Skip to main content

Altra Torin IQ hands-on

Altra's smart running shoe puts a virtual coach in your ear while working out

Altra Torin IQ review
Image used with permission by copyright holder

“Why you can trust Digital Trends – We have a 20-year history of testing, reviewing, and rating products, services and apps to help you make a sound buying decision. Find out more about how we test and score products.“

Holiday Gift Guide Banner
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Recommended Videos

This product was featured in our Holiday Gift Guide! Check it out to find gift inspiration for everyone in your life.

Runners looking to improve their form and become more efficient out on the road now have a new tool to help them achieve that goal. The Altra Torin IQ is a high-tech running shoe that comes with an array of sensors and accelerometers integrated directly into its design. When paired with a smartphone and the Altra IQ app (available for iOS and Android) the shoe provides real-time feedback on areas an athlete needs to improve.

To get a true taste for how effective Altra’s new smart shoe actually is, we strapped on a pair of our own and tested it over several weeks. What we found was that it wasn’t necessarily us putting it through its paces but rather, quite the opposite. Like having a virtual running coach, the Torin IQ made us a better runner. From the physical shoes to its digital companion application, Altra created a harmonic ecosystem capable of benefitting casual and elite runners alike.

Establishing a smart running shoe market

With the proliferation of fitness-oriented wearable devices like the Apple Watch or any variety of Fitbit, one might wonder why smart running shoes even exist in the first place. After all, those gadgets track a wide variety of activities, display our speed and distance covered, count the calories we burn, and even monitor our heart rate. But this data doesn’t always tell the whole story and serious athletes looking to up their game may strive for more information.

That is exactly why running shoe company Altra created its IQ platform, which uses a sophisticated set of sensors embedded in a shoe to accurately detect the way a runner moves. The system detects a runner’s impact rate and cadence, as well as the landing zone of each foot, while also measuring contact time. This data collects and stores on an iPhone or Android device using Altra’s IQ app via a Bluetooth connection. The app then serves as a virtual coach, offering suggestions on how runners might improve their form and efficiency.

Altra’s Torin shoe evolves

Rather than build an entirely new product around the IQ system, Altra decided to incorporate the tech into its existing Torin running shoe. A wise choice, the Torin is already a fantastic option for runners, offering the company’s trademark foot-shaped fit and zero-drop platform in a durable and stylish design. Comfortable and lightweight, it’s also amongst the best road shoes Altra ever produced, offering a 28-millimeter stack height, a breathable and quick-drying upper, and a very protective sole. In short, it was the perfect candidate to become the company’s first smart shoe.

While the brains of the Altra IQ system are found within the shoes themselves, it’s the app that serves up the data runners need.

Note: It’s worth pointing out that Altra’s shoes tend to run a half size smaller than normal — something we found to be true of the Torin IQ — so we recommend going up to the next half size when ordering.

The Torin IQ still offers each feature that makes its sibling special, while also including the added benefit of the Altra IQ platform. Those high-tech components do add nearly an ounce of weight to the shoe, which may not sound like much to the average runner but it could be a significant amount for serious athletes. That said, the Torin IQ isn’t exactly a heavy running shoe, tipping the scales at just 9.3 ounces. Perhaps more importantly, the smart version of the Torin runs $220 — i.e. $95 more than the regular model. To us, this is a lot to pay for a shoe you’re likely to replace after a few months of use.

When designing the Torin IQ, Altra embedded the sensors, battery, and Bluetooth transmitter inside the shoe’s midsole. When activated, four independent accelerometers send data to the Altra IQ app in real-time, with the software analyzing the information and providing feedback. The IQ system collects data from each shoe independently, which proves crucial when correcting poor running form. If a runner favors one leg over another or strikes the ground with the wrong part of the foot, the sensors know about it and alert the user accordingly.

Tapping into the IQ

While the brains of the Altra IQ system are found within the shoes themselves, it’s the app that serves up the data runners need. It displays a wealth of information about landing zones for each foot, contact time, impact rate, average cadence, and more. Unlike other smart fitness devices, it offers suggestions on how a runner might improve technique for more efficiency and to avoid injury.

In our case, the IQ system identified unknown hitches in our stride, helping us smooth out our running style. After paying particular attention to the advice, we were able to not only get over a couple minor nagging injuries but we improved our speed, as well.

Altra Torin IQ review
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Over our time with Altra’s IQ system, the company made several upgrades to the app, with each iteration improving its functionality and reliability. Early on, the app periodically lost connection with the shoes mid-workout, rendering its usefulness as a coach to limited, at best. Recent updates appear to have fixed those issues and Altra’s virtual coach isn’t shy about whispering suggestions in our ear about improving technique. Being mindful of those suggestions is important to becoming a better runner, as we often found the tips to be spot on.

Altra certainly succeeded in making a smart running shoe that not only tracks movement but makes useful suggestions on how to improve form. This makes it easy to recommend them to serious runners looking to improve their speed and efficiency on the road. Casual runners may find the high price hard to swallow, particularly if they have to replace their running shoes with any kind of regularity.  The bottom line is, the technology in the Altra Torin IQ works well but the shoes definitely aren’t for everybody.

Kraig Becker
Kraig Becker is a freelance outdoor writer who loves to hike, camp, mountain bike, trail run, paddle, or just about any other…
Aventon goes all in on smart security and connectivity on Level 3 commuter e-bike
Aventon Level 3 right profile with Queen Mary in the background.

Aventon invited me to a pre-launch press briefing on its new Level.3 commuter e-bike in Long Beach, California. The Level.3 has several significant upgrades from the Level.2, including increased range and an adjustable suspension seat post, but the greatest upgrade is the Aventon Control Unit (ACU).

The ACU is a proprietary technology that incorporates 4G, Bluetooth connectivity, and GPS tracking. It enables a host of security, convenience, and personalization features. The Level 3 isn't the first Aventon model with the ACU; the Abound SR utility and cargo e-bike was the initial ACU-equipped e-bike.

Read more
Anker Solix EverFrost 2 Giveaway (Winner Selected)
anker solix everfrost 2 electric cooler giveaway february 2025 1024a241 40be 4543 9e71 cf91899c8f33

Would you believe that Anker, an electronics brand that's known for its power banks, also has an electric cooler? Known as the Anker Solix EverFrost, it's the perfect companion for backyard parties and outdoor adventures. It's so good that it's getting a sequel in the form of the Anker Solix EverFrost 2, and you've got a chance to win one!

Anker's giveaway for the Anker Solix EverFrost 2 runs from February 27 to March 27, which means you've got a month to send in your entries. You're going to want to do so as early as you can just to make sure that you don't forget. There will be only one lucky winner of the all-new electric cooler, so we wish you the best of luck!

Read more
Aventon launches Abound LR super-cargo smart e-bike
Aventon Abound LR left rear three-quarter view facing Long Beach harbor.

Aventon announced the Abound LR e-bike, a longer alternative to the Abound SR and original Aventon Abound cargo e-bike lineup. During a pre-launch press briefing for the Abound LR in February, Aventon characterized the Abound SR as an all-purpose utility and cargo bike and the Abound LR as a cargo carrier for families and a possible replacement for a second car.

The new long-rack LR version shares the short-rack SR's technical and ACU-based smart features and most physical details, except length and weight. The Abound LR is 8 pounds heavier and 7.1 inches longer than the SR. The two new Abound models are similar to the Chevy Tahoe and Suburban, two other vehicles built for the same purpose; one's just longer.
Abound LR features and capabilities

Read more