Customer Reviews Altra Escalante 3

I have 9.5 in Solstice and Superior and they fit well. This style was much to small for my instep.

Version 3 is Huge improvement over Escalante 2.5 with respect to upper and lockdown, it’s much more snug in the heel and mid foot and still has a wide toebox. I don’t have a wide feet but enjoy wide toebox and v3 delivers, while v2.5 was an overall wider shoe due to the stretchy upper. Although the Ego midsole is supposedly the same, my v2.5 after 250 miles seems more bouncy with rubbery rebound and ground feel (hard to describe) where as the brand new v3 has a more traditional soft cushioned feel with lesser ground feel. It might just be a matter of breaking in or the new outsole is muting some of the bounce I can’t say. Over all 100% recommend if you are an altra fan with a regular sized foot and need wide toebox. They are stylish enough that you can retire them to live style shoes after few hundred miles of running.

These shoes have equal measure of pros and cons. Pro is in the support/comfort: decent arch support and overall width comfort seems fine (probably NOT a good fit for people with very wide feet). Like my Olympus 4s, the comfort is high with next to no drop. Altras also have a sturdy sole so that there's less bendy floppiness. They're solid. That can be a con for some who want shoes that conform to the feet flexing when walking. I'd rather the shoe keep my foot from flexing a lot. Others complained about the sturdy heel and lack of breathability. I found this to be true. The heel is high and tight even on my narrow heel and ankles. and they felt warmer than most shoes too without ventilation and firm padding around the opening. This can be a pro for trail runners or hikers who want to reduce the chance of turning an ankle on roots and rocks. Also, they might break in and become looser and less warmly constricting with use. Worst part for me was the oddly low toe area. The toe box width is somewhat roomy, but the height is tight so these shoes felt constricting on my toes. I don't have plump feet or toes and these were bearing down even with a half size larger than I usually buy in other shoes. I then tried a full size up and the toe box height felt a bit roomier. However, that weird toe wrinkle or divot appeared that others took pictures of. I could feel it too and it was not acceptable. That divot would pop in and out while walking or standing and it was annoying. Seems like they made a shoe with no structure around the toes above the rubber sole and the fabric can bend in and stay like that or pop out. Maybe that's why they were on sale. I can't help but wonder if these sneaker companies compel their designers to pump out new styles so rapidly they don't even test them.