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SUBSCRIBEAltra Escalante 5
Categories
Speed Shoes / Zero-Drop Running Shoes
Summary
Weight: Men's 275g / Women's 221g
Heel-to-toe drop: 0mm
Lightweight, flexible, zero-drop shoe for road running. Featuring an anatomical fit with plenty of room for the toes, and good ventilation in the upper.
Pros
- Lovely soft, bouncy cushioning that still feels good after a lot of wear
- Very flexible – not at all restrictive to any part of the foot
- Soft heel-counter – comfortable if you have sensitive heels
- Footshaped toe-box so your toes can spread. Also great if you have a wide forefoot, Morton's neuroma or bunions
- Zero-drop so your heel and forefoot are on the same level – not tilted forward – to align your body correctly and encourage midfoot striking
Cons
- Due to the zero-drop midsole, might not be suitable for heavy heel-strikers
Improvements on Escalante 4
- The upper has been improved to hold your foot better around the back, plus it's a bit more breathable than before
Features
- Ego midsole offers responsive but soft cushioning
- Lightweight upper provides breathability
- Foot-shaped for versatile fit
- Flex grooves for flexible ride
In Testing
I'm on my second pair of Escalante now and I absolutely love them. I use them for running, walking and wearing to work. I have a wide forefoot and normally use a D-width running shoe, so the broad shape of the Altra forefoot suits me perfectly. As soon as I put my foot in the Escalante, it feels comfortable. It's great (and rare for me) to have a shoe that doesn't feel like it's squeezing any part of my foot. They hold my midfoot securely and I love having room to wiggle my toes.
I like to mix up my running shoes to reduce the strain of repeated motion on my legs, so I use the Escalante for short runs. I have a high arch, hyper mobile ankles and I pronate a lot so I need a bit more stability than it gives for longer runs (I tend to use the Brooks Adrenaline GTS D or the New Balance 860 D for those). It's flexible enough to do some faster running in and I really appreciate the unrestricted feeling, plus the nice cushioning that the Altra Ego midsole gives.
Verdict
I've had zero-drop shoes in the past. I've noticed my running posture is better in a low-drop shoe, but I found the truly barefoot shoes a bit too harsh underfoot. Having a zero-drop shoe with some shock-absorption is ideal for me.
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