Customer Reviews Altra Escalante 4

Walking and at work (12 hours a day). Very comfortable but the shoelaces are cheap and won't last. Highly recommend a better quality lace for expensive shoes.

This have a great wide toe box and zero lift, which i love. The opportunity: I got blisters on ankles for first 2-3 weeks then after three months (used to walking) the ankle support wore through fabric and foam. Never had this happen in my life with a shoe.

I've been running in the Escalante 2.5 for a few years (I bought more than one pair) and was so in love with that shoe that when they finally kicked the bucket last month I bought the Escalante 4 assuming it would be similar enough. Not so. The toe box is significantly narrower, which makes no sense since Altra is known for having wide, foot shaped shoes. When I first took them out of the box I immediately noticed the narrowness but thought that maybe my older shoes had just stretched out (not the case, they're actually narrower). The outsole is also slightly slippery on wet sidewalks if the concrete has any exposed aggregate, which I never found with the Escalante 2.5. Just a minor issue, but the laces are also extremely short. Like difficult to double knot short which infuriates me. I swapped the laces out for the ones from my old shoes. Honestly not a huge fan but I'll keep running in them until I find something that feels more like the 2.5 again because my old shoes are so dead. I'm also sad because I've struggled to find shoes that fit my feet my whole life since I have very "foot shaped" feet (wide toes, narrow heels). The Escalante 2.5 was like my holy grail. Why would a company that prides itself on room for toe splay, narrow the toe box?! Mourning the loss of a great shoe and back to the drawing board I guess.

I have been buying altra's for years. Escalate and escalate racers are my favorite. The last few years these have just gone down hill. Please stop competing with Hoka. Go back to the 1.5s with less cushion.

Putting these on was like a dream. Love the zero drop, love the glove-like feel, super fast. However, the outsole wore out WAY too fast. Would love to find an alternative that lasts longer.

In a world of massive stack heights, a shoe like this is kinda hard to find. This is what I'd imagine OG altra vibes were giving, but I'm newer to wearing altras. I like what they offer: fairly low stack, zero-drop. Decent step-in comfort with a foam that's nothing special but doesn't need to be; it's soft enough without feeling like you're just sinking through it. Groundfeel is great. I'm not a barefoot type so this is about as minimal as I'll go, and these are pretty much the only shoes I could find that fit the bill. Some cushioning but low-profile, zero drop. You feel yourself doing all the work in these. And for me that's a good thing. I'd imagine most folks into the Escalante feel the same way. I really like the stretchy knit upper. Helps give a seamless feel. All of that said, the fit is off. Length is true to size imo, but the toe box is not very roomy. I have bunions and there is definitely pressure in that area, and compared to the experience flow 2, my other pair of altras, my toes feel squished. Same size. I think the upper saves them from being a no-go for me. Sizing up would just make them too long. And for me heel slip / looseness is a constant issue with every shoe so sizing up is not a simple solution anyway. If you can handle a snug toe box (as ironic as that statement sounds for an altra shoe), they're good for what they're meant for. I just think the shape is off. Also, I ordered the black / white. The upper is not black. It's a dark greyish blue. Kind of like they were washed repeatedly and the color faded pretty badly. To my eyes anyway. I don't want to dock stars for that, but I can't help the fact that it bugs me lol. I'm not sure how the black / black looks IRL, but black / white is definitely not like the photo. Like any shoe, fit and shape are paramount. Unfortunately, the mark has been missed here. I still use them and like running in them. I can't speak to durability as I've only got maybe 20-25 miles on my pair and I rotate shoes, but the build quality is not the greatest imo. We'll see. For the money I expected a bit better. It's a specific shoe that can work for the respective specific needs and wants of users, but falls short where it shouldn't. There really isn't anything quite like it on the market unfortunately, though, so for me, it is what it is.

I loved the Escalante 3, it's been my go to work shoe for over a year, so moving to the new model 4 seemed logical. Well not so fast. The responsive sole is great, but the arch bump is very painful. It cramps the arch in my right foot and standing in them is a no go.

Somehow these escalantes feel a bit tight. I do still love the shoe for what it offers, (zero drop, light), but I do not like them as much as the 3s. I also would not purchase another pair myself, which is saying something because I had 3 pairs of the 3s. I wear these on speed run days, I always feel faster in these coming from a heavier shoe. These are very light weight. I would still recommend them to a friend despite my personal dislike.

