Customer Reviews Altra Escalante 2.5

I absolutely love these shoes. I have, literally, never owned a truly comfortable pair of shoes and I've bought tons of Doc Marten's, Keenes, Nikes, you name it. I had resigned myself to endless discomfort and thought that's just how shoes were. Wearing these is like a revelation. Between the large toe box for my wide feet, the soft upper that's a relief on the hammer toes I developed from decades of shoes that weren't right for me, and the super comfy soles I love these shoes more than I can describe. Thank you, Altra!

I've only run about 15 miles in these, but they feel really great so far. I love the footshape and the sole padding is the perfect amount for me. Highly recommend these shoes.

I have run in Escalante's for several years now. Through the years, I've gone through many shoe brands - On, Newton, Brooks, and Mizuno, all requiring at lease a couple of weeks of blisters before they are broken in. Thanks to the roomy toe box and overall fit, I barely even have to break Escalante's in. My fear is that Altra will alter the shoe in an annual revision that makes it unworkable for me. Thankfully, each revision (I now have the 2.5's) improve what was already an awesome shoe.

I liked these shows a lot. I ended up returning them because, for me, I did not like the shade of blue. very attractive but at age 74 did not match my style. But shoes are great.

I loved the Escalante 1.5 and stayed away from the 2's after reading bad reviews. The 2.5 is better than the 1.5. Great fit and a little more cushion on the heel. Feels more durable than the 1.5 as well.

Stylish and fits my paddle boat feet. Great service

The Escalante 2.5 is the perfect combination of the 1.5 and the 2. I absolutely loved the sock-like feel of the Escalante 1.5 and the cushion was a perfect balance between being soft and responsive. The only downside was that your foot could slide a little when going around corners. Altra tried to fix that in the 2 but ended up going a little too far and the upper became a little too constrictive while the midsole became a little too firm. The 2.5 goes back to that sock-like upper feel of the 1.5 with extra support in the upper only where needed and the midsole is back to the sweet ride of the 1.5 as well!

Nothing negative to say here. I absolutely love these shoes. They are very, very comfortable and the fit is great. I have them in 3 different colors! Great update over the previous version. Well done Altra!

This shoe is great. It fits perfectly and performs very well through the first few runs. Fit: This shoe fits the way I expected it to after owning the Escalante, Escalante Racer, Solstice, and Viho. The shoe is easy to get on and can be tightened by only pulling from the top of the laces. I've worn other shoes where I have to pull the laces at each lace hole and I end up with the shoe being too loose or too tight at parts. The Escalante 2.5 fits perfectly in the heel. I thought the original Escalante was too loose in the heel and slid when changing direction. The 2.5 fixed that and is great on sharp turns. Performance: I've only done 3 runs/15 miles, but it's exceeding expectations. It feels soft and gives good rebound. That's what I really liked about the original Escalante. It's softer under foot than the Escalante Racer, but it feels to me like it has more energy. Because the heel fits well, it is great on sharp turns. Overall, I'm really happy with it.

I love this shoe! 30 miles in and I have nothing bad to say about them. They are light and bouncy and seem to hold true to a neutral foot stance. I hope they make this shoe for years to come and don't change anything because I love it as is!

Fantastic update! I actually enjoy the Escalante 2 but my one critique is that the level of cushioning really isn't much different than the Escalante Racer. The 2.5 fixes that. The upper isn't quuuuite as dialed as the 2 but for a daily trainer for regular easy/long runs, including pickups and strides, the 2.5 is perfect! Soft without being squishy, just the right amount of flex. Comfortable stretchy upper. For workouts and races, get the Escalante Racer. Dialed in and ready to fly.

I loved the 1.5, and was disappointed in the 2.0 that neglected the sock upper. I feel like this is a great combo of the two, but with just a slight bit more support than the 1.5. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS BACK.

The 2.5 has the sock like, sketchy fabric feel on the upper similar to the original escalante, but the fabric feels less prone to tears. The toe boxes are once again wide, and the toes can flex unhindered by stiff pieces of material (like in the escalante 2). The base of the shoe is reactive, it is not as soft as the OG escalante but it feels much less stiff than either the 1.5 or 2. The sole seems to have a little bit extra material medially to the first metatarsal joint that allows for more splay of the big toe. I have tried the 1.5 and 2 version of the escalante, they can not compare to the OG escalante. I chose to run barefoot rather than where the 1.5 and 2, even bruised my foot a couple times running on trail. I am so happy that the 2.5 feel how the escalante should.

A return to why you bought the Escalante. Soft upper, wide toe box and great combination of cushion and energy return.

I've run Escalantes for ~3 years and loved the 1.5 and 2.0. The 2.5s ruined it for me with a firm upper and stiffer sole; the 2.5 is back to being perfect. The upper is supportive and responsive where needed. Very light and the sole has great flex. Use these for anything half marathon and under. My only complaint would be the smooth parts of the sole can be slippery when the road is wet; would love to see them add some more tread to improve the grip. I'm usually a 12.5, but the 13 was the better fit - recommend going a half size up from what you order on other brands.

Jog about 25 miles a week. Been a fan since the escalante 1. Never cared for the 2s. The 2.5 are great, run about 25 miles in them. I highly recommend.

