Altra  Escalante 5 Road-Running Shoes - Women's

Just ordered two additional pairs. I have loved the Escalante 3 and Escalante 4 because the low stack gives me great road feel. The fabric in the toe area of the Escalante 5 continues what I love about versions 3 and 4-- softer toe area at the front of the shoe, low stack height, comfortable lacing -- while giving me a slightly wider and longer toe box in the same size I always wear. Fit over the mid foot (I have high arches) is excellent. The laces are long enough. I played with the lacing at the upper eyelets to perfect the fit over the area of the instep closest to my ankle. Altra, please give me more fun, bright colors -- The Escalante 3 in fuchsia was a real winner. The pink is OK, but I'd like something more bold. After wearing it for a few days, I ordered the shoe in the pale blue and black with white sole.

This shoe does not feel like my LP or Olympus fit wise. The length seems accurate but the toe box is narrow. I don’t have wide feet but do have MN and a bunion. I changed the lacing which was a little helpful. The tongue of the shoe hurt my right ankle where it hit when walking until broke in. I love my other Altra’s but these were sadly disappointing.

I have been wearing Altras for many years. Ever since the Escalante original. I loved the original, the 1. 5, 2. 5, and learned to love the 3s, even though they were a little different (more cushioned all around). The 4s were horrible and gave me plantar fasciitis and shin splints, which I haven't had in over 15 years (when I made the switch to zero drop). They were nothing like the 1. 5s (even though the 4 claimed to have gone back to as close to the 1. 5s as they could). I also enjoy the Lone Peaks and still have a pair of the 4. 5 and 6 models. I have a size 7. 5 in every single pair of all these models and they all fit the same. Hold them up to each other and they have the same length and width. These Escalante 5s are at least a good 1/2 inch longer in length, and narrower in the heel and mid-foot. First thing on my feet and they are so uncomfortable just walking around the house. Weird pressure under foot between the heel and arch. Okay, maybe I just needed to get used to them. I REALLY wanted to love them. I have been with Altra for so long! Then I tried to run in them. I made it a quarter mile and had to turn around. I couldn't even get past my warm up. The lateral sides of the soles of my feet felt like they were on fire, burning, the entire time. The upper bent funny and pressed on my foot weirdly (probably because they are too long, and the upper is also too high now). These just don't cut it. And why the size change? It makes no sense. I guess I'm returning these and back to the drawing board. This is 2 consecutive versions of Escalantes in a row now that have been awful. I guess I just need to get to the running store and find something entirely new. Modern running shoe companies changing every good model of shoe every year for the worse is killing me! Come on Altra, be better than that.