Altra  Escalante 5 Road-Running Shoes - Men's

This shoe began falling apart after only a few workouts. The upper has way too much play in it. Save you money and stop spending money on Altra the company has clearly lost the plot.

Immediately comfortable. I expect something less cozy as this is my first minimalist shoe.

This is the best running shoe I've ever tried. I've put in a little over 100 miles on them so far. I mostly run trail and wear Lone Peak 9s, so I wanted something for flat gravel and road. The Escalante is great! I know they are marketed for short distance and sprint, but they feel like a perfect minimalist shoe. I want to feel the ground, and they provide the ground feel I was looking for. They also breathe much better than the Lone Peaks. They truly feel like an extension of my foot.

This was my first try at Altra shoes and might be my last unless they offer another shoe model that doesn’t have super tight tops. Everything else about the shoe feels nice, but as soon as I put them on, from the tongue down to the last adjustable lace is just TIGHT. It only feels sort of fine without any socks on but I know this is going to be a comfort issue long term so I’m returning them, shame since the toe box is nice and wide but the top design is horrible and tight.

I could not tell until I wore them all day out and about, and now I can not return them. This is where an actual store that carries all models is helpful. I actually have a narrow foot, but I always wear a mens 10 regular. I don’t know what would fix this as the issue is across the top of the foot where the tongue is attached. I presume a properly engineered shoe is the only fix. The material also traps heat, top and bottom. To think I wasted my money on this gimmick brand.

Yet again, Altra ruins a great shoe. The Escalante 4 was an almost perfect shoe for both running and everyday use. Just took my Escalante 5s out for their maiden run on an easy 4 mile route, and now have holes in my hitherto-bulletproof Darn Tough running socks (on both feet) and the back of both ankles are rubbed raw and blistered. The heel counter and collar on these just destroyed them on a short run. I don't know why I keep letting Altra do this to me. Maybe I'm still chasing the high of the Torin 4 or the Timp 2, or maybe it's because they occasionally drop a great new shoe like the Escalante 4 or the original Escalante Racer. Joke's on me though, as I didn't take these 5s out until 6 weeks after I bought them, so can't even return the darn things. Gonna have to load up on any Escalante 4s I can find before they are all gone.

Where have these shoes been all my life? I have spent the last year and a half looking for good shoes that work with my feet. I am a tall, somewhat flat footed person. These shoes have the perfect amount of support. If I could afford it I’d buy 10 of them for backups and just wear these the rest of my life.

I loved the fit of the 4s, but the durability was terrible. The soles wore flat in less than 100 miles. I have over 100 on the 5s and the treads still look great! I love the feel and the quality seems great. It does seem just a hair tighter than the 4, especially on the top, but not a deal breaker for me.

I have loved my Escalante's for years. Unfortunately this edition of the shoe has gotten far too narrow especially across the footpad area. Fortunately I still have a pair of the 4's but I do hope they go back to their roots and don't continue this narrowing trend.

Very comfortable. The wide toe box accommodates my "duck feet" nicely. I was looking for "minimalist shoes" but these are very close and a much better fit to my feet. The sales staff were exceptional, very well informed and helpful. Obviously they care a lot about their work.