Customer Reviews Altra Escalante 3

I have a pair of Escalantes (version?) from some years ago and did not use them much. I reactivated them in a 13 mile race and liked the results. But the new Esc. do no resemble the old model. Ick.

Violating the original altra mission statement. Less and less foot shaped every year. Tighter in the upper. Now just fitting like a wide Nike. If altra isn't going to differentiate then why buy them over competitors. Makes no sense. Altra if you are listening: go back to the original foot shape and padding levels.

Altra has failed to follow the original idea of a wide toe box and zero drop with minimal cushioning. The Escalante 3 is heavy and too narrow. Thankfully I purchased the shoes for daily use and not running. I will continue to run in my old and very fast original Vanish shoes. The REAL Vanish racing shoe. Apparently marketing has ruled rather than the original standards that made Altra such a wonderful company. Thinner socks should fix size issue.

I tried this new Escalante at the store , nope they don't feel like Altra running shoes.

I love the escalante racers, these are shying away from what the escalante stands for. Close to 0 drop but with cushion.

Been with Altra since 2011,,these shoes are getting too narrow,ecspecially in the midfoot,but also in the toe box,cant wear toe spacers,,these shoes are getting away from the original owners vision..very sad,..all Altras hurt my midfoot now.They do not stand apart anymore.. movin on to Lems and Xero shoestill they get bought out and blend in with all others

Altra has tried to chase Hoka with super soft foams and continuously increasing stack heights. They're following the garbage trends instead of staying with what made them great. I'm a huge fan of the original concept behind Altra shoes. At least what they used to be. I've run in Altra for many years now and I'm sad to see that come to an end. Recent changes in the product lineups have been very disappointing. The Escalante 3 is a prime example. Altra has followed current fads and haven't followed current shoe research for healthy feet. The whole concept behind Altra shoes was the zero drop and wide toe box so that feet could perform like they were designed. You once touted that these features created a more natural running form. Recent shoe trends, which Altra is now following, to be max cushion totally negate the zero drop and natural foot bed mission. Now, Altra no longer offers shoes which still allow the foot to behave the way it was created and shaped by thousands of years of people walking and running around. Recent elimination of the Vanish XC, King MT, Vanish Racer, and other low stack height shoes and the promotion of the high stack height and soft foams in every other shoe including this one is very disappointing. The remaining shoe in the Vanish lineup now have a carbon plate, but a huge stack height again. I get that you're trying to keep up with the trends and brands like Hoka and Nike, but it is sad that you aren't sticking to what made you unique and healthier for the runner. It seems as though you've abandoned what made Altra stand out. Running in high stack height shoes like Hoka and others have been shown to have increased peak impact forces. Risk of injury is much higher with the increased force. Proprioception is diminished and so people have to stomp the ground much harder to be able to feel the ground. This shifts injuries to the hips, knees and low back and seems to promote runners to develop a heel strike gait pattern. Altras are following this unhealthy and problematic trend right out the window. I get to see the negative effects of the high stack height in the clinic all the time. Altras with increased stack height also pose a new and even bigger problem for foot health. Because of the high soft cushion, as the shoe wears out the zero drop turns into a negative drop heel. We measure this in our clinic and have seen it time and time again. Several research studies have demonstrated that a negative drop shoe poses an extremely high risk for injury. Other brands have tried it and been sued because of it. Continuing to make claims that Altra promotes a more natural experience, foot bed, or running form is simply false now. It has been false for several years now with the high stack height shoes. While there were natural options in your lineup I was still satisfied. The Escalante was the only shoe even close, and now that is gone too. Please bring back what made Altra unique. Unfortunately I can't buy or recommend Altra shoes because there isn't much in the lineup worth buying anymore. All of them promote poor foot mechanics and poor running health now. Again, just disappointed. Currently I'm trying to buy up whatever's left in inventory of the VanishXC and King MTs I can find, but after that I'm afraid there's not anything I'd run in regularly. I'll continue to try the new Escalante in my rotation, but so far disappointed. There's absolutely no trail option anymore. I'd give the new Vanish carbon shoe a try for a race to see how they compare to the competitors, but that's about it. Seriously disappointed with the disregard for the history of what made Altra great and better for our feet. Hope this doesn't fall on deaf ears.

How does a shoe that's this firm and minimal in support and cushioning keep gaining weight. This thing is now nearly an ounce heavier than the Rivera, which is a much better designed shoe if you can acclimate to the slim footshape. The ride of this shoe is most comparable to the Topo athletic ST-4, but that shoe is 2 ounces lighter and also fits better! I actually have enjoyed minimal shoes in the past and I don't require much cushioning; a hallmark of shoes in that category however is that they are usually lighter and more agile. The Escalante has sadly become irrelevant, too built up and heavy to be considered truly minimal but a more unpleasant ride than anything else that's a comparable weight.

Altra has been doing a great job of ruining the products that made them popular and what distinguished their products different from the rest. Altra obviously doesn't want to retain original long time customers as illustrated by these reviews. Only those who know what Alta was can compare what they are producing today with previous versions. I am tired of providing feedback as Altra has lost their way and is not interested in customer satisfaction, just selling inferior products to New customers who don't have any comparison.

The precious versions of the Escalante all had the "original footshape" and this new version has narrowed down both the toe box and midfoot. I'm afraid Altra is losing their way and has forgotten what made many of us Altra fans in the first place. If you enjoyed the toe splay and freedom you got with the previous versions, you will find the Escalante 3 to be a bit on the snug side.

Fit is definitely more narrow than Escalante 2.5. Tongue has changed significantly. Tongue attachment near toes is very tight. Huge disappointment

Why was the escalante fit reduced to the standard, from the original fit?