Customer Reviews Altra Escalante Racer

2 stars because the coloring doesn't match the description and the shoe squeaks when I walk. Never been wet. Did I get a bad batch? The laces are short and I miss the wider toe box.

I have worn the Escalante Racers for several years (4-5 years?). I loved them for the wide toe box, narrow heel and zero drop. The toe box on these is more narrow than the previous Escalante Racers. I compared them to several previous versions and even got the ruler out to make sure. These are at least 1/4" narrower. Just enough that my neuroma is bothering me again. So disappointing. The laces are ridiculously short which is really not a big deal because it is an easy fix. Finally, didn't your shoe descriptions indicate the drop previously?

Pros: - Nice colors (I got the light gray shoe with the pink/purple sole) - Good fit - Fairly lightweight Cons: - Too squishy!!!!! (I really despise the Altra Ego sole. It never feels stable. Every time I wear these, muscles in my glutes, hips, legs or knees act up.) - That mesh is going to be freezing in winter - Too much stack height (I get that super cushy seems to be the trend, but it's not what most of us are looking for. Every employee I talked to at the running store said they were settling for the Escalante Racer because it had the lowest stack height of the Altra lineup.) Prior to getting this shoe I had the Solstice running shoe (not the cross trainer currently on this site). Please bring it back. It was a far better shoe.

This used to be the perfect running shoe, I've probably bought 8 pairs over the years Altra recently got cheap and decided to make these with 45 inch shoe laces, barely enough to even tie once much less double knot. Nothing makes a run better than constantly having your shoes come untied. Feels like such a dig as a customer to have to buy shoelaces for new shoes, especially when only the blue color is in stock.

I need new running shoes, but steered clear of my usual Torins bc of all the neg reviews. Plus I tried those on at store near me and the tongue issue is true. These run a little more narrow and have far less cushion. The reg escalantes are a better fit, but still not as good as torin. I'll wear these for work, but not to workout or run.

I'm disappointed in them. I had no idea they were only mesh on the top. The pair I replaced were way more solid and I ordered the same style, the Escalante, but they weren't the same. I can't wear them in the rain or on a wet trail. Dirt gets in the sneaker. I only ordered them online because the store where I usually buy my sneakers no longer carries themMiles Ahead. They're comfortable, attractive, fit beautifully but conditions have to be perfect to wear them.

My toes have never had so much room and honestly feels amazing! However the shoes are giving me blisters on the back of my ankle. Hoping I just need to break them in, If not will return.

Every other Altra purchase has been amazing out of the box: Escalante 1.5, Superior 4, Lone Peak 3.5. This was not true for the Escalante Racer '19. I felt optimistic about the great reviews despite the poor reviews for the Escalante 2. I wore them for a couple of miles walking around NYC numerous days before the NYC marathon. I had sores on my achilles and the seam below the laces on the left shoe pressed into the top of my foot even with loose laces. Fortunately, I had a backup plan & ran the marathon in the Superior 4 with no issues.

COLOR SCHEME: The 2018 color scheme is WAY more dramatic and EYE-CATCHING even to non-runners. The 2019 color scheme, in my opinion, is less dramatic and not enough contrast. UPPER MESH: The 2019 definitely has wider mesh, compared to the 2018, enough that you can see your socks with a naked eye. You can even put a tiny kid's pinky in one of the mesh area. Not happy with this design. I live and play in Northern CA and when it's pouring outside, there's no way the 2019 model will survive. FOREFOOT WIDTH: I compared the 2019 (new) with the 2018 (new) and it feels like there's more wiggle room on the 2019. So Altra - was this part of the 2019 design? SHOE LAST: The 2019 does not have the same grip as the 2018. Altra - was this part of the 2019 design? I would recommend the 2019 if you have more than one pair to rotate in one season.

