.
Great review! I’m curious: my Torin 6s ripped on the inside part of my foot side of the shoe along where the curved line design is. I got the eacalante 4s and the mesh upper is much better and hasn’t ripped yet. Do you anticipate ripping to happening on the Torin 8s? Is the shoe upper mesh closer to the eacalantes?
my biggest problem with this shoe is the fabric in the heel. the 7 and 8 for me the fabric in the heel wore out too easily. and i can tell it wore out too easily because it didn't and hasn't worn out in my lone peaks. i wore out two pairs for torin fabrics in the heel, but the fabric in my lone peak hasn't worn out or got torn, and i've slipped them on and off for over a year, maybe almost two years!!! this past summer i hiked almost every weekend and i just kept my lone peaks tied and would just slip them on and off, but the fabric is still solid and hasn't worn away!! but i went through two pairs of tories and i am starting to wear out the torn 8 fabric again. so they definitely used some so so fabric for the last two torins. i wonder whether they've improved it this time?
The one thing that bothered me in Torin 7 was the depth of the toebox. Put too much pressure on my toes. Hopefully Torin 8 will fix this and also the high sides in the heel region.
I wish the torins and lone peaks had/have a gusseted tongue. it always bothers me when the tongue doesn't stay in place.
which would you recommend if you had to pick one?
Men’s torin 8 or paradigm 7? Currently have Olympus via 2 and Olympus 6 trail.
I had several pairs of 5s and 6s, never had issues with them. The 7, it caused me injuries and cost me giving up half way of a 50K because of pain. I'm not sure what happened between the 6 and the 7, but as someone who always liked Altras, I would be willing to give the 8 a try if whatever happened with the 7 was fixed in the 8...
It's 'funny' how the latest version is always superior to the previous one.
So Troin 8 is the most cushioned zero drop shoe and not Olympus 2 which I have and love. The stack height is 34 on the OP2 vs 30 in the T8? Very close in height but it is called the mid cushion vs max cushion in the OP2? Is the T8 in original foot shape? The T7 is standard whcih I found to be a tight fit for me. I was thinking to get the LP9 as a day to day shoe but this T9 might be another option.
Via olympus are bricks, despite having 33 mm stack, torin 7 are bricks too imo😅
T8 is standard foot shape but seems to be more volume in the toe box. They felt great. I’m a forefoot striker and stack isn’t too much lower than other brands max stack because of their drops.
More detail on the cushioning please - are they more or less cushy than the 7's? You mentioned "mid cushion" in the review, but wasn't the Torin always classified as a "max cushion" shoe? Please clarify.
What about midsole? Same firm as torin 7?
I picked up the Torin 7 a year ago to add an occasional zero drop shoe into my rotation. I wanted something to that would take the pressure off the hips/hams. My wear spot is the rear outside portion of a shoe. I can normally get 4-500 hundred on a Brooks, 3-400 on Adidas/Saucony/Asics...........but my Torin's are almost worn through at 200. I have a similar experience with the Alt Fwd's. Do you know if they changed the outsole compound at all on the 8's?
Altra increased the values a lot!!! Impossible
Is the heel cup still the same like the 7. Some of us having rubbing issues on the ankle.
Experienced this too
It’s ironic to me that the Torin 7 has a vastly softer midsole than their supposed max cushion shoe. Both are called ego max yet nothing alike. And yeah for sure the 7 fit tight and for sure the shape of many Altra lasts are wonky and don’t fit normal human feet properly. People tend to hang over the lateral side and dare I say truthfully the shape of the toebox has been gimmicky. I own several altras but don’t agree with the glazing. This is a brand that has promise yet constantly makes monumental disappointments, but some of the newer changes have been welcome. I’m glad they finally discovered the idea of a heel bevel. It would be nice if this new Torin actually had some. The via fwd actually does a great job with the heel bevel so that’s good. They also made the via fwd flexible and in the right spot, unlike either the via Olympus or version 2, which was as stiff as not plated shoe could get. 30 mm stack height is perfect imo. It’s crazy to me how gimmicky running shoes are and always have been. 3 years ago 30 mm was considered maximal. Now it’s like a racing flat. It’s absurd. The 1080v12, best version of that shoe ever made imo, had like 28 mm stack height and it was considered a max cushion shoe. Now we have 44 mm stack heights with overly soft midsoles that create stability issues and or add a ton of bulk, and stuff known for being high volume barely fitting low volume in the new versions. so Yeah good to hear it doesn’t fit as tight as the 7.
Wait - isn't the Via Olympus 2 zero drop? It's gotta have more cushion than the Torin.....
@@davadmillar1582 correct but it sounds like the FWD Via will replace the Via Olympus and it’s got a 4mm drop.
Yes, thats true. From a current Altra line up its the Torin 8 as the most cushioned zero drop shoe from Altra. It seems the FWD Via is replacing the Via line to my knowledge.
they tried to call fwdvia the via3, which kinda gave up
Olympus are bricks, despite 33 mm....very firm
@ I think this is why there won’t be a VO3. 👍
Oh no re: maybe more width in the midfoot! Some of us who want the natural foot shape and the width in the forefoot/toe box have narrow feet. Why the extra width when this shoe comes in a wide?
Liked the Torin 6, but the 7 had a stiff heel counter that irritated my Haglund's. It looks like the heel of the 8 is softer and more like the 6, is that the case? Thanks for the review :)
it's more molded.
Hi. A good description. Like from 🇪🇸 Spain. Cheers.
How is it concerning heel side wall height? Torin 7 does rub on my ankle bones, which ruins an otherwise great shoe.
Yes I was wondering if they can answer this, I have also having issues on it
The 7 felt lifeless and heavy. I cannot believe they added weight to this one. I'm still rocking my hoarded pairs of the best version, 4.5 plush.
The Review lacks much details even though it was good
I love altra by they have quality control issues that make me not want to buy another pair. The Rivera soles fray from friction, the toes peel, and the sole protectors come unglued . Very disappointing. But the shoe is great otherwise
This shoe definitely has my attention. Looking forward to trying it out. My biggest complaint about previous years has been the width.
These are wide! Toes can spread!
After Altra messed up the 4.5, I tried the later models. They were dreadful, and they destroyed what made it good. I will never buy an Altra shoe again.
I think that this 0 drop, 6mm drop, 12 mm drop stuff is overrated. I can run in anything from a zero drop shoe to something like a Mizuno Wave Rider with a 12mm drop, and it’s all fine. What I hate are overly soft and overly unstable shoes.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. I went from Brooks to Altra, then when Altra started making their heels and midfoots too narrow I switched back to Brooks. I’d try these out as I do miss the flatter feeling and feel the heel of my brooks at times gets in the way of my mid foot strike.
well yeah u can. everything adds up.
Not now, but you sure will if/when the 12mm drop screws your back up.
@ Well for some people that is an issue perhaps. The beautiful thing is that we have so many choices in shoes for each individual. I run in Vivobarefoot shoes, Mizuno Wave Rider with 12mm drop, ASICS Superblast 2 and Saucony Hurricane 24. All great. But what I get injured in are shoes with mushy heels and generally soft midsoles and unstable shoes.
the only thing i really don't like is the arrows handed down from fwd via etc. really ugly.