put 2000 miles on these and still in great condition-can't wait for the next 1000
5/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · May 19, 2024
55 mpw training for 5K and 10K
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 1/5
- Durability
- 5/5
- Appearance
- 1/5
- Value
- 5/5
Altra Escalante Racer
Racing · Neutral · Road · 6.9 oz · 0mm drop · 24/24mm stack
Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Altra Escalante Racer 2 replaced it
How it ranks
The Altra Escalante Racer is one of the strongest racing shoes in our data. Comfort and durability are its strongest sub-ratings. Value scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 22 runner reviews and 1 other rated shoe in the Escalante Racer product line.
Excellent
96/100
Overall
96
Comfort
98
Durability
80
Appearance
72
Cushioning
72
Value
63
Confidence
92
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.
Confidence
92/100
What runners say
“The cushioning is even better than before, with a just little bit less sink and more bounce.”
“Surprisingly durable with the stitched upper, I've had several pairs in which the upper is like new even after running over 1,000 miles in.”
“It feels very soft, but stays dynamic in the meantime.”
“Because of the zero drop platform it is hard to get up on your toes to race a 5k-10k when changing gears.”
“This shoe is firmer, has more energy return and is lighter than the current Escalante's.”
“The knit type of mesh is extremely open, so forget this shoe for dirt roads, trail running, or cold weather.”
“I killed the foam after only 400km.”
“No grip while running on moist asphalt.”
“After 400km they just started to feel hard.”
“It has an incredible amount of pop.”
Prefer this shoe over another
55% 11/20
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 zero-drop fit.
- At 6.9 oz, reviewers race halves and marathons in it.
- Many runners find it lively at tempo with clear road feel.
Cons
- It lists at $140, three reviewers call it expensive, and value is the lowest-rated dimension at 4.0 out of 5.
- Three reviewers warn the open knit upper is poor in cold, wet or off-road use.
- Three reviewers wear the outsole or the foam out early, though others report 1000 miles and more.
Rating & Confidence vs. other shoes for sale
Each dot is one rated shoe for sale, placed by its rating and by how much evidence sits behind it. Shoes toward the top right are both well rated and well established.
Confidence
50
60
70
80
90
100
25
50
75
100
Better Shoes Rating
Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Altra Escalante Racer
Each dot is one version of the Escalante Racer, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.
Rating
40
60
80
100
96
2018
83
2024
Release year
-
2024 · 3 reviews
83 Good
61 Confidence
-
Escalante Racer This shoe
2018 · 22 reviews
96 Excellent
92 Confidence
Specs & fit
Sizing and ride details at a glance.
- Weight
- 6.9 oz
- Release
- 2018 Q1
- MSRP
- $140
- Stack Height
- 24mm heel - 24mm toe
- Drop Height
- 0mm
Runner reviews
Solid race shoe.
4/5
Overall
The Altra Escalante Racer is a good lightweight race shoe for the 1/2 marathon and marathon distances. They may take some getting used to if you haven't used a zero drop shoe before. Surprisingly durable with the stitched upper, I've had several pairs in which the upper is like new even after running over 1,000 miles in. I prefer to use them in a rotation with other heavier shoes and they work nicely for speed workouts and tempo days in addition to longer races.
Matt · Nov 28, 2023
20 mpw training for a marathon came from the Skechers Go Meb Speed 3
- Comfort
- 4/5
- Cushioning
- 2/5
- Durability
- 5/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 4/5
Altra escalante racer
5/5
Overall
Wide toe box, low stack height & just enough cushion allows for a good proprioception on landing, contributes to healthy running
Julie kirwan · Nov 6, 2023
80 mpw training for a marathon came from the Newton Distance 11
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 5/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 5/5
Reader review
5/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Jul 5, 2023
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 3/5
- Value
- 5/5
Light zero drop shoe
4/5
Overall
Overall a pretty well made shoe with a little difficulty with hot spots around the laces. I found that they worked well but the bottom of the shoe gave out quickly.
Anonymous runner · Jun 9, 2023
40 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi v2
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 3/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 5/5
Alternatives
Other shoes worth considering.
More from Altra
Compared to other shoes
See how this shoe compares to others like it.
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Lightest
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Shoe properties
Type
Racing
Speed / workouts
Racing
Pronation
Neutral
Neutral
Neutral
Weight
6.9 oz M
Lightest
—
7.7 oz M
Stack
24/24mm
—
—
Drop
mm
—
8mm
Release
2018 Q1
2024 Q2
Newest
2024 Q1
MSRP
$140
—
$295
Best price
—
$99.88
Lowest price
$142.82
Ratings
Overall
Excellent (96)
Good (83)
Exceptional (99)
Best overall
Comfort
Exceptional (98)
Best comfort
Very good (90)
Excellent (95)
Cushioning
Decent (72)
Bottom-tier (60)
Exceptional (97)
Best cushioning
Durability
Decent (80)
Best durability
Decent (77)
Below average (64)
Appearance
Decent (72)
Bottom-tier (58)
Excellent (96)
Best appearance
Value
Below average (63)
Below average (60)
Good (84)
Best value
Altra Escalante Racer In Context
More on the Altra Escalante Racer
- Altra Escalante Racer 2 next version
Reviewers Also Ran In
- Altra Escalante 1.5 2 runners
- Vibram FiveFingers Bikila EVO 1 runner
- Skechers Go Meb Speed 3 1 runner