Customer Reviews Altra Escalante Racer

Have worn two pairs of Escalante Racers and love them for 5-10k running. Of all of Altra's shoes, these are the most minimal and may require the most time for your body to adjust to the lack of cushion. But once you are broken into them, the responsiveness to the road is phenomenal. May need to be replaced more often than the average running shoe since they are so lightweight, but that is to be expected with such a minimal shoe. As long as Altra continues to make these, I will continue to replace an old pair with a new one!

I made the purchase using Apple Pay and the default speed is the 5 to 7 business days versus the three day free shipping. I'm gonna have to wait an extra four days to get my shoes because. I didn't want to wait. These are my favorite shoes though. I own several different colors. The black on black is Is not as bright as all those other colors. Altra please do more plain colors like all black. Not everybody loves bright colors.

First off, wow! This is only my second pair of Altra shoes and I'm blown away at how these are meticulously designed to accommodate the splay during the impact while running. I will be returning for any upcoming pair that I'll need!

Maybe it's placebo, but the responsiveness, toe box room, no feet swell, zero hot spots or blisters out of the box as well impact absorption taken off my hips, groin and hamstring makes this a must have in the zero drop shoe market. 10 mile run right out of the box and I felt like I could go another 10. These shoes feel like a perfect augment and my pacing and cadence felt natural with them. I'm team Altra with this one

I was terrified when I heard Altra was gonna discontinue them. Happy to see them back. After 20+ years in running and hundreds of different shoes, these are the absolute best shoes ever created.

Looking for an alternative to no-cushion Merrell Trail Gloves, I decided to try this out (there aren't too many zero-drop, generous-toe-box options with a low stack height.) And I love it! I wear it for practically all my runs (most are on roads). I have always bought men's as my feet are wide.

I have been using the Escalante Racers for my daily runs of anywhere from 5-8 miles, everything from easy to tempo runs. I really like the extra space in the toe area, and going back to my old New Balance makes my toes feel constrained. The traction is great even on damp roads, the heel really does "lock in" and, one interesting thing that I noticed after wearing these is that they seemed to have a positive effect on my Garmin chart data (vertical oscillation & ratio) so apparently my stride is more efficient. Seem to reduce knee pain compared with previous shoes. Only minor issue is the flat laces seem to knot up easily if not untied right.

There is a reason you switch out your shoes. Everyday trainers to a something for for your long runs. This is for RACING! It fits well and snug to my heal. I can feel the pop in the shoe as I run. On cold mornings your feet might get cold, choose different socks. The new all black looks sick by the way! Thanks for a great shoe! Sub 330 LA Marathon!

THE BEST shoe for running ultra distances... period!!!

Great long distance shoe!

Escalante Racer... the feeling and protection of a max cushion shoe, but without all the extra bull-stuff. I'll be sportin' these for my next ultra, and future ultras. Awesome job, Altra!!!

Favorite road shoe to date.

These are my absolute favorite running shoes. I feel so fast in them. I use them for races and speedier runs and whenever I just need to feel good. So light and responsive! And they look sweet

Love these shoes! I would wear these all the time but the color schemes don't allow it. Please make these in all black!!!!

I was looking to replace my Nike FreeRuns because they were literally falling apart. I like the free feeling of wearing them (no pun intended) but wanted a more solid running shoe.. And I found Escalante Racers! I've run 2 full and 1 half marathon in these and completely sold on them. I was running in Nike FreeRuns (I know I know..) because of the flexibility and ground feel.. These Escalante Racers are my only shoe now. I wear them running, walking, to the grocery store, everywhere. I wish Altra would shave the sole down a bit (a 10mm sole would be amazing, and there are currently none in the market!), and offer an all-black option, but these are just dreams I know. As far as reality goes, these shoes are everything I want in a shoe. I prefer to run with untied laces, and these feel snug even with only a small knot holding the lace in place. 100% recommend these. My first pair is 3 years old and the soles are just now starting to fall apart.. Solid build!

