I have always run with Asics, Nike, Mizuno.. Each time with a numbness of the lower back afterwards. Stretchings didn’t do much. Until I heard about minimalist shoes and Altra. Last year, I’ve bought a pair of riviera 2 and it was a WOW moment for me as I felt I couldn’t stop running. Never got any numbness whatsoever. I’ve replaced the Riviera by Escalante 3 yesterday and I ran today (10 km as they were brand new.) The toe box is bigger than in the Riviera and it was a great run again. I swear by this brand, period! Very good and straightforward review!
I love this review. So refreshing to hear someone give an honest review rather than “this is what everyone else is saying so I’ll parrot the same points.” I’m an Altra lover but I almost never tried this version of the escalante because of how everyone was talking about it. But I tried it on and it felt good! Not the same as my beloved version 1s, but still it’s comfy and awesome. Thank you for being a voice for the people lol 👊
My oldest Escalante 3's are on 1300 miles. Still going strong. Don't believe the need to change your shoes every 300 miles propaganda. Took me a few months to transition to zero drop but well worth it.
Good review! Sizing, shoe lace length and durability have been my issues with Altra road shoes. Most have been pretty minor but annoying. However, I do love the foot shape design and the zero drop platform.
I agree with the 3's lace length: way too short. The 2.5's length is great, but like Kevin's review on the 3, the outer heel section is getting worn way too quickly. Is Altra choosing to use a softer material that can't handle the mileage? Granted the 2.5 is just that, a racer. Can't expect it to last long.
Hey Kevin, I wanted to get your advice regarding these. I'm just getting into zero-drop running and I find that I'm beginning to like it. As I rotate back between them and some of my older (higher drop) shoes, I noticed I can get knee pain sometimes in the new ones (most of them are 6mm drop or greater). As of right now, I'm considering between getting something like these Escalantes or a low-drop alternative like a Saucony Kinvara. Do you have any advice in this regard? Do you run in any shoes with drop and would you recommend one style over the other? Thank you!
I'm not the main guy, but if you still get knee pain from even 6mm drop, then you'll still get some on a 4mm Kinvara. Just go with any zero drop Altra or Topo full time till you're knee pain free and then use the Saucony occasionally. Once I adapted and the knee pain went away I would occasionally go back to 10mm with a high compression heel. Was fine for random sessions but over time felt no longer right. But 4mm probably maybe less awkward. That's my two cents after years of experimenting.
@@rashb3994 Thanks man, yeah I was beginning to lean towards the same. Zero drop feels more natural for me and honestly more stable. I do still have some others I'll use from time to time, but I'm honestly beginning to prefer the feel of zero drop shoes over the others.
