Altra Escalante 3 Running Shoes - AW23

Product Information

That’s why I still use the Escalante 3’s, but rotate them with minimal/barefoot shoes so I maintain barefoot strength! DPT/Footwear Science: A+ (Altra Escalante 3 is the flagship for what a natural feeling shoe is for me) Finally, the Escalante 3 also turns out to be more flexible than the average running shoe. 20% more flexible to be exact which goes on to help with the "natural" feel. The Altra Escalante 3 is stable In the past, Altra used to boast about their innerflex technology. These little cutouts ran horizontally across the ball of the foot and toes. There’s very little difference between the two versions of the Escalante. You’d generally expect it when one is just an update of the other shoe.

Skratch Recovery, Coffee Flavor:Mental and physical boost post run. Coffee flavor is excellent and goes great straight into a fresh brewed cup Basically, what sets Escalante 3 apart from other shoes is a heel that is 9.1mm narrower in the upper than the average shoe out there! This might have attributed a lot to the overall stability feel. We feel like the word "natural" best describes the Altra Escalante 3's performance. It is low to the ground and is not overly soft. There is nothing extra about it.This change to the feel of the Escalante is like the change in the Altra Superior 4.5 to Superior 5. The Altra Superior is in my opinion the trail version of the Escalante. The nimble, responsive feel of the older shoe has been tweaked to a more cushioned type of feel. Here is a link to our article on the Superior changes: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/altra-superior-5-vs-altra-superior-4-5/ Another interesting pronation measurement is the speed at which pronation occurs. That’s how fast you move from the initial foot impact position to the final pronated position. Different shoe designs can have dramatic effects on both pronation angle and speed. Shoe At the end of the day, if you are looking for an upper that excels in comfort and support, the Escalante 3 is ideal. However, if lightweight breathability is your primary focus, then it will not be as strong an option as some other products. Midsole

On the upside, reviewers still found the shoe to be light, comfortable, responsive, secure, and durable. The positives outweigh the negatives unless you have especially wide feet. This shoe is best for those who enjoy walking and short runs in a comfortable shoe with a natural feel. After running about 50 kilometers, I see no signs of premature wear. Therefore, I assume that the outsole will be one of the last parts of the shoe to give way. Since it's incredibly dry in my area at the moment, I haven't had a chance to test the Escalante in the rain. In any case, on dry asphalt, gravel and dirt roads, I never had the feeling of slipping at any time. Today, we have an absolute classic on tap for review: The Altra Escalante! As for the designation, you shouldn’t be confused by the "3". This is already the fifth version of the model that has stolen its way into the hearts of many runners since its introduction in 2017. Is this the first Altra with toe spring? What’s toe spring? It’s the ramping up of the shoe at the end, making your toes sit higher than the foot. That doesn’t sound zero-drop, does it? But with a stiff midsole like this, you inevitably require some toe spring. Imagine trying to run with a plank of wood on your foot. It’d be super unnatural because you’d have no toe-off; that’s what the toe-spring is trying to solve.As for the pronation question, In my opinion, this is mostly a marketing ploy from the shoe industry. Some pronation is natural, it allows our feet to absorb impact, and create forward propulsion. After wearing heavily structured shoe, or using orthotics for a long time, you feet become naturally weaker, causing higher levels of pronation which become problematic. My opinion on pronation is to strength your feet instead to promote natural movement. And that starts with walking around barefoot, and can progress into foot strengthening exercise, and possibly some barefoot running. But this process should be performed super slowly! The Altra Escalante started life in the middle of the barefoot running craze and was very popular because it offered a broad rounded toe box and Zero Drop with some cushioning. This week we’ve reviewed the latest Altra Escalante 3. A lot of runners using barefoot shoes found that they liked the more natural way these shoes let you run, but on long runs and over months of training they were getting sore feet. The cushioning in the Escalante stopped the sore feet and therefore became the go-to shoe for a lot of runners looking for a shoe that allowed your feet to function. Performance: B+/A- (You're definitely getting what you signed up for. Low riding neutral shoe. Decent responsiveness and good natural transitions. A little difficult to use with faster efforts or anything that requires change of direction.) Thanks to the shoe's wide midfoot and forefoot base, we never had to worry about losing our footing.

All that spare room has a positive effect: the feel of the Escalante 3 is very comfortable from the get-go. I don't feel even the slightest bit of pressure anywhere, and the familiar EGO TM midsole hasn't lost any of its comfortable characteristics either. Although I didn't really run in the Escalante 1, I still used it as a walk-aorund shoe for a long time. I imagine our test subject today will make just as phenomenal a walking shoe. First, though, it's a matter of putting the Escalante 3 through its running paces! But I have a hang-up about them because there’s arch support! Why would a “barefoot-inspired” shoe have arch support!These updates will appeal to a broader range of consumers, but did they alienate the Escalante super fans in the process? The results are somewhat mixed. On the downside, the toe box is not as wide, and extra cushioning in the midsole makes the shoe heavier and more narrow. Runners also note that the EGO foam in the Escalante 3 feels a bit firmer than that of previous iterations, while the outsole crash pad is a bit wider, resulting in a slightly heavier shoe. Alternative Altra Shoes to the Escalante 3 The midfoot does taper in, and that may not be for everyone. I believe this is what Altra refers to when they say “slim” fit. From the toe box, the shoe tapers inwards towards the midfoot, resulting in a “fitted” feel. I have a relatively average to wide mid-foot, and it can still work for me, and that’s because the upper is forgiving and doesn’t cause too much constriction. Interestingly, the midfoot area felt similar to the Lone Peak…. the widest “original” fit from Altra 🤔.