"Highly breathable" means literal holes in the upper part of the shoe. Probably would be great for hot, dry summer weather but I live in Chicago and it is winter and my foot was soaked within a few blocks of testing these. :(

This is the third time that I've bought this exact same model of shoes. The first two pairs were great, but on this pair (I ordered the gray ones this time), they had added a stiff plastic piece in the heel of the shoe that rubbed the back of my heels raw. The sole of the shoe also felt stiffer. I don't know what happened to these, because they used to be great. I will probably never buy a pair of Altras again after this. I feel like the company is going downhill, which is a shame because not a lot of companies do zero drop shoes with cushion. Thanks for ruining these.

I have a wide, high profile foot so have a hard time finding a shoe that works for me. Found Altra some years ago and was ecstatic that both the regular Escalante and Racer fit great, so much so that I bought a second pair of each immediately after trying the first pair. I decided it was time for new Racers only to find that even though it's supposed to be the same shoe, it's far from the originals that I bought a couple of years ago. I couldn't even get my foot in them! I returned them for a refund and have since looked at other Altra models, hoping one would work. After reading the reviews, I'm going to have to pass. I need a shoe with foot shape, low or zero drop, low stack height, and something that will accommodate my high arch/profile foot. The previous shoes had enough 'give' in the upper fabric that it wasn't an issue and were comfortable straight out of the box. The new ones? Not even close. Truly disappointed that Altra has abandoned what we all thought was their ethos. Might as well team up with Hoka.

I returned these shoes and never heard another word about them. That's 140.00 I could have used to buy another pair or some food..... Got to be careful these days who you do business with. Never again!

Before purchasing I read reviews that stated it was like running in concrete blocks. Being so in love with my 2.5's that I've run into the ground, I naively thought they were exaggerating. Especially when the shoes arrived. They were so light! But I couldn't even run a mile in them without feeling like I was fighting every step. Imagine running with platform flip flops taped to your feet. I checked the fit over and over, retied the laces (which are super short), and even tried to change my stride. The only thing that felt good was walking. Not jogging, not racing. I don't know why they changed so much when they had a good thing going.

Very disappointed, I've been a diehard Altra customer for the last 6 years. Every year I get both road and trail shoes. The toe box just keeps getting more and more restrictive every year. At times I've compensated with men's version but I can't even get this shoe in men's since 7.5 is not available. The toe box on this one is so narrow that although my big toe has about 3/4 inch of space my two smaller toes are pretty tight as the toe box also seems to be more tapered. The reason I fell in love with this brand was that my feet felt as close to natural state when running and I could spray my toes, which helps immensely with balance. These year's models are not it!

I've bought this exact same product for years, but this time, they were way too small.

I needed to replace my old Escalantes and decided to go with the racer instead of the 3 because the ratings were better. HUGE mistake. The foot is narrow (definitely more so than the original) and very painful. I'm getting a blister on one of my heels and the amount of laces are too much. I'm so disappointed but stuck with them. The shoe is also stiffer and has less cushion around the sides. I loved my old version but these are horrible.

Why cant the men"s have these cool dark colors too! Im a man and would be a buyer immediately of you guys would have the dark colors for the mens race too. Oscar

Fit was fine. Look was fine. They were so flimsy on my 2 mile walk, I thought I had stones in them and could barely make it home. Had 2 previous pairs that were excellent! Why can't they stay with winners???

These shoes do not last. These wore out in 3 months, walking 3 miles a day. In the past, my Altra shoes have lasted much longer. These are very comfortable but cost too much for the quality.

You've lost me. Long term Altra runner here, but no more. It seems as though Altra is abandoning their customer base with all the "iterations". Is it inflation that's causing you to skimp on material? The upper is far narrower than previous version purchased. The laces are half the length, and don't tie, once upper is loosened to barely fit foot's height. The upper material is flimsy such that merely putting the shoe on causes it to want to tear. Those with super model feet are not necessarily buying foot shaped shoes. Do reconsider everything you are doing please.

Until the latest updates to the escalante racer, these have been my favorite running shoes. The changes that were made to this latest shoe is terrible- so uncomfortable and hard to run any miles in.

I was shocked with the fit of this shoe. Much too narrow and overall not the same sizing I've had with previous Altras. I did like the color combo and the appearance of the shoe. I could go up an entire size but I think it would still be too tight across my mid-foot region (where the laces are). First time I've had to return an Altra.