Love this version of the escalate!

I was wearing minimalist shoes at work prior to buying these. I was looking for a little more "normal" looking shoe that was still zero drop and with a wide toe box. I have been wearing the same pair at work (hospital) for over a year now. I am very happy with them. I used to have a problem with sweaty feet and the ventilation is so good it's a non issue now. I want to buy another pair but the colors that are currently available are too flashy :/

My first pair of Altra's were the regular Escalante 3's. I was a bit leery about wearing no-drop shoes but after my first run I was all in. I decided to try these racers next. They are very light yet very comfortable. It was love at first run! Every time I wear these, it feels like Valentine's Day for my feet and my run performance. Because they are so light and they do have less support, I was worried that my feet could not handle a long run in them. I recently ran the Rehoboth Beach Marathon in Delaware and I decided to put these to the test. Well...they held up just fine and so did my feet. I finished the race without even one blister. I should also add that there were some trails, gravel, and boardwalk to traverse in this race and these shoes had no issue handling the different terrain. By no means am I saying these are trail shoes but they could handle smooth light trails and gravel. Unfortunately, I did go into some mud and got my shoes dirty and by feet wet. But at mile 24, I had someone shout at me "I love your shoes!" I wear the teal ones and they stand out. That made me feel good. Listen, I don't know all the technicalities that people like to mention about shoes in their reviews. I'm no shoe expert. But I've run 8 marathons and I can tell you these are wonderful. They look good, they feel good and they can take a beating - which surprised me for a shoe that is light on the support and light in weight. Now, I'm just waiting for a price drop so I can get the new hot color they recently released (black ones). Altra! Can you look out for a brother?

Great fit for all conditions even winter season.

Hey everyone. I really like these shoes and that should concern you. If I decide I like a shoe enough to buy it again I am basically soundng the death tole for that model. From the Mizuno Wave Precision, the Newton Energy, or the Altra Viho, if I'm running in it, production is likely ending shortly.

If you're a true mid-foot striker then these are the best shoes money can buy and they have the perfect amount of cushion. If you heel-strike when you get tired, then you may want more cushion. This is my 2nd pair and they have better shoelaces than the ones from a couple of years ago. I run about 3 miles twice a week and had 1 pair in size 10.5 which lasted me 1.5 years. The shoelaces would often come undone, but I managed with double knots. The rubber on the soles eventually wore out and I bought a new pair in size 10. The wide forefoot allows me to wear my true length, and the new shoelaces stay tied much better than the old ones. For reference, I used to wear Nikes in size 11 because of their narrow forefoot, and my tight ski boots are size 9.5 because my toes don't move forward when I ski. The 10.5s worked well for me in the Altra shoes, but the 10s work best. Furthermore, I recently left a 1-star review out of frustration when FedEx had a delivery issue. That was uncalled for and I wish I could take it back. Although it was FedEx's fault, Altra's customer service solved the issue and treated me very well.

Fantastic shoe! Durable, comfortable, fast and minimal. Perfect combo

These shoes really are great. I run about 20-25 miles a week and they are always comfortable. Wide toe box and they are super comfortable. I previously used the trail shoes but these even better. They are super light weight and hold their form really well. The upper is a mesh type material it breathes really well in the heat. Feet do get a little colder in the cold weather or on rainy days but not an issue for me, personally. I will be running in these shoes a long time if they don't change.

I am an experienced runner who recently decided to convert to barefoot style running. I went out and bought some minimalist shoes and immediately regretted it. They had zero padding and very thin soles. I suffered for a couple of weeks before reading about these. I read reviews that these are the perfect balance between minimalist shoes and shoes with zero drop but some padding, and that is correct. Also, the toe box is wide and comfortable. I've been running 4-7 miles at a time from day one with no socks and have experienced zero discomfort or blisters. I am wondering how my toes will feel once winter fully kicks in, as the mesh in the toe box, while nice and airy on warm days, provides no insulation (I live in the northeast).