Customer Reviews Altra Escalante 2

First, I have to say thank you for selling this product do inexpensively to us front line workers. To get such a high quality product for so little money is a true gift. Thank you! I'm only giving four stars because I've only just received the shoes. By the way, I ordered these shoes with 3 day shipping and got them less than 24 hours later... just phenomenal! They're a perfect fit. I've been wearing Altra for years, and love the wide toe box, but they've always fit a bit loosely elsewhere. This fixes that problem. I normally don't believe in brand loyalty, but your shoes just work. Once again, thank you for the discount, and speedy delivery. I'll update after 100 miles.

I made the switch to Altra Escalante 2 from Brooks Pure Flows and Mizuno Waveriders and never looked back. For me, I think the amount of cushioning is just right and have no complaints about toe box and love the zero drop. I use one pair strictly for running and the gray for when I'm out and about. Keep 'em coming!

The Escalante 2 was my first Altra road shoe. Previously running in Hoka, I wanted a wider toe box, which Altra has 100%. The shoes were great! Seemed hard on my legs after 10 mile runs but they were great shoes none the less. Fit was amazing. My foot is 4 & 5/8 inches wide and this was a perfect fit. The downside, and reason for 4 stars rather than 5, is the tread wore out after 105 road miles. I can't afford 4-5 pairs of shoes per year so this is a huge factor for me. I am actually considering switching to a different brand that can hold up on asphalt. I have Altra trail shoes (Lone Peaks) and they are great. No issues. Love the brand and the shoes, they just wear down on the road.

Bought this shoe as a do-everything trainer that can double as an athlesiure shoe in a pinch. I run 40-50 miles per week and am working more and more mileage into them and I find that, save one thing, they're perfect for that role. I prefer firm shoes and the Escalante is great for me for easy runs, recovery runs and, I suspect once I work my way up, long runs too. It has enough response for workouts too. The only con I have for the shoe is the insole. It's too soft and thick and wears my feet out. I'm probably in the minority but I'd much prefer a thin little nothing of an insole. The one from the Altra Superior is perfect, and I actually swap those back and forth between shoes. They're also sharp looking, especially for a foot shaped shoe.

Wow, where to start... well, I'm a 135 lb male, fairly strong runner, who has put many miles into a previous pair of Escalante Racers. I bought these 2.0's to be daily trainers. When I first put them on, the constrictive fit in the mid/forefoot was blatantly clear. However, I had read some smart-sounding reviews that told me they would break in and become comfortable. I've always thought that very durable shoes are going to require a little break in, so I was willing to give that a chance; I bought these shoes almost completely to be a durable joggers, something that would go for as many miles as possible. I've put 145 miles in them in the last month since purchasing them and sure enough, the forefoot/midfoot fit is now very comfortable. it's working for me. yes, that's coming from someone who loves the Escalante Racers. They're different, that's for sure. The midsole is much stiffer and more firm than in previous versions. Honestly, that's exactly what drew me to this version. I love this midsole version for daily running. It is responsive, it seems to also protect quite a lot, and it is so far holding up VERY well: much more so than previous versions. I always thought the cushy feel of the Escalante 1.0 and 1.5 would probably suit recreational and sporadic "runners", who go hard twice a week and are trying to "get into" running. This new sole suits a daily, consistent runner who puts time in. Remember, if you need more flexibility and less weight for faster efforts, there's always the Racer. I love this new sole for the base Escalante. Here's the BIG ISSUE, which I am being extremely generous to only subtract 1 star for. The heel collar is terrible. It is angled inward toward the Achilles with a sharp edge at the top. Of the pair that I have, the right shoe is worse. My Achilles now has quite the inflamed bump-about-to-become-blister. Altra, you really need to fix this. It's unacceptable. I'm injured from this design/manufacturing flaw. Otherwise I love them.

I've gotten in two long runs with the Escalante 2, 17 miles and 18 miles. I'm not having the shallow toe box problem that others had. Maybe it's somewhat less bouncy than the 1.5, but I'm not sure. I'm having fun running in them. They feel like the might last better than the older models, which felt like they gave out and became less fun to run in after less than 300 miles.

I have run in the Escalante 1 and 1.5. With the 2's I do like the new upper. It is still the soft knit, but more structured to hug your foot, especially when making turns. The heel padding is improved, substantial, but not bulbous as in most Altra models in the past few years. The design is also very sleek and could be worn casually. For the cushioning, it is very similar, but a little firmer. It is not as cushy and bouncy as the original. Not sure if they firmed up the midsole, but it is definitely not the plush feel of the Alter Ego that I was used to. The outsole seems to be made of a firmer rubber (which may be a factor in the firmer feel). The outsole rubber also has less flex grooves and is more flat. This may affect grip in wet conditions, not sure yet. All in all, I like the update. The biggest improvement is the upper and while the under-foot feel is not quite as springy, it is close enough to previous models. I know the 2.5 will only be an upper change, so maybe the 3 will be the perfect culmination of all of the models and just right. P.S. Love that you made an all white. A perfect canvas for painting/customizing your shoes.

With the old model, I've had many pair. My feet would always want to slide off the side of the shoe when taking tight turns. To the point I actually have toe holes. This new model seems to have fixed that issue. But they do seem a little bit heavier. I have about 40 miles in my first pair and am happy so far!

I have and love a pair of size 9 Kayentas. Nice, roomy shoe that's just big enough in a 9 without a sock, so I expected the same from the Escalante. But no, I ordered a 9.5 to fit a sock this time, but the last must be totally different. I couldn't even begin to get my foot into the 9.5 Escalante, with or without a sock. Had to send them back. I'd need a 10.5 to fit wide enough, which would be way too long.

