Customer Reviews Altra Escalante

I love the shoes. I wanted a lighter shoe and these fit the bill. Coming from Hoka Cliftons I moved from an 11 to a 9.5. I may get a 10 for really long days. The zero drop is not difficult to adjust to. The durability on 45-65 miles per week is TBD. I will buy 2-3 pairs for each high mileage cycle. Pros: 1) Light weight 2) The wide toe box may eliminate need to upsize 3) Space for my slightly upturned or prominent great toe nails 4) Sock-like fit - no movement or sliding around with each step Cons: 1) Needs 2-4" longer laces 2) The upper pushes out past the foam near my great toe MTP on mid-stance to toe-off. It is an issue for me when my long distance form degrades with increased GCT and decreased cadence. Perhaps a slightly wider foam and sole at the great toe MTP would add some stability and durability. 3) Hot: It has been hot and humid here in Texas. I sweat quite a bit. These knit uppers breathe less than mesh shoes. I may poke a few holes in a pair for hot afternoon runs - I love them so much I am willing to have a sacrificial pair.

My first Altra. I really like the flat, zero drop midsole and the cushioning is about right. The Ego foam is softer than most materials and very flexible. I like it, but might not be the right shoe for runners who like a firmer feeling shoe .

So happy that Altra has finally released a shoe that fits and feels as good as the original Instinct 1.0. I've gone back and forth to different brands ever since with the Torin being tolerable but not ideal in its early days as well. This shoe wears better than any other Altra I've owned and it's just plain comfortable for short and long runs. I'd be perfectly happy if you never changed a thing on this shoe.

If you're looking for a neutral, light to mid cushion shoe...this is absolutely the most comfortable shoe for running on road, tarmac, concrete, etc. Altra nailed it with this one, hope they do not change it! Having run in many racing flats competitively in the '90's (nike mariah's, mizuno wave precisions, etc.) and '00's, this Escalante is better than any racing flat I ever wore. These are the next level racing shoe. Excellent job Altra! It ain't broke, don't fix it... Thanks for developing the Ego midsole foam/cushion, it actually bounces back with less compression, no joke. You do not feel the knit upper, like your feet are running naked, superb in high desert heat!

Do not change this shoe. It is awesome. I bought it 4 days ago and haven't stopped wearing them since. I have a low volume foot and it molds well to my foot. With the gray, I can even wear them in my office without being too offensive. Offer a subtle color offering always and you'll keep hitting hit home runs with this shoe. the sole is nice and responsive. great work again

These shoes are perfect! I never usually write reviews but this shoe is too good not to! I bought these to rotate with my Instinct 3's and One 2.5's which by they way I also love. Just when I thought I couldn't be happier with my current Altra shoes, they come out with the Escalante! Bravo Altra, Bravo! You guys got yourselves one loyal customer!

Even though these are my first pair of zero drop shoes, you don't have to be a genius to know these are amazing. The EGO midsole is fantastic, and I can only hope this is going to be utilized in other models moving forward. I will be buying a second pair for just races. The comfort and energy return is terrific, you won't want to stop running. The heel is just comfortable and responsive enough. You will also find yourself running faster in these for sure. Thanks for a great product!

'Broke in' my long awaited pair on a treadmill and broke my speed record with relatively little effort. Actually, I enjoyed it! =D Superb shoe that I will continue to train in for many joyful miles. =) Thanks Altra

The new material in the sole is a big improvement for Altra. The redesigned upper is a huge improvement also. The durability seems improved also. Two PR's so far with this shoe and more on the way!

Beyond comfortable, and the new Ego rocks. You guys nailed this one!

The Escalante is an incredible shoe. It hits all the marks for efficient, forefoot running: wide toe box, low weight, comfortable upper, responsive midsole, and enough cushioning to get me through serious mileage at any pace. My legs feel great during and after running in the Escalantes (likely due in part to the resilient cushioning of the new Altra Ego midsole), and they've been my go-to trainer since I picked them up a month or so ago. AWESOME job with this shoe, Altra. It's a game changer.

I have enjoyed the Escalante for over 200 miles so far. Successfully completed a marathon and just ordered two more pairs. I love the level of cushioning and large toe box. Thank you and please keep these in production for a while!

Altra describes their new Ego midsole compound as the Holy Grail of cushioning. After putting on 175 miles with minimal visible wear, I'd have to agree. The cushioning is soft without being squishy and still feels very responsive. They feel great whether running fast intervals or easy long runs and everything in between. Combined with the extremely comfortable knit upper, great fit and good looks, I'd say the Escalante is the closest I've come to experiencing shoe nirvana in my 37 yrs of running. Looking forward to wearing them at Grandma's marathon in June.

