Altra  Escalante 4 Road-Running Shoes - Men's

I've had several prior pairs of these (purchased myself) and they are pretty hard to beat in terms of comfort and just healthiness for your feet. This pair I would say is an improvement over the previous ones. The only difference I really notice is instead of a thick cushiony tongue now it is that woven fabric which I prefer. They are great for running, walking, and just wearing around. My only criticism is I'm not a big fan of white woven type shoes especially for running because I tend to get them dirty so fast and it really shows. I would go for a light gray or something for a lighter color. I haven't washed them yet but I suspect they would survive at least one or two gentle/cold cycles.

I’ve been using these shoes for the last month for a variety of activities, and I love that they are very light weight, comfortable, and natural feeling shoes under foot. These are not my favorite for running - I prefer more cushion - but I find them excellent for gym days, walking, and general wear. The style is unique with the asymmetrical and wide toe, but I think it works well with the uniform colors and they feel stylish for wearing with shorts out and about. I would not choose white again - the woven nylon picks up dirt/stains quickly and being in the Northwest rain/mud is frequent.

These shoes are quite a bit different than my normal running shoes; I like them, but they will not replace what I currently use (Asics Kayano or Asics GT-2000). Good: light, a lot of cushioning, shape of the shoe is a better match to natural foot shape (it looks kinda weird compared to traditional shoe shape... I did not notice the shape making any siginificant difference for my running... your mileage may vary...) Bad: I prefer a more structured shoe even though that tends to increase weight. A nit: the shoe laces are "slick," I was always afraid of the knot coming undone unless double-knotted. I do really like these shoes for everyday use, they just won't replace my current running shoes.

These shoes are just okay. I think they need to be reviewed from a few vantage points to give them a fair shake. Foot type (as with most running shoes) really plays a big role in whether you will like them. I am a 180-lb heavy-foot strike runner who typically needs a cushion shoe. My footstrike is fairly neutral, and I have been a runner my entire life. That said, these shoes are absolutely not for someone who needs a cushion shoe. They feel very firm, not cushionless—just firm. The zero heel drop is an issue for me, as someone with tight calves could experience a greater risk of shin splints due to the angle your foot strikes (according to my non-medical background understanding). This wide toebox isn't a problem, and it is sort of nice not to be restricted—but it can feel a bit "loose" in the front, so if that is a problem, I would keep looking elsewhere. (See top-down photos to get a feel for what I mean) The shoes construction is aces. Brilliant in construction - the tongue has no cushion but isn't floppy and formless like some others can be. It hugs your foot and rests nicely on the bridge where you lace them. I genuinely like the shoe's feel, but with my weight and impact, I need something else. I wore them on a few runs of roughly 3-4 miles and realized they weren't for me. After that, I decided to use them at Disney World for two days (about 15 miles of walking), and then while on a cruise, I used them as my everyday shoes and ran in them for five short runs on the ship. They held up wonderfully during those iterations. So even if this isn't for you as a running shoe (Which, frankly, Altra claims they're for short, fast runs or everyday wear), it's not a bad option for kicking around and giving the flexibility to cross-train in. The zero heel drop and wide toe give an excellent cross-training platform. While I personally won't be buying these again, they're not a bad shoe. You just should be a lighter runner who doesn't need as much material between you and the ground.

These shoes just about check every box I needed. When I first got them I thought they would just be running shoes, but they are 'cool' enough to wear to weekend BBQs or gatherings. I got the white version and even while attending some of those 'tame' events, the soles seems to scratch and scuff so easily. Some of my pictures show black scratches, which I know are my fault, but I wasn't expecting this much damage from pushing a stroller through the zoo for 4 hours. I know this is what I am asked for with white shoes, but it just seemed like any contact meant a black scuff or something that I needed to clean off. The pictures are actually from after I cleaned them after the zoo trip. In terms of feel, the read or heel area is INCREDIBLY comfortable, but as you get to the toes/ball of your foot, they seem to just be normal comfort level. The heal is very soft and squishy for running, which is great, IMO. The laces stay tied even on longer runs or continued stress. They feel very light compared to some other runners I have, too. One other items that bugs me with all white shoes is the difference in white from the rubber soles and the 'body' fabric. The 'body' fabric has a very slight yellowish tint to them - you should be able to see this in the 'above' picture on the toe area. In terms of traction and 'grippy-ness' of the bottom of the shoe, they could use a little more grip. Another picture shows how they are relatively flat. I know these are running shoes, but any slope on wet pavement or grass and I would be a little concerned and have to slow down running speeds. Overall, they do the trick and I just love how soft they are on the heel. I would like to see them in a grey color to avoid the visuals of scuffs and scratches, though.

This is my first pair of zero-drop shoes. They run a little bit on the smaller side. The first few miles on them my calfs were on fire, but after about a few days of running on them i got used to the way these run. They are super light and extremely comfortable. I personally love the bigger toe box and the minimalist aspect of the shoe. I tried these after running the past year on some adidas boston 12s, and the escalate 4s feel like a huge upgrade.

After owning the Escalante throughout the years from 1.5-4, I can say that for me this takes a step in the right direction. The upper feels like a mix between the last racer and the 2.5 which makes it sock-like yet accommodating without it feeling sloppy, I have a great lockdown in the heal without having to cut off circulation. The toe box felt shallow when I first tried them on but over a few days of wearing them they became more accommodating. I went true to size in a men’s 10 The ride feels more like the 3 with minor improvement in the flexibility from the previous model. I wear these during 12 hr shifts as a healthcare worker and then I wear them for my gym and running workouts afterwards, no issues so far

I received these products for free from the REI Trailblazers sampling program in exchange for my honest review. Perfect shoe for those who wear toe spacers or have wide feet. I like that they are wide but still look like traditional sneakers and not clown shoes. Nice balance of responsiveness and cushion for speed work or long distance runs. Highly recommend this shoe.

Zero fault of REI, but Altra has decided to so drastically change the size of the same model of the same shoe that it no longer fits my feet. Wish I could purchase the shoe twice and have it be the same shoe. Will be returned.

These Altra Escalante 4s are definitely not black as advertised. They’re uniformly dark grey all over (see photos), so Altra should probably market them as such. Almost a dealbreaker for me but whatever, they’re still a great colour. My previous pair of Altra shoes are Lone Peak 7s which I love and are still going strong after hundreds of miles. I chose these Escalante 4s less for hiking and more for urban walking whilst maintaining the zero drop and minimal feel I love about Lone Peaks. Hopefully these will keep my plantar fasciitis in check too, like the Lone Peaks. These have a similar super comfy feel underfoot to Lone Peak 7s and I look forward to walking on sidewalks and socialising in them. I note many others reviewing these ‘black’ Escalante 4s online say theirs were also not black, so what went wrong between photographing and manufacturing them, Altra?! How can a shoe colour be so different to advertised, even the soles and laces are dark grey! Anyway, maybe Altra will sell these grey ones as well as actual black ones. I love the single colourway all over rather than the usual chunky day-glo style of other hiking/running shoes—some of us don’t want to wear bright clashing colours on our feet!