Customer Reviews Altra Escalante 4

As a physical therapist and long distance runner in the past, I've been a huge advocate for Altras due to the wide toe box and zero drop aspects. I ordered 2 pairs of the Escalante 4 and they are not at all like the Escalante 3. The toe box is not their original foot shape like the claim and narrower than the past model even. The soles are already showing signs of wear after 2 months of light use and hurt after running 45 min. The laces are by far the worst I have ever had on any shoe. They are too short and do not stay tied even with double knots. I'm so sad because I love my past Altras and have been such an Altra fan the last few years; But with the declining quality and them trying to appeal to the mainstream population and making their shoes more narrow, it may be time to go. These shoes are not cheap so I hope they listen to the other reviews on here like mine and make some changes or they are going to start losing some loyal customers. Picture attached showing the 3rd gen on the left and 4th gen on the right.

Design and quality issues. The unpadded tongue is not comfortable. The toe box is much narrower than the 3 version. Please stop narrowing the toe box on your models! After a week of light walking on the treadmill, the soles showed signs of wear. Sorry, this is unacceptable for such low quality. Please listen to your customers or you will be left without them.

I've been a consumer of the escalates for 5 years / over 10 pairs between escalante and the racers and they are the only shoe that works for me. However, the last 3 pairs I have purchased have had sole that breakdown after 3 months. I only run 7 miles a week. These shoes are not cheap and I have an expectation that the sole doesn't breakdown. I don't know if it is a new manufacturer or new adhesive. Please correct bc I love this shoe.

I absolutely love the escalante and the color choices there were. The fit was perfect although I am normally an 8.5 in traditional running shoe style and sized down to 8. I loved the bright colors of the 3!! Hesitant to purchase a beige color now but seems my options are limited

I usually wear the Torin's but I decided to try the Escalante's out and I'm not a fan. They were great at first but now my feet hurt in them and my left shoe lace won't stay tied.

Toe box shape feels more standard than original. The shows are navy, not black. See image on my navy recliner cover and next to prior years black.

I tried these on in a store and thought they were great, but too narrow. I wear a wide with shoe. Have a pair of Lone Peaks in a wide and they are perfect.

I have been wearing Altras since the company first started. These specific shoes have pros and cons. On the pro side, the toe box width is nice and wide like earlier Altras were. I think the level of cushioning is just right. On the con side, the toe box height is way too short. I have never seen this before on any of my prior Altras. In fact I have never had this problem with any other shoe that I have ever owned. This lack of toe box height bothers my big toes. Some other notes: the shoelaces are way too short. Also I got these in black, but there are really a dark charcoal, not a true black. I could live with the minor stuff, but I cannot use these at all with a toe box that cramps my big toes. I wish I could still return them.

I have two pair of earlier escalante that I purchased and loved them. I purchased a pair of blue escalante 4s. I am very disappointed in the fit. I am keeping them but the older model is my go to.

Haven't really worn them just tried them on will update accordingly but I wanted to warn people the reviews stating that the black is not black are accurate it is more of an ash Gray I have taken a picture with my black socks on you can refer to they are nice just not black also a little bit narrow along the midfoot lace length seems good this time which is rarely the case on altra shoes lately

These shoes are an everyday wear for me. Within 2 wks the the toe grip on the sole began peeling away. Shoe is super comfortable. Not happy with quality. Shoe is dark grey, not black as shown here.

feels better than the 3 but still not what I was expecting.i wish they would go back to the 2.5,those were the best and wish they could make better colors or at least have a customized option

I loved these my first run out. The toe box is wide which is awesome. Usually with other brands the toe box is too short and too wide and i end up losing toenails. Didn't have that issue at all with these! The next two runs out i had to stop due to my arches cramping terribly. I have high arches and unfortunately these do not offer enough support. Attempted to wear them at the gym but they are too slick on the bottoms for the floors there. I would say if someone has low arches these would 100% be my recommendation.

I love the shoe feel and still use them but a chunk of the sole in the exact same spot came out on both shoes. If it wasn't both shoes I'd say it was probably me but this also happened after having maybe 15-20 miles on them. The laces could stand to be slightly longer as well. The color also says black but they are really a navy blue in person.

I am a race walker who has happily worn every version of the Escalate until the 3's and 4's. The 2.5's are my favs. The heel counter on the 4's is way too stiff, causing me, for the first time, to have Achilles issues.

Like many others have stated, the outsoles on these shoes wear out far too quickly. Altra needs to use more durable materials, or even the most loyal customers will shop elsewhere.

The Escalante is all I've used for road running for years. This version is too snug on the heel and just feels off compared to prior versions. If it wasn't broke.... please go back to how it was!

I got my first ever pair of Altra shoes on 10/26/25. Today is 11/18/25, and the back (heel) portion of the upper is completely ripped through on one shoe, and nearly there with the other. The soles aren't worn through (yet) but they do seem to be wearing very quickly compared to other shoes I've had in the past. I wear these shoes only for normal daily use and some walking in my neighborhood. I always wear quality socks with them. I've never had a pair of shoes that has lasted less than a month. Extremely disappointing, especially at this price point. This amount of wear is completely unreasonable for less than a month of normal wear. That said, as soon as I put these shoes on, I loved them. The fit was true to size, and perfectly shaped for my feet. I especially love the wide toe box - I always end up with blisters when I wear regular sneakers, but since I've had this pair, that problem is gone. My posture and gait seems to be improving as well with the zero drop, although it hasn't been long at all.

I've worn previous versions of this shoe. I thought version 1.5 were the best. Version 2.5 were pretty good as well. Even the Racers feel great. I would run half marathons in those and my feet would feel great, but for some reason version 4 gives me plantar fasciitis, even after only running 1 or 2 miles. I'm hoping a new version comes out soon and that it will be closer to the 1.5s - I'm going to need new running shoes soon, but I can't buy the 4s again.

I agree with Jess that the Escalante 1.5 version were the best and most comfortable. The subsequent versions don't compare in wearability and durability. Go back to that version please.

Love the look and feel but the sole wore out so quickly I'm hesitant to buy again. I walked a few times a week on pavement for 4 months and the sole is already bare. I understand wear and tear is normal but these shoes are hardly worn and already need to be replaced. Dissapointed. My husbands torins did the same thing.