Two articles are the reason why I
decided to order the Torin 1.5, my second Altra after the Olympus.
The first one, ironically, I read
from the Saucony website
(http://blog.saucony.com/saucony-lab/rotate-running-shoes/). Entitled “Why Rotate Your Running Shoes” and
written by Spencer White (the head of Saucony Human Performance and Innovation
Lab), it talks about multiple styles of running shoes producing the following
benefits: rotate to strengthen; rotate
to recover; and rotate for speed and surface. Running shoes can affect how the
stress of running is distributed within the tissues of your body. By wearing different shoes on different days,
the article argued, you may avoid overloading any one muscle, tendon, bone or
ligament while simultaneously strengthening others.
At the time of reading this
article, almost all the shoes I was
using for my training and ultra running were
maximum cushioned Hokas plus the lone Altra Olympus which was also high-ly cushioned.
Which brings me to the second
article. Entitled “The Pendulum Swings”
and written by Nicholas Pang (http://www.networkedblogs.com/SF0qL), this is the
article where I first read the words “muscle atrophy.” It had a foreboding message and I quote, “..don’t let muscle atrophy settle in with prolonged use of heavily cushioned
shoes.” Had me googling about the word and here is what I got about it. It is not good.
Muscle atrophy is defined as a
decrease in the mass of the muscle. It
can be partial or complete wasting away of muscle. When a muscle atrophies, this leads to muscle
weakness, since the ability to exert force is related to mass. The main reason
for muscle wasting is a lack of physical activity.
The logic behind minimalist
running advocate Pang is that heavily cushioned shoes will tend to work only a specific set of running muscles to the
detriment of the other running muscles, thereby resulting in neglect thru
time. The human foot has 26 bones, 33
joints, 20 muscles, and more than 100 ligaments. This all have to be worked on and the best
way to do it is not only to settle for one specific running shoe. Mix it up
with both minimal and maximal shoes to work different muscles and prevent
muscle imbalances thus preventing or reducing injuries.
Since the past several months I
have been using the maximum cushioned Hokas (Mafate, Stinson and Bondi) and now
the Olympus, I needed a pair of running shoes with less cushioning than these
behemoths. Having been exposed to Altra’s benefits, via the Olympus, I wanted
my next running shoes to incorporate the zero drop technology and wide
toebox. This is where the Altra Torin
1.5 comes into the picture.
The Altra website
(http://www.altrarunning.com/fitness/en/Altra/mens-shoes/torin-15-mens)
enumerates the benefits and technical specs of the Torin 1.5:
Run protected, increase
performance and improve your running technique without sacrificing any
cushioning with the Torin 1.5, our highly cushioned neutral training shoe. The
Zero Drop platform and FootShape™ toe box work together to help you run the way
you were born to with relaxed feet, more power, and better technique. Blended
EVA/A-Bound™ cushioning protect your feet from hard surfaces across long
distances and various terrain. For this update, we didn't want to mess with a
good thing, so we simply revamped the upper to improve the fit at the heel and
forefoot while making the shoe a touch more stable.
Technical Stuff
Ideal Uses: Running,
Ultramarathons, Long Distance Walking
Platform: Fully-Cushioned Zero
Drop™ Platform, FootShape™ toe box
Last: PFS–M
Stack Height: 27 mm
Midsole: Dual Layer: EVA Blend with
A-Bound™ Top Layer
Outsole: FootPod™ Outsole
Insole: 5 mm Contour Footbed
Upper: Quick-Dry Air Mesh
Other Features: Great Slip-On Feel,
NRS™ Natural Ride System
There are no Altra specialty
stores yet here in the Philippines. Nor
are there local running stores carrying an extensive line up of Altra running
shoes. Good thing the people behind Altra Singphil
(https://www.facebook.com/altrarunningsingphil) are proactive, reliable and
trusting. Similar to how I ordered my
Olympus, I emailed Boon of Singapore and pretty soon he replied to inform me
that they will be sending a pair of Altra Torin 1.5 to Manila and that I could
get it from the Swim Bike Run Expo at SMX Convention Center on the last week of April.
 |
| With Blue, after picking up my Altra Torin 1.5 at the Philippine Swim Bike Run Sale Expo |
That was two months ago and I
have already used the Torin 1.5 for more than 100 kilometers already. Definitely and confidently, I can say that
the Torin 1.5 is good as advertised. It
is not too soft but a right amount of stiffness for the road and even
trails. I have already utilized it for
an ultra marathon, the Independence Day Ultra last June 15 and I did not
complain of muscle soreness after the said ultra.
More importantly, the Torin 1.5
is one running shoe, more than the Altra Olympus or the Saucony Kinvara or the
Hoka Bondi, that has improved my running form. Of course, it helped that the
shoe bow has illustrations of what the components of a good running form are. Because it is less cushioned than the Olympus
and Bondi, I really have to pay particular attention that I do midfoot strike
when I am running with the Torin 1.5. It is not only me that has this
observation. Check out Jason Bahamundi’s shoe review
(http://cooktraineatrace.com/altra-torin-running-zero-drop-show-review/).
 |
| Tips on proper running form at the Altra shoebox |
 |
| Trying out the Altra Torin 1.5 on the road and ... |
 |
| ...on the trail |
 |
| Running with the Altra Torin 1.5 made me the penguin back in the water |
And because I am in a good
running form with the Torin 1.5, its outsole
does not wear out easily as the other brands I use.
 |
| Similar mileage but the wear and tear on the outsole of my Hoka Stinson is more pronounced than that in my Altra Torin 1.5 |
Bottomline for me: the Altra Torin 1.5 makes me hit the right
spot for a good running form. Because of that, it is very much a part of my
rotation for running shoes.
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