Altra Escalante 5

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.

The Altra Escalante 5 is ideal if...

You like a zero-drop design for a more natural foot position
You have a neutral gait and a midfoot/forefoot strike
You want a wide toe-box for natural toe movement
You prefer a lightweight, minimalistic and flexible shoe for short runs at a faster pace

Feature	Details
Category	Speed Shoes / Zero-Drop Shoes
Cushioning	Responsive
Weight	M 275g / W 221g
Drop	0mm (24/24mm)
Fit	Due to the spacious toe-box it feels a bit bigger, so you might need to take half a size down (compared with other running shoes)
Width Options	Standard

Men's Altra Escalante 5

£125

Women's Altra Escalante 5

£125

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.

Men's Altra Escalante 5

£125

Women's Altra Escalante 5

£125