Customer Reviews Altra Escalante Racer

I have been a "racer" fan which started with the first Boston shoe and I just bought a 4th of July pair. These are the best shoes for me as a I am fan of a minimalist shoe and love feeling connected to the road beneath me. Can't wait for the next marathon design to be announced.

What a pretty shoe! The funnest one I have ever tried on. The colors are nicer too in real life than in the picture. Feels nice a sturdy, however my normal size 7 in an Escalante feels like a 6.5 in these Racers. The width is your regular Altra width, however the length is not correct. My big toe keep hitting the front of the shoe. I am buying a bigger pair and returning this one.

I just received my Escalante Racer '19 in black/gold. They fit like a glove! I have had a pair of Escalante for several months and the Racer is just as comfortable, maybe even better! I usually wear a 10 in sport shoes and these fit true to size. I often use Correct Toes and have them on now with the Racer, trying them out in the house. They are so comfortable and look terrific. My only concern is the integrity of the mesh by my big toes. That was a problem with my Lems (which I also love.) Just hoping a hole doesn't develop. Can't wait to try this Racer on long walks! I'm not a runner but think these will be great for everyday wear, workouts, etc.

I love this shoe. Low profile but still enough cushion. It's a road shoe & I sometimes go off road & it still works. My feet or calves don't hurt, ever, with them. Only wish they made it in berry/gray ... guess I'll try red/blue for summer. Easy on, easy off. Well vented. Dries quickly. Doubt it would be warm in the summer but that's not why I bought it

I am not an athlete. I have painful foot problems and after years of searching for shoes I can wear, someone referred me to Altra (I struggle with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome - or CRPS - along with structural problems). Altra shoes are the only shoes I am able to wear pain free and without insoles or any other form of intervention. Because of Altra shoes, I am free! I put them on and I do not worry IF I walk, how LONG I walk, how FAR I walk... I just walk throughout my day and don't even think about my feet - ever! The Boston Escalante Racers are my fourth pair of Altra shoes and I am in love with them, right out of the box. They are a perfect, comfortable, light fit. The colors are true to the advertisement photo and I like the ventilation mesh. The laces fit as they should, with no gaps, as another customer mentioned. The number "19" on the inside of the shoe is something I wasn't looking forward to wearing, but the picture is much more pronounced than the actual shoe. Due to the mesh/ventilated part of the inner side of the shoe, the number is broken up enough that I can wear them without really thinking about it. As has been said for the original Escalante's, they feel like I am wearing slippers - very comfortable. I look forward to adding these to my wardrobe as I plan on purchasing the black Escalante Racers, next. Thank you, Altra. I am a happy customer, again!! =)

I've been a fan of the Altra Escalante since I found them - zero-drop, pain-free wear for those of us who have (invisible but painful) bunion issues ... the only problem was that they just got too squishy too quickly for walking and crosstraining, which is what I mostly do. This shoe is firmer, less "sloppy" and I LOOOOVE the mesh, since I get warm feet quickly and it slows me down. Extra points for a beautiful black shoe - other colors look dirty too quickly when you wear them as much as I do! More like this, pleeeeease!

I have a high arch and supinate with my right foot. My left foot seems to be neutral. Previously, I wore a size 8 in Brooks Pure Connect, size 8 in Nike Free 7.0 (2009), size 8 in Nike Free 5.0 (2014), and size 8 in 2016 Nike RN Flyknit. The Brooks Pure Connect was super comfy but my right pinky toe was livin' on the edge; I'm not sure how I didn't roll my ankle. Some inner fabric around that toe was annoying, as well. The Nike 7.0 Free was great for running but I was also cross training at the time, so it was great as a multi purpose shoe. The Nike Free 5.0 had some problematic material around the Achilles, where the material would bunch up under my heel and my ankle wanted to slide up out of that shoe. The Nike RN Flyknit was suffocating and the labels on the inside drove me nuts. Upon researching my newest running shoe, I wanted something breathable, minimal drop, and wide toe box. After much debate (and considering gel cumulus, gel nimbus, floatride, infinite, Kinvara, Pegasus, boost) I went with the Escalante Racer, size 8. I ordered it on a Monday and it came on Wednesday (no extra shipping services) and I live in the middle of nowhere. Upon pulling them out of the box, I was shocked at their light weight. The design is incredible. No annoying labels or seams. Excellent toe box, where I can actually feel and move each toe experientially inside the shoe while running. I did feel like there was more room than necessary between my toes and the upper fabric when walking, but that thought did not cross my mind when running. The laces are shorter than I'm accustomed to, but that can be cheaply solved. If anything, it may run 1/4 size bigger than my other shoes. I don't wear socks and I don't think the sizing difference is a big deal, especially for running. They are plenty breathable and (drumroll) not annoying, so I guess now I have no excuses not to run!

