Altra is no longer an option for runners

Tin foil wrote:

Pajac wrote:

Thank you for your valuable contribution.

What do you think of Altra shoes?

They seem poorly designed, quality used to be below average, the fit is often sloppy for anything other than hiking or easy jogging. I never had a running shoe from a traditional brand fit me too narrow in the forefoot, so Altras are just unnecessarily wide up front. I don't like how shoes under 4mm transition underfoot, they make for an unnatural gait. The 0 drop paradigm is BS, and doesn't take into account shoe drop under load. Go run barefoot: it feels closer to a 6-8mm drop midsole with some give under the heel than to a true 0 drop.

I could go on.

IMO Altra shoes have been hit or miss just like any other brand, but they do fill a void for people with a certain foot shape (generally those with flat feet who need a relatively wide toe box without having their heel slip). Also, the whole zero-drop notion (when coupled with a low stack height) does give a shoe better ground feel, and if you're prone to ankle sprains like myself, wearing vaporflys or even a shoe like the Pegasus is a recipe for disaster on anything but a flat road or a track.

Admittedly this isn't a foot shape that is mechanically suited to being a phenomenal runner to begin with, but to dismiss the brand entirely when they do make a product that some people genuinely prefer to Nike, Adidas etc. seems sensationalist.

I wear Escalante's since I fall into this category. The 2.5s are a great update and I've been wearing those the last 2 weeks and they did seem to finally strike a right balance between responsiveness and cushion there, but I actually bought 2 pairs of the Escsalante 2s since they make a great trail shoe and they went on sale for $55.

Again, I don't think their target audience is pure runners looking for the fastest thing on the market. I personally train and race mostly as a cyclist but still dabble in running and am good for a ~1:21 half marathon -- far from many on these boards let alone elite -- but for me Altra fills a void for a certain foot shape.

Great post! I have a pretty average width foot, a C width on a brannock device, but I have trouble with shoes with pointy toe boxes and a drop with toe spring, which is just about everything on the market. They bother the neuromas in my right foot. The Escalante family works super well for me. Recently started putting mileage in the Newton Fate, those are weird but fun. The blunt toe box in the Newton’s work well enough, but the Escalante/racer are still my go-to. I like the zero drop too.

I’m curious about a carbon fiber plated racer but it’s such an expensive experiment and I’m running healthy finally and don’t want to mess with a good thing.

My feet are almost exactly D width, but the problem is that my feet don't get narrower. My toes are all very similar in length, and my arch is pretty low (used to be flatter but it appears to have changed over the years). I've gotten over 1000 miles on a few pairs of Escalantes, so build quality isn't an issue. The toebox might be a tad too wide sometimes, but I'd rather have that than too narrow. Likewise, zero drop feels pretty good to me and although I wouldn't be opposed to a shoe in the 4-6mm range, that's just another compromise.

What I would want, in order of importance:

1. All rubber outsole (I still don't believe that foam is durable enough for that)

2. Slightly wider than normal toe box

3. 0-4mm drop

4. Be relatively lightweight while not being a flat.

The Escalantes are the only shoe that does this. Kinvaras come close, but the outsole is just a dealbreaker. Some of the New Balances are also fine, but sort of fall flat in a lot of minor ways. If Nike made the Pegs in a 4mm drop, I'd buy those a half size up and be relatively content. But for now, I just have to deal with my ever decreasing supply of Escalante 1.5s (unless the 2.5s turn out decent in reviews, and go on sale).

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The cool kids are wearing vans

The 2.5 is noticeably softer than the 2, and the upper is stretchier than the 2 as well. I started with the 2 but seems like longtime Escalante wearers have been saying the shoe is more similar to the 1.5. I have trouble with soft shoes so I bought a 2.5 to try out so I could take advantage of a good return policy but it’s not needed. Solid update.

I’m jealous. Altra is too narrow for me. They are advertised as a wide toe box, but they run narrow in the mid foot.

I wear a 11 4E in Brooks. Tried sizing up to 12 in the Escalante 2.0 / racer. Somehow, they are still tighter than the size 11 4E shoe I know works.

If anybody else has this problem, TOPO does foot shape better than altra imo. They also have non zero drops (although still usually low).

Still had to size up to 12, though.

Any updates on good Altra shoes? I like the idea of their shape and wonder if something like that could help with my ankle inflammation and plantar faciatis (you know what I mean).

The new (ish) Altra Outroad is a bit more modern with the midsole, but not quite as voluminous in the forefoot. Might work for you.

Or you can just be a hiker/outdoorsy person 24-7, where Altras are a requirement for you, again 24-7.

I’m a fan of the Rivera (do-it-all performance trainer) and Torin (recovery/LSD shoe). The Escalante 3 is “meh”, they took the cub out of it for me. Lifeless and hard, still love the Escalante Racer though, which oddly feels more protective and bouncier to me than the E3. Vanish Carbon is a great supershoe and, with regards to economy, is competitive with anything that doesn’t have a swoosh on it. Some have pretty bad issues with outsole durability, my shoes are pretty scuffed but fine at 70 miles, I should get 200 out of them without issue. Vanish Tempo is good, not as snappy as the Carbon but softer and outsole is more durable. Feels like more of a daily trainer shoe, not sure i’m gonna replace it when mine finally goes. I prefer the Rivera TBH.

I miss the old "The One 2.0 and 2.5." The Escalante felt super sloppy and the torin felt super hard under the food.

Allowed? You pathetic piece of crap.

Good riddance.