The sizing is perfect, the material is comfortable, and that midsole! I have never put on a more comfortable shoe, which made me a little skeptical of taking them on longer runs. After several 5mi. training runs, I am in love. The midsoles are like running on clouds, the soles are wide enough so that my wide feet aren't getting sore from resting on the edge, and I have no foot fatigue! I have large feet overall, and with the proper lacing pattern, these have been a dream. They are ultra-lightweight, which I love, as well as extremely breathable. Not to mention they are easily the most attractive shoe Altra has ever sold! Again, these are currently my favorite shoes I have every owned. I wish they were a little more affordable so I could buy enough to run in them forever.

I bought these to replace an old pair of Instints. These are much nicer shoes. Altra continues to improve their shoes.

This is the third running shoe I got from altra and I think it is the best. I did ten miles in this shoe right out of the box and it was a great experience. The ego midsol is perfect for road running and racing and the knit upper is very comfortable. There is one minor problem though. The escalente is not stable when cornering at high speeds so it is not a good option for a race on the track. Nevertheless, this is my favorite training shoe ever.

Absolutely the best running shoe I have ever had. I am 5'10" and 210 and have suffered from planter for over 3 years. I tried everything, socks that pull your toes back, sleeves, inserts, braces, every type of running shoe and brand known,to no avail. Last May I bought my 1st pair of Altras, the Instinct 3.5 Have gone through 2 pair of the Instinct and one pair of the Torin 2.0. Did a 1/2 in the Torins in February. The Escalante beats them all, I cant take them off. Cushion with response. With Altra and compression tape, Planter is gone. The Escalante is actually true to size, unlike the Instinct and Torin. I have always run in an 11 (all of the popular brands), but had to get 11.5 in the Instinct and Torin. The Escalante is an 11 and fits great. Buying another pair. Have 50 miles on current pair plus wearing them whenever I go out.

I now have logged approx 40 miles in the Escalante. This shoe still impresses! This could be the best neutral running shoe ever. There are no signs of any of the shoe components breaking down. It still has plenty of cushion/bounce and the outsole has very little wear. If you are looking for a light,comfy and FAST shoe , the Altra Escalante is a must have! I will definitely recommend and purchase again.

Dear Altra, I know you are probably already working on the second and third iterations of this shoe, but please, please, please don't make any significant changes (any changes really). This shoe is perfect as is: upper, Ego midsole, outsole, comfort, ride. I don't have a single complaint. When will we see the Ego midsole on a trail shoe designed for something other than fell running?

Been running in the torin's the last few years hated the 2.5 the uppers I hated. THe Escalante uppers are a dream so commfy , and the foam has pleanty of bounce, best Altra yet.

You might as well just give Altra your money and buy these. The ego cushioning is amazing and absolutely perfect. It's soft yet responsive and provides for an experience you have never had. The upper is also a perfect combination with the shoe. You can't even feel the upper because is so light weight and stretchy. It's basically like running barefoot on a bouncy cloud.

Received my pair of altra escalante a few days ago. Although I've only done a 30 min run, I couldn't wait to write a review. Impressive! I've run in just about every well known neutral road shoe over the past 15 years. For a first run there is not one that comes close to the comfort and performance of the Escalante! I look forward to putting many more miles in these shoes and can't wait to update review. 03/12/17

I got the opportunity to do a test run last night wearing the Escalante. Hands down my new favorite!!! The fit and comfort of the knit upper is great, but the absolute best part is the Altra Ego midsole. The springy responsive rebound of the Altra Ego midsole is amazing! It makes all of my other running shoes seem like they have a flat unresponsive midsole. I can't wait any longer to have the Escalante as my primary running shoes; I'm ordering myself a pair of them today.

This is my 4th pair of Altras. I usually try to break shoes with shorter runs, but went ahead and took these for a 17 miler. They felt great! They do run a bit smaller than previous Altras I've had. I wear a US Men's 10 1/2 in most other brands, a size 11 1/2 in both the Altra One 2.5 and the Altra Instinct 3.5, and a size 11 in this Altra Escalante.

For many years I have battled with joint problems, mainly due to bad form. After doing some research I figured I would try zero drop shoes and make an effort to change my technique (NO MORE HEEL STRIKING). So happy I chose the Escalante. As far as fit goes I wear a 10 in normal shoes and a 10.5 in the Escalante. While running It feels like your in a cushioned sock. Which it kind of is with the knit upper. Also love the wide toe box. To give you more perspective, I consider myself a amateur runner and in the past I mainly ran to stay in shape for work and never ran more than 6 miles. My first run in the Escalante shoes was a 4 miler on a treadmill. Two days later I did 10 miles on a paved trail. This is coming from a guy that dreaded running 2 miles a few months ago. Long story short I will be getting spares of this shoe and think I'm starting to enjoy running again.