I had a pair of the escalante 1.5s and they were the BEST shoes I've ever worn. I still have them and prefer to wear them over the escalante 4s, even though they have seen better days. The changes to this shoe are just not my favorite. The shoe doesn't seem as durable, as comfortable, and I am constantly having to tie my shoe because the laces are so short. I love the style of the 4s, I just wish they weren't so different from the previous model. I purchased 2 pair in different colors and would rate them both the same. I think I'll have to try another shoe next time but I want to love these so bad.

I absolutely LOVED the Escalante 1.5 - so much so that I purchased 4 more pairs (of the 1.5 version) after my initial purchase back in 2019. I'm 47 and have terrible feet (collapsible arch, hammer toes, callouses, blisters, etc.) and have struggled pretty much all of my life trying to find comfortable shoes. The Escalante 1.5 was the first shoe I was able to wear comfortably to hike, run, and walk long distances with minimal issues (which is why I stocked up and bought 4 more pairs!). Unfortunately, the Escalante 4 doesn't come close to the 1.5 version in terms of comfort or durability. I've purchased 2 pairs of the Escalante 4 now - I'm not sure what specific changes Altra has made in recent years, but they have not been for the better. Cushioning is so much worse and my first pair of the Escalante 4 ended up with holes in the toes in less than 6 months (while I still have 1.5's with no holes after years of wear?!?). It doesn't make sense to me why they've made these changes when the 1.5 version was such an excellent shoe. I'm to the point now where after being a loyal customer for over 5 years, I'm now searching again for other better options. Altra, if you're reading this, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE consider returning to whatever you did when making the Escalante 1.5! It was truly magical for my terrible feet, and I'm so sad I'm back to the drawing board in terms of searching for a comfortable shoe.

I really want to like these shoes. This is my first pair of this brand. They are comfortable all around EXCEPT for the blister I got the first time I wore them and ran in them. I normally wear Xeros for my runs but wanted to try a little more support for longer runs to see if that would help my knee pain. I still had my knee pain and now blister pain. lol My next run I had to use mole skin. When I wear them to walk around in I can feel them rubbing where the blister use to be. I have not tried to run in them without mole skin to see if they "stretched out" or got "wore in" yet. If it's a really good shoe that should not be necessary.

First run felt great. Second time out and they felt like a 4 month old shoe. Distance is only 4-5 miles at a time.

I like the width and the zero drop. The cushioning is plush. I have super sensitive feet so not having any tongue cushioning has been a problem for me. Arch support also seems lacking in these.

I bought my first pair of Escalante 4 in gray color in late June and started wearing them in July, just for a few weeksnow , not even regularly, the stitches on the tongue are already broken in the right shoe and soon the tongue will come off if I do not take care of that. I did not expect that an expensive shoe like Altra can be this much flimsy ( this never has happened to my other sneakers in the past ) . Overall happy with the wide toe box ( that was the only reason I purchased Altra) which enhances the comfort. The shoe laces are short as other people have mentioned .

When these shoes work, they work; I love the fit, width, comfort level, padding level, and the way they hold up. I had a pair of these for a full year and they worked great for my long runs in the city and on trails. Bought a new pair this year and after only a month of light use the tread on one shoe came loose- super disappointing. Willing to try another pair and hope that was just a fluke, assuming I get a refund. Overall good shoes if they work.

I have 3 pairs of Altra shoes. I have bunions and use costume insoles. These shoes fit great and my feet are not sore at the end of the day. But OMG THE NOISE, NOISE, NOISE, NOISE! Every pair! Even after months. They are SO LOUD. Its embarrassing.

Not only do they feel narrower than the Escalante they are NOT black on black. They are a dark grey.

These shoes do not have as much cushion as the last version of Escalantes. I've started having foot problems (plantar fasciitis) again with this model. Please bring the previous model back. They were alittle heavier but sooooo much better. The shoe laces aren't great either. :/

I have been running in Escalantes for years, but I'm a little disappointed in the new model. I didn't think the laces could get any worse but these have proved me wrong. I have to use a heel lock or it feels uncomfortable, but the laces can barely be tied and when you finally manage that, they don't stay tied. I will definitely be replacing the laces.

I bought this because of the lightweight, minimal nature. Thought itd be a good extra pair of shoes for travel. I bought the black on black because I liked the sleek look of the shoe. It has a snug fit and let's in a lot of airflow with the mesh fabric. The weirdest thing I didn't like with this show are the shoelaces. They're very short and I could barely tie them. I replaced them immediately and I'm much happier.