I tried on a pair and had to send them back. The midfoot squeezes my arch and the whole thing is too narrow: the edge of my forefoot spills over the edge of the sole while being squashed uncomfortably against the upper. I started wearing Altra shoes because I have very wide feet and the One 2.5 worked great for me. Ever since then, it seems like Altra is whittling down the wide toe box and roomy midfoot features that I htought were the soul of the brand: the foot shape. Still 3 stars though because I bet it works OK for a lot of people.

Wish I would have read the reviews.. never thought I'd have since the new Escalante 2' were my 7th pair of Altra's. But yes the change in width is killing my foot. I'm soooooo sad. RED ones are the new ones.

Too narrow, sole too stiff. Returning.

Pros- Zero drop, nice mesh upper Cons- Feels more narrow than my old escalates.

The 1.0's were great and then the 1.5's came out and they were amazing. I've put in hundreds of miles between these two iterations in the years. Looking back the Escalate 1.5 had amazing reviews with a rating of 4.4 and 85% would recommend on this site https://www.altrarunning.com/shop/escalante-15-alm1833g. Now here we are with the 2.0 sitting at a 2.9 rating and only 38% recommend. Outside of the Escalante I run a range of other Altras from One 2.5, Lonepeak, Superior, & Torin so I'm super loyal to this brand. However, in this new version I really feel Altra really messed up a good thing. I've put in 50 miles trying to give them a chance even after hearing word that the 2.0's were not as good. Well what I was hearing was right, the shoe isn't as flexible as previous, it feels harder, the tongue rides down and the midsole is stiff. I'm going to suffer through these and hope just HOPE that the 2.5's are better. I would be lying if I didn't say I'm worried that the Escalante 2.5's won't be as good. This is the same thing that happened with the One v2.5 where it was an amazing shoe, then v3.0 came out and a great shoe was destroyed. Which then was subsequently dropped in place for the Solstice. I hope this is not a predictor of things to come.

I switched to the Escalante after trying several top brand shoes that are close to the zero drop. Transitioned to the Saucony Kinvara that was a good shoe but too narrow in the toe box causing my foot to go numb while running. Eventually, I found the Escalante which was exactly what I needed while offering zero drop and plenty of splay in the toe box. Most comfortable shoe I ever ran in. Qualified and ran Boston in the Escalante and had no intention of even looking for anything else, but the new models as Altra developed them. And then the 2.0 came out. Didn't read anything about this shoe beforehand, just went out and ran in them. First few runs caused foot numbness like the Kinvara. Also felt heavier and slower. Then reading up on the blogs I realized why. More weight added and tightening of the width of the Escalante. I gave the shoes to my son who has narrower feet and I ended up buying previous models of the Escalante on line to grab what I could left in on-line stock. I've sent a couple emails to Altra through the website with no response as to whether they are going to address the negative responses they've received about their "improvements" to this shoe. Hopefully version 2.5 or 3.0 whatever is going to address the similar complaints seen on line. I'm now currently investigating other brands. Please, Altra, bring back the features that made this shoe a big winner in the market. If you have complaints from narrow feet runners that don't like the wider splay benefits, please make two options to the Escalante as suggested by other comments. Seems to be something that many running shoe companies fail to address. It's not one size fits all. Just so happens that the original Escalante fit my personal requirements and helped me improve performance dramatically. I really don't want to change brands. Looking forward to what's coming out in 2020.

I bought this shoe trying to replace the Impulse Flash. Loved the Flash and bought a bunch to last a while. Have put about 50 miles in these and they are very uncomfortable for me. I get a lot of pain in my toes with these. No I need to try another model to replace the Impulse before I run out of shoes.

After putting 350 miles on my Escalante 1.5's, I decided to try the 2.0's after receiving a gift card to a local running store. The 1.5's are the best shoe I've ever worn and felt like a glove from the first time I put them on. Echoing other reviewers thoughts, the 1.5 and 2.0 are very different shoes. The upper on the 2.0 has more fabric and is noticeably thicker and not as free moving. I wear a size 12.5 in the 1.5 but had to size up to a 13 in the 2.0 because of this. Upon first trying on the shoe, it is much stiffer that the 1.5 and also doesn't feel as "flat" if that makes sense. Maybe the 2.0 is a tad narrower than the 1.5? Also, the tongue is horrible and too short for the shoe. After my first run in the 2.0 (6 miles) I somewhat enjoyed the stiffness of the shoe and appreciate the new feel overall as it seems like a shoe that will hold up for many miles. The next day I ran in the 1.5's and there are MUCH softer and forgiving than the 2.0. Overall a more enjoyable shoe to run in. I'm hoping that the 2.0 will break in a soften up a bit. Time will tell.

Like most people commenting here, I has very satisfied with the Escalantes 1.5. I think the 2.0 appeals to some people who want more stability but very few of us are looking for that in the Escalante, it was great as it was. Maybe you should make 2 types of Esclante shoe, one closer to the 1.5 for the mayority of us who like the original feel and a "stiffer" version for the very few who like the 2.0. When I started using the Escalante I was sure I was gonna use it forever but now not so sure. I hope the original feel comes back

Have and continue to wear Torin iQ and Lone Peak 4, and first pair the Paradigms. One of favorite features is the ample forefoot room. Not so with this Escalante. Immediately they felt compressive to the forefoot, especially over the top and felt some lateral pressure on toes- unlike previous designs. Fortunately for my son, he seems to like them and just finished a XC season. Prior to these I bought a pair of the Escalante Racers. Did not feel tight. Felt quite nice actually but after no more than 1.5 hours running on grass, dirt and road, the rubber came peeling right off. Sent them back a few weeks ago. Still no refund. I know that Altra was acquired by vf outdoors (with a huge distribution center where I live). I suspect the original founders play a distinctly smaller role in these later model shoes.