Altra  Torin 9 Road-Running Shoes - Men's

I wore the Torin 8's as my everyday running shoe before these. I was sort of meh about them. These shoes feel like a major upgrade in every way. They feel a lot more responsive due to the new Vibram outsole. The tongue is more substantial. The laces are no longer made of a material that seems designed to come untied (they stay tied with a single knot!). They are much more comfortable and just enjoyable to run in. They look so much more sharp than the 8's with better colors and design. Other than that the most important things that are the reason I stayed with this brand remain the same - zero drop with a lot of cushioning, and wide toe box. These feel like premium shoes compared to the last version and I am actually enjoying putting them on and running in them.

I have gone through 10+ pairs of the Torino 8s and really loved them. The Torin 9s have been a big disappointment. In the same size as the Torin 8s, the 9s feel like they are considerably narrower everywhere, toe box, midfoot, and heel. The toe box and top of the midfoot is especially tight and narrow. I've put about 50 miles on them so far and my feet hurt every time becuase of how tight and narrow they are. Another odd thing is the tongue size and shape. Is wraps around quite a bit of the top of the foot and when the laces are tightened bunches up in weird ways because of how much it wraps around the top of the foot. Another issue is the lacing holes. Instead of going through the shoe like normal, tabs are wrapped from outside to inside of shoes with lacing going under them. The tabs on the inside of the shoe with the new thinner tongue create horrible pressure spots on the foot. Really getting frustrated with altra as a brand these days as they seem to be straying away from what made them great, wide toe box and zero drop. With this new iteration of torin there really isnt any daily trainer road shoe with a wide toe box and zero drop.

This is my favorite Torin since the 4. 5 Plush. I'm an OG Escalante Racer guy, but I love this shoe. It's a great ride for days when you want to rest your feet and calves. It's not light, but it doesn't feel heavy. I didn't notice any decrease in my turnover. The Vibram sole is perfect for wet pavements and thunderstorms. It sticks like a soft Pirelli tire. The sizing guide suggested I go wide. I didn't, and I'm glad. I have wide toes, not wide feet, and the standard foot shape last provides plenty of room in the toe box. In the past, when I've sized up in width or length, I've found my feet sliding around, which is worse for my toes.

I bought a pair of Torin 8's last year and absolutely loved them! I put over 650 KM on them. I bought a pair of Torin 9's Last month and am a little disappointed. First the laces are too short since I always use the last hole - I had to go out and buy longer laces. And I hate the leather lace loops. It makes lacing up a 2 or 3 step process. I have to agree with a couple of other reviews here that they feel tighter in the toe box than the Torin 8, although they are the same size (8. 5). The slightly softer sole feels good but not necessary as the Torin 8 was perfect for me. This is my 5th pair of Altra shoes and all around Altra is the best for me.

The Vibram sole is a huge improvement, but everything else feels like a downgrade from the Torin 8. I wear size 11 regular in the Torin 8; the same size in the Torin 9 feels cramped—especially in the toe box. The smaller upper, new lacing system, and shorter laces make the shoe feel different, in a bad way. I don’t understand why Altra feels the need to make so many changes with every new iteration. On Running did the same thing, and that’s what promoted me to try Altra in the first place. Overall, I am very disappointed. I’m going to return the shoes and just get a pair of the 8s. I wish they would have just added the Vibram sole and P35X to the Torin 8.

I was a diehard Brooks fan for years, until I got tired of them giving me blisters on my heel and wearing out within a couple months just from taking walks. I’d been wanting to have a wide toe box, zero drop shoe for a while and tried on the Altra Torin 8, in my usual size of 8.5. They were bulky and rubbing my heel like my Brooks and my heel was sliding up and down in the back even though I had the right size. The Torin 9 had just come out and I tried that on, needing 1/2 size larger. They were lighter and they’d changed the heel so it didn’t rub. These also have the vibram sole and I knew they’d last longer than my Brooks. I’ve loved them ever since! I’m an Altra fan now!

These just arrived. I have taken a picture of them next to the same size in my Timp 6. A very different fit, wider with a bend at the toe that doesn’t work for me.

Unpleasant shoes. Run a half size small. Going up a half size just to get a shoe that fits impacts the shoe mechanics/geometry on the run. Ships with laces so short you can barely use the 2nd eyelet and you can forget about a runners loop. Compared to the 8 - both shock absorption and energy return are actually worse with this new foam. The foam is lifeless and gives a very meh ride. All of the issues add to your foot fatigue on the run. Over priced considering the above. Cheaper more enjoyable options available from Asics, Saucony, and others. I gave them 3 months and finally returned them.

I have started to enjoy running outside and decided to train for a marathon. I have had these shoes a few weeks now and I love them. I don't have a lot of experience to compare these to other shoes for running, however they are are light and comfortable. I have been running in them 4-5 times a week as a daily runner and they are superb. Feel cushy enough in my 5-7 mile days so far. The mid foot area is tighter then i would expect but feels great as my foot doesn't slip while still leaving room for my toes to spread out. I have run in 90+ degree weather here in NC and I have never thought about my feet feeling hot. The soles feel grippy. I love them and will eventually get another par.

Love the wider (wider than other brand's) toe box. Love the zero drop. Love the cushioning. It would seem to be impossible to find these combinations in a style acceptable for me to see patients in any other brand. Zeros, Lems etc. At least the style is here OK. Hate the tongue. It gets folded somehow and is uncomfortable. I don't remember an uncomfortable tongue EVER. The durability is poor, the paint or whatever it is is coming off around the front. There is the word VIBRAM in bright yellow on the toe. WHY??? I'm not a nascar.. Please remove. And the color options are never great but that's all brands. Lastly, I am wearing an 11. I've NEVER worn an 11, always 10.5 in all other running shoes.