Altra Escalante Racer 2 Review – The Perfect Blend of Minimalism and Cushion for Every Runner

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So you’re looking for a new low-stack height flexible runner, and you’ve heard that the Escalante range is the way to go. Sure, there’s the standard “Escalante 4,” but what about these “racers” you’ve just found? 

You might think to yourself, I’m not a racer; why would I need a shoe named “racer”? 

Well, don’t let the name mislead you! The Escalante Racers 2 is not just for racers. Its minimal design and foot health-friendly flexibility can benefit any runner, regardless of their running style. 

Even though I’m a minimal runner, I still believe that cushioned shoes play a role in our running shoe rotation. 

With the Escalante Racer coming in at 22mm and still maintaining some flexibility, this shoe is a perfect cushioned option for minimal runners and a great minimal option for higher cushion runners. 

But first of all, we need to determine if the shoe fits YOU!

pssst: If you’re also curious about the Escalante 4, head over to the Escalante 4 vs Escalante Racer 2 comparison post!

Here’s the video version if you want it! 👇

From all accounts, the Escalante Racer fits very similarly to the original. And a quick visual check confirms that. 

We still see a nice wide-toe box with ample big-toe room. This toe box is what Altra was originally known for, and lucky for us, we still see a toe box that’s wider than most on the market. The squared-off big toe area allows the big to splay optimally, and with only minimal little toe taper, most of us will be very happy with the shape. 

The Escalante Racer is now listed as the Original foot shape! But I encourage you to ignore that fact. The Esclantes have always been as wide as some of the other original foot-shaped shoes like the Lone Peak, the major difference being the depth (I’ll come to that later). But I’ve found the shape of the Esclantes to be very similar to the Lone Peaks, if not a little wider in the toe box! I advise you to ignore the foot shape Altra defines and try the shoes on anyway! 🙂 

The open weave upper allows for a deeper fit compared to other Escalantes. This goes for the Esclanate 4 and certainly the Escalante 3. I’d classify the Racers as an average-depth shoe. And NO! I’ve not had to change the insoles to gain more depth like I often have to in many other Altras. And even though the upper seems more secure than the Escalante 4, it almost feels more forgiving in-depth and is something I’ve enjoyed.

And there’s enough depth in the toe box to flex your toes! A fact that I’ve sorely missed in many Escalantes of late. For your feet to perform correctly, you want your toes to flex and move around freely, and the Racer encourages that. 

Beware of the midfoot! If you’re like me, and the widest part of your foot is the midfoot, it may take a bit of readjusting to get comfortable in the Racer. And this is true across the whole Altra range for me. Yes, Altra’s are generally wider, but that is mostly true for the toe box and not necessarily the midfoot. I solve this by loosening off eyelets 1-3 to allow my foot to expand and breathe. For you, that may mean adjusting the laces in other ways. 

The Escalante Racer 2 is true to size! I found the Men’s US9 perfect for my 26.5 cm foot. Granted, I mentioned the midfoot issue above, but as for length and depth, this shoe fits like a glove. A US9 is constantly my sizing across most of the Altra range, aside from some of the slimmer options like the Rivera and Timp. 

The heel is very flexible with little to no structure. That’s exactly what we want from a minimal shoe, which usually translates to a perfect heel lock for me. However, on my first run, I had a little heel slippage. From that point on, I used a lace lock and found that the heel held well, but I wouldn’t consider it supreme (For me, that’s Xero Shoes!).

I’ve been itching to get on to this section because this is where I think the Racer excels! 

The Escalante Racer feels nothing like the new Escalante 4! If you’ve read my review of the Escalante 4, you’ll note how squishy I mention it feels. Well, the Escalante Racer is nowhere near the same. It’s actually firm, and that’s a good thing. When you want to pick up the speed, or even if you want more ground feedback, soft pillows under your feet are not ideal. Instead, you want a solid base. You don’t fall over the side when you corner a little aggressively. You get my point. The Racer is firmer, and it feels great! 

I found that after 60km, the midsole started to break in. I’m not going to say they’re soft still, but I found the Racers did begin to soften after a bunch of miles. I can only imagine we’ll see a little more flexibility from now on. 

It still has flexibility, but not quite as much as the original. I was not lucky enough to have the original Racer in my rotation, so I can’t verify this, but TD Miller has reported that this version of the Racer is a little stiffer. That is likely because they played with the midsole to make it a little more resilient. But I still found the shoe flexible enough, especially for a shoe with a 22mm stack height. 

The upper is secure enough to stop you from rolling off the sides of the shoe. This is another small gripe I had with the Escalante 4. Whenever I picked up speed, cornering was unnerving. That’s different with the Racer 2 because the upper is not quite as flexible, ensuring your feet stay firmly in place. But still not too rigid that the comfort suffers. 

We see a weight gain of roughly 20-30g. I love lightweight shoes, so anything that brings the weight down is a positive in my eyes. Sadly, the racer has gone the other way. I weighed these in at 220g, which is not heavy but heavier than the original Racer. I wouldn’t let this fact rule out the shoe, but it could be a deciding factor if you find a screaming deal on the original Escalante Racers.

The familiar flexibility pair with 22mm of cushion pushed me to a new 5km PR! Now, I’m not saying that the shoes made me fast; as Kipchoge said, “It is my legs that are still doing the running.” However, the fact that I could get some of the minimal feeling with an added stack height certainly helped me lengthen my stride and utilize my strongest running patterns. 

I never felt any slipping in wet weather, even though the rubber only covers part of the sole. We have rubber covering the forefoot and heel, exposing the midfoot. Therefore, you shouldn’t take these out on any rough trail for fear of damage. On the other hand, the minimal rubber still did well