Altra Escalante

Name: Altra Escalante
Brand: Altra
Rating: 4.7 (41 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 7.2 oz · 0mm drop · 25/25mm stack

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Altra Escalante 1.5 replaced it

How it ranks

The Altra Escalante ranks among the stronger daily trainers in our data. Comfort and cushioning are its strongest sub-ratings. Looks scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 41 runner reviews and 6 other rated shoes in the Escalante product line.

Very good

92/100

Overall

Very good 92

Comfort

Exceptional 99

Cushioning

Exceptional 97

Durability

Good 88

Value

Good 80

Appearance

Decent 76

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence will score low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

94/100

High 94

What runners say

“Canceled the surgery when I was able to run in the Altra Escalantes.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Clayton 2

“Stepping into the Escalante felt like feet had just burst out of jail and experienced fresh air. That toe box!”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 5

“The ego midsole has the perfect amount of spring that makes you feel like you can keep running forever.”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Flex RN 2017

“4 weeks in I was up to 40 miles a week without any flare.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Clayton 2

“The upper feels as if you're wearing a sock, but is snug and supportive where you need it.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Vazee Prism v2

“Most Altras feel clunky, but the Escalante midsole is fantastic. Very springy and very durable.”

5/5 Full review 65 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Newton Gravity 6

“The midsole provides plenty of cushioning, but performs like a racing flat.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Vazee Prism v2

“Logged 700 miles on a pair. No rips in the upper, good wear on the tread.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Altra Instinct 3.5

“Over 500 miles in first pair with little or no loss of spring in the midsole.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Altra Torin 3.0

“Had pain in toes and on top of foot, and this has been fixed with the Altras.”

5/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a half marathon

Prefer this shoe over another

65% 17/26

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Reviewers praise the wide toe box and the sock-like knit upper.
Light at 7.2 oz, with a midsole reviewers call soft and springy.
Four runners report 500 miles or more before retiring a pair.

Cons

Thirteen reviewers say the stretchy upper lets the foot slide sideways when cornering.
Seven reviewers find it insecure on gravel, trails and uneven ground.
Three reviewers see outsole wear by 250 to 400 miles.

Escalante rates 92. This shoe has high certainty. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Altra Escalante

Each dot is one version of the Escalante, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

40 60 80 100

92 2017 91 2019 75 2022 81 2024 90 2026 98 2018 87 2020

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.

Escalante 2.5

2020 · 5 reviews

87 Good

67 Confidence
Escalante 1.5

2018 · 17 reviews

98 Exceptional

95 Confidence
Escalante 5

2026 · 2 reviews

90 Very good

66 Confidence
Escalante 4

2024 · 7 reviews

81 Good

69 Confidence
Escalante 3

2022 · 15 reviews

75 Decent

81 Confidence
Escalante 2

2019 · 12 reviews

91 Very good

86 Confidence
Escalante This shoe

2017 · 41 reviews

92 Very good

94 Confidence

Reader Ratings

41 ratings

5/5 28

4/5 12

3/5 1

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 7.2 oz
Release: 2017 Q2
MSRP: $130
Stack Height: 25mm heel - 25mm toe
Drop Height: 0mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Reader review

5/5

Overall

John Maynard · Jul 9, 2023

30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 15

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 4/5

one of the few zero heel drop shoes I can find

5/5

Overall

I love that I can put these shoes on out of the box and go for a decent length run without worrying about breaking them in. They are lightweight enough for race days, but have enough cushioning for regular training days. The wide toe box Altra goes in for is hardly stylish, but comfort is more important in a running shoe, so I am not going to complain about that too much. I do find the soles wear out faster than I expect up by the toes.

Anonymous runner · Aug 13, 2019

15 mpw training for a half marathon

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 3/5
Appearance: 3/5
Value: 5/5

Altra Escalante

5/5

Overall

I love this shoe. Perfectly springy, fits like a glove. Extremely comfortable. Durable upper. Not a lot of support in the upper, though, so taking sharp corners is a no-go. I've taken them on trails before and it's generally a mistake -- not enough structure. Overall, though, a perfect road shoe.

Anonymous runner · Aug 12, 2019

20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 8

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 5/5

Great shoe, very comfortable and breathable, surprisingly cushioning

5/5

Overall

Ran for a year in these and was surprised how great cushioning on the thin shoe was. The upper knit is strechy and very comfortable and is very breathable. Nice shoe and perfect for my flat feet

Anonymous runner · Aug 10, 2019

8 mpw training for a half marathon