The Tokyo model is the best ever! I adore the Escalante Racer, and this is my third pair. I was just wishing that Altra had a shoe in black with gold trim, when lo and behold, this beauty appeared online! It feels great, super light, and it's stylish enough to wear anywhere. The only quibble I have, and this goes for all Altras, is that the sole is thick and stiff. I really wish you guys would make a shoe with a thin flexible sole. I must have the foot shape, but I'd love a properly minimalist option as well. That would be perfection.

Awesome quality shoe. The cushion is perfect. The fit is amazing. This is best shoe I've ever worn. So light, so flexible, so much ground feel, yet so responsive. Got the shoe in 3 days.

I am now in my second pair of Escalante, I love these shoes. I have been an Altra wearer for many years now but these are my all time favorites

This shoe is excellent. I bought it in July of 2018 and it is perfect.

I have been wearing the Escalante for months. I needed a new pair and saw the "racer" version. After just completing the NYC marathon, I thought "I need these". I LOVE THEM! They feel a bit more secure than the Escalante but still maintain their breathe-ability. I would highly recommend.

I wore a 10.5 in previous iterations of this shoe, but had to size up to an 11 this time around as the fabric over the toes felt short. The other reviewers are correct the shoelaces are MUCH shorter this time. I set the laces from this iteration next to the laces from the previous iteration and they're a full 12" shorter. I have a narrow mid foot, so this wasn't an issue for me, but it's easy to see how it would be problematic for others. Compared to the Racer 2, the original Racer is a FAR BETTER shoe. It's more flexible, has a better toe box shape and, even with the obnoxious bright blue color, it looks less clownish. I'd like to see Altra switch to a different upper though. The holes in the mesh are so big I collect rocks on every single run and in winter these shoes are FREEZING. Please don't discontinue this shoe!!!!!! Just fix the upper (and maybe swap out the laces).

I love the fit of this shoe, but I live in Michigan and running with mesh in the winter is not ideal. I hope that you come out with a non mesh version. I would absolutely love a shoe like that

I never write comments; however, I absolutely love these shoe for powerwalking (former runner now turned zero drop/barefoot powerwalker). Took second place (walking division) at my last half-marathon in these shoes. I have worn only these shoes for the past year and they have been the best shoes I have found for zero drop/barefoot powerwalking. I agree with other people that have commented - I just wish they had better/more colors for women - preferably navy and/or gray. The color selection is the only reason I took off one star. Otherwise these shoes are fantastic!

ALL of my past shoes (not all Altras) my pinky toe and big toe BUST out of shoes. This pair has ONLY mesh top and sides. the fit/feel is awesome, I foresee busting out of these faster than norm.

I really like these shoes, even though they are my second choice. The only thing I don't like is that they soles wear out quickly, even with trail-running. But what I would REALLY like Altra to do is bring back the earlier versions of the Vanish, which were my favorite shoes, ever. Also, it would be nice if these shoes were ever on an actual sale.

This is the closest I've found to Newton's MV3 (since discontinued) has a slightly more dense (not as squishy) padding than other Altras and a slightly narrower foot. Could be slightly narrower still for some with smaller, narrower feet (who want it to feel closer/more part of their foot) but relieved to finally find something that works again (for barefoot-style, but with some padding underfoot, long-distance running).

I walk a lot. I like that the end of the shoe is soft. I like that the air flows is great. They are very light weight.

I had originally bought the Escalate 3.0, as I've been running in 2.5s for years. That is a TOTALLY different shoe for many reasons and I it gave me pain and I hated it (never said that about a shoe before). The Escalante Racer is much more similar and I love it! I feel I don't have to try and find a new shoe. It is light, minimalist and feels the same. It is slightly narrower in the toe box. I have wide feet and it still works, but i can tell. I also wonder how long the mesh upper will last. But for now, I'm happy again!

I have tried many of the Ultras shoes only to return because to narrow. I have bunions and need room in toe box. I had original toe box shoes that I wore out. I decided to give these a whirl. They are ok. Little more padding make them perfect. I been wearing them and wide in toe box, light, run fast and feet don't hurt. Doing a 5 k in them saturday they are broke in now. I will keep them. They look cheap made then the other shoes so not sure how long they will last. I love Esclante 3 but toe box to narrow need wider. Wish they make them wider . All in all the Boulderboulder do the job.

I love the escalante racer but they wear out quickly!!

I use them for walking 3miles a day. Toe box is why I buy them, but the laces are too short always have to buy new one. The no drop is perfect for my balance, I do have to add cushion.

I love this shoe. I am transitioning to all 0 drop shoes but don't think I will be able to fully transition to barefoot shoes fully. I do not like the open mesh top. My shoes are filled with sand and rain. I don't think I will be able to use them in the winter because then my shoes will be filled with ice and snow. Theses shoes would be perfect if they has a more closed top.

I run daily. Treadmill and outdoors. After an injury I tried MANY other pairs of shoes, but had to return to Altra for the wide toe box. Love the Escalante racers because they are light. Though couldn't use coming off injury because not enough support. You need strong lower legs and ankles to run in these.