Hey, everybody, this is Steve Moore, owner of Run Moore, this beautiful brick-and-mortar running shop located in Westminster, Maryland. Today, we are talking about the Altra Escalante 3. The Altra Escalante 3.0 is a bit of a misnomer because this is technically version five. Altra used to do some weird point five numbering system that they’ve moved from. So, this is version 3, an update from the 2.5, which has been around for two years.
This is a highly anticipated update to the ever-popular Altra Escalante. Altra is known as the big trail brand, and we do very well with their trail shoes here at the shop. But when the original Escalante popped up (at least for our shop), people got excited about their road shoes. We had carried the Torin and some other stuff of their road, but this shoe got people excited.
The Escalante was also the first shoe featuring Altra’s EGO midsole, which we now see on all their top-line shoes. The EGO midsole is a soft yet responsive, bouncy charge, rubber feel that gives you that nice dichotomy of soft and squishy but bouncy and responsive at the same time. The Escalante also had one of the best fits. Altra has various fits that all include their famous rounded, foot-shaped toe box, but over time the Escalante has always stayed true to itself and has that original fit. On the road side of things, the Escalante has always felt like the widest Altra. It has always been popular for people looking for that super-wide, almost like a slipper-type shoe. With the Escalante, you can pop it on, go for a run, or you can wear it around casually.
What is New for the Altra Escalante 3.0
This update has been exciting, and we could not wait to get our hands on it. I have had our chance to play with it here in the shop for a few weeks, and here are a couple of my thoughts. When I first saw version 3, I thought it looked aesthetically different, and I wondered if they had changed the stack height and midsole, but they are the same.
It still has a stack height of 24mm, and it still features the EGO midsole. I was excited about it: The upper is really nice and feels good underfoot. It feels like it will be nice and protective compared to previous generations. It was almost too stretchy about two versions ago, and some runners found they were slopping from side to side. Many people said, especially if they were running on grass or doing side to side activities, version 2.5 felt too sloppy and unstable.
The Top Eyehole is back
With Version 3, you still have that nice foot-shaped toe box, but you feel a little more secure with the new upper. One thing that people did not love about the 2.5 that is a pleasant update on the 3 is the top eye hole. So if you are somebody who makes the marathon loop, you now have your top eye hole here. You can do your fancy lacing technique to give yourself a little more secure footing. I suggest the marathon loop if you have a narrower foot but still want to play with an Altra.
Version 3 also has a much more padded tongue. Some users complained that the tongue on the 2.5 would get bunched up or folded; that problem has gone, which means there is a nicer fit. Version 3 is definitely a little bit stiffer. Compared to some of the older versions of the Escalante, which were very easy to bend and pop on, it is definitely a bit stiffer. It will provide a wonderful bouncy explosive feel when running in it, but there is a bit more density underfoot.
It also weighs a bit more than version 2.5. We have added almost half an ounce to the men’s and women’s shoes. The men’s are coming in at 9.6 ounces now and just over 8 ounces for the women. So, it has beefed up, but it does not feel too noticeable.
The 3.0 is more versatile than ever before
With this update, I can see people being able to use the Escalante for many different activities. The durability will be better, just looking at the outsole alone. I think you will also be able to do more stuff that is side to side, and a little more off-road stuff or just a walk around or take it to a gym class. The Versatility of the Escalante 3 is something that Altra has pushed. In the past, I would steer customers away from using the Escalante for cardio stuff or to a gym class. Now, I think you can do many things due to the updated upper and outsole.
Use promocode RUNMOORE
Altra is staying at the same price point, which is nice at $140. If you are looking to buy the shoe, feel free to click the link below. Use promo code, runmoore will ship it out for free, and you will save 10% on it. If you have any questions on this shoe or any other
Shop Men’s Escalante 3.0 | Shop Women’s Escalante 3.0
Altra shoes and how this lines up compared to other shoes, feel free to leave them on our YouTube channel. If you think we can do better on our reviews, please let us know as we always like getting feedback. Thank you and as always, I appreciate it happy running, and we will see you around town.
