New (ish) Shoes

A quick post to test out this new blogger app discussing briefly my newish shoes I mentioned in my previous post. 

First my beloved Altra Torin 4. High level of cushioning but not so high that you lose sensitivity with the ground or reduce the flexibility of the shoe. For me it’s the perfect amount. I like tons of softness underfoot but want a lot of flexibility and feel too. They changed the cushioning material and I say it’s a bit more responsive (“bouncy” in technical terms!) versus the really “smooshy” (another technical description!) of the previous version. 

The toe box is a little bit lower volume making the shoes look a bit less crazy with the foot shaped toe box. At work the look of these puts many people off. Of course they still have the zero drop (no big chunky heel) as with all of Altra’s shoes. Pretty much the closest think you can get to super soft cushioning in a natural motion, barefoot feel. 

Then there’s my “commuter shoe,” the Brooks Transcend 6. Very different from the Torin. Tons of soft cushioning, quite a bit more support, and a more traditional shoe fit and feel. I bought these because they were comfortable and I needed a shoe for standing around in at work but I could also run in. I am able to sneak in a couple easy runs from where I park my car to work. It’s normally a 1.5 mile walk but with a bit of time management I can get in a 3-6 mile run to and from work. 

I normally would not buy a support shoe. They’re too stiff and rigid which I feel is bad for most people. However Brooks has removed the traditional medial post in their support shoes and replaced it with a new concept called the guide rail. See the black “stripy material” on the inside and outside of the Transcend below? That’s the guide rail. Altra has it on their “support” shoes as well. Think of your feet as bowling balls rolling down the lane but the gutters have bumpers in them. If the foot rolls in or out the guide rails nudge it back to center. The whole concept is focusing on keeping the knee centered, not the ankle. The bonus? The shoe is much more flexible letting your foot work like it’s suppose to and not fight the stiff shoe. 

I really liked the feel of the upper material and shape, and of course the super soft DNA Loft cushioning. I figured the higher 10mm heel to toe drop, versus my zero drop Torin, would be a good thing reducing the pull on my calves and a little bit of support from the guide rail would be welcome after a long day on my feet. 

Overall it was just comfortable, the number one factor in shoe selection, and of course I was curious how the guide rails felt. I do sell this shoe at work and being something I normally wouldn’t use I felt it a fun option to test out just to improve my knowledge as well.