Altra Escalante 4 Women's Running Shoe
- Price
- $190
If you were a fan of the Escalante 1.5 and 2, you'll love the Escalante 4, which closely follows the look and feel of the 1.5 and 2. Whether you're seeking a city commuting shoe or a lightweight road runner, the Escalante 4 offers the right amount of ground feel and flexibility for both!
Escalante 3 vs Escalante 4
- Updated engineered knit upper for a sock-like, forgiving fit
- Knit tongue for comfortable movement
- Less rubber in the outsole for a lighter weight and greater flexibility
- Updated footbed for added comfort
Features
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The Escalante 4 has an engineered knit upper for a more sock-like fit and a knit tongue
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The Escalante 4 is fully vegan
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Extremely breathable mesh upper
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Insole includes Altra EGO™ midsole designed to add energy return and a responsive soft feel
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Outer sole is designed for road running
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The Escalante 4 is completely Zero drop
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Similar to the Escalante 3, the Escalante 4 has a stack height of 24 mm but with less rubber in the outersole making it lighter
Sizing
Altra describes the Escalante 4’s sizing as “runs true to size.” They do recommend taking half a size up in running shoes purchased for running compared to shoes for casual use.
The Escalante 4 has a “snug fit” around the midfoot and heel, best suited to folks with average to narrow volume feet. The overall width is suited to average width feet best.
The shape of the toebox is suited towards sloping and mountain feet, while the footprint shape is somewhere between bean and triangle. The footprint shape has a pronounced negative space under the arch.
You can expect standard differences between men’s and women’s sizing in length and fit.
Ground feel
The Escalante 4 shoe has a 24mm stack height of cushiony layers, and provides little-to-no ground feel. This makes it a good choice for folks with very tender soles or who need extra protection for the bottom of the foot due to various health conditions.
More groundfeel can be desirable for skillfully navigating your environment, but it may be overwhelming if you are new to minimal shoes. These shoes do not feel supportive or cushioned; you will feel as if you are barefoot while wearing them.
Care
Altra recommends: Spray, Wait, and Scrub!
“Clean your shoes as soon as they are exposed to dirt. In our opinion, the best way to clean our shoes is to simply spray them with a mild detergent, let them sit for a few hours, and then scrub them with a scrub brush in the sink or shower. Once you are done cleaning, stick a fan on them or stuff them with towels. Because the midsole foam tends to break down if soaked in water for prolonged periods of time, we don’t recommend machine washing or dryer.”
Best uses
The Escalante 4 will be a great choice for those who are used to very cushioned running shoes and want their transition to zero drop and wide toebox shoes to be as seamless as possible. Some of our customers will be wearing them as a first minimal shoe for running, while others will be using them as an everyday shoe with extra comfort features.
Both of these are totally valid uses, it’s important not to transition drastically from orthotics or highly cushioned runners straight to the most barefoot experience possible! The Escalante 4 can be a stepping stone towards a future more barefoot feeling goal, or it can be the goal in itself, there are already benefits you can get just from aligning your feet parallel to the ground and having a roomier toebox.
Shipping Information
We’ll process Canadian orders within 2 business days (Tuesday - Saturday). International
orders ship weekly.
Discounted shipping is automatically applied to orders over $100 within Canada.
Free Local Pickup can be selected to save on shipping costs.
Pickup available at 1390 Danforth Ave.
Usually ready in 24 hours