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 shoe · Neutral · Road · 6.7 oz · 24/24mm stack · zero-drop
Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Altra Escalante Racer 2 replaced it
How it ranks
The Altra Escalante Racer ranks among the stronger racing shoes in our data. Comfort and durability are its strongest sub-ratings. Value scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating is based on 22 runner reviews and 1 other rated shoe in the Escalante Racer product line.
Good
85
Overall
85
Comfort
93
Durability
75
Appearance
71
Value
66
Cushioning
65
Confidence
94
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 is low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.
Confidence
94 High
Based on
The bars show roughly how much each source contributes to this shoe’s rating. Their influence depends on how many reviews we’ve collected, how many earlier versions are in the product line, and the external ratings available.
- Brand rating
- Our ratings
- External ratings
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.”
“Sharp objects can poke through and injure you and can damage the shoe.”
“A good kind of mushy.”
“It is no good at all for winter here, but could be quite welcome in the summer heat.”
“Soles wear out fast.”
“After about 2 hours I start to feel it a bit.”
“The bottom of the shoe gave out quickly.”
“The upper is spacious while still being secure.”
“Not quite as cush as the Escalante but still very comfortable.”
“Wide and comfy in forefoot area!”
“Would be a harsh shoe for the half to marathon distances.”
“They have a great road feel.”
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 Oct 22.
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
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
85
2018
81
2024
Release year
-
2024 · 3 reviews
81 Good
67 Confidence
-
Escalante Racer This shoe
2018 · 22 reviews
85 Good
94 Confidence
Specs & fit
Sizing and ride details at a glance.
- Weight
- 6.7 oz
- Men's / women's
- Men's 6.9 oz · Women's 6.4 oz
- Release
- 2018 Q1
- MSRP
- $140
- Stack
- 24/24mm
- Drop
- 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
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
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Shoe properties
Type
Racing shoe
Speed shoe
Racing shoe
Pronation
Neutral
Neutral
Neutral
Weight
6.7 oz
7.6 oz
6.1 oz
Lightest
Stack
24/24mm
22/22mm
35/29mm
Drop
0mm
0mm
6mm
Release
2018 Q1
2024 Q2
2025
Newest
MSRP
$140
$145
$260
Best price
—
$100
Lowest price
$111
Ratings
Overall
85 Good
81 Good
98 Exceptional
Best overall
Comfort
93 Excellent
Best comfort
85 Good
86 Good
Cushioning
65 Below average
59 Bottom-tier
97 Exceptional
Best cushioning
Durability
75 Decent
Best durability
73 Decent
53 Bottom-tier
Appearance
71 Decent
62 Below average
98 Exceptional
Best appearance
Value
66 Below average
66 Below average
69 Below average
Best value rating
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