Love this shoe, it's quickly becoming my favorite pair. They're light, fast, and very roomy. The upper has just the right amount of flex to stay responsive, yet comfortable. I went with the Escalante 2.5 over the Racer because many reviewers said the reduction in stack height (22mm vs 24mm) in the Racer made it more responsive, more aggressive. For context, I am casual runner and I tend to do shorter, quicker runs (15-20 miles weekly). Feet are a tad wider and flatter than most. I wear a size 10 in the vanish-r, 9.5 in the Kinvara 11, and went with a size 9.5 in the escalante 2.5. I prefer a snug fit. The Escalante 2.5 remind me of my Kinvara 11s. I prefer the low arch support of the Escalante. The cushioning in both shoes is fantastic. I'd (subjectively) describe the cushioning in the 11s as "foamier, airier" whereas the 2.5s are more viscous and "jellier". The soles in the 2.5 have more flex. The Escalante 2.5 cushioning in the forefoot is really nice. The Kinvara 11 has more exposed material (foam) at the sole, which, I believe, does not distribute the impact quite as well as the Escalante in the forefoot. After 70 miles in the 11s, the forefoot is starting to fray ever so slightly. Kinvara 11 has a 4mm drop, which is fairly innocuous. Overall, I really like both shoes and was pleasantly surprised with the 2.5. Just a disclaimer, my goal with this post is not necessarily to say Escalante > Kinvara, but to relay the functionality of the 2.5 by comparing it to a very popular running shoe. Shoes are a subjective experience and, as of right now, the Escalante 2.5 seem to fit my physiology and running style just a little bit better. Happy running!

I have been using Altra's exclusively the past 4 years and love them for their foot shape and comfort. I've even kept my old One 2.5's around because they still feel great, though they have done the circle of life, several times. I just ran in my new Escalante 2.5's for the first time and have to say the Altra magic is still there. The fit was comfortable and the cushioning was right for the road. I think the fit is better than the original Escalante. I had just tried out the Torin 4, wanting a stable shoe that would reduce ankle and knee pain early in a run (I am not a spring chicken). I think the Torin did help in that regard, but I prefer the Escalante. Comparing zero foot strikes, the Torin 4 was a little more like "clop clop" while the Escalante was "pat pat," if that means anything to anyone. I have a slightly swollen big toe joint on my left foot, which pressed against the topside of the Torin, but it was not problem with Escalante's topside mesh. I use Vanish XC's when racing or on a park trail, so I'm pleased to have a promising workout shoe in the Escalante 2.5. I may also get the companion Escalante Racer.

Yay Altra! These shoes are a return to the feel of the 1.5. So pleased for a shoe company to take the consumer feedback seriously and adjust course! I wore out my last pair of 1.5s over a year ago, and putting my first pair of 2.5s on was like the feel of coming home.

Am a modest runnner and converted to longer distance and lo-pro running after reading Born To Run. First pair of Escalantes (2.0) were the best running shoe I've ever had. These are even better! They feel weightless in motion, the soft tops are like air, and support on the road surface is great. Just did a quick run (5 mi) and these literally propelled me down the asphalt. Customer for life keep it up!!

These shoes are stupidly comfortable. It's actually absurd how good they feel. I'm not a runner but I can walk in these puppies all day long. My feet have never been happier.

I run trails as much as streets- and when the trails are dry, Escalantes are my go-to shoe. I love the moccasin feel on the trails that the mix of the knit upper and the Ego mid-sole provide. Originally started wearing Escalantes in v 1.0 upon advice of my physical therapist- he steered me to them because I was an older (64 at the time) beginning trail runner and he felt knit uppers and flexible, springy sole would give me better feedback and make me less susceptible to spills than a stiffer shoe with a built up heel. He was right and I used my v. 1.0 and 1.5 Escalantes mercilessly. Streets, sidewalks and trails- ran on them everywhere. And I mean ran some serious trails, the knit fabric takes the punishment well and the flexible sole is great for rocks and logs, etc., too. Then v. 2.0 came. Not an entirely bad shoe- when the conditions were right I could tear off a pretty good run. But I stopped at lot of workouts in the first few steps too, with that shoe. With v. 2.5, the joy is back. Lace them up, start running and on a 'meh' day you can get through those tough first few steps and be enjoying the run in a half mile or less. The shoes have the old bounce again, and so does this runner. It's just so much fun in these shoes to crank up the speed on a whim and see what happens. Or to get into a rhythm on a slower run and just manage the energy return that the mid sole material and it's design provides. I usually average around 30 miles a week and the usual distance is 5 - 6 miles. Most of my miles during the week are on sidewalks and asphalt, on weekends it's almost exclusively trails. With the 2.5's I'll return to where I left off with the 1.5's - occasional runs of 10 miles or longer to supplement the other runs. I can tell I'll again enjoy road racing in the 2.5's the way I used to. The only thing I might miss from the pre 2.0 versions is the original sole with it's many ridges. I found that sole very safe on sidewalks in light snow.

Feels like the 1's with a better upper. Great shoe so far, hopefully they last as long as the 1's.

...well it was about time! This is a much better version. I love the new feel of the shoe. It's softer and the toe box reminds me of the first pair I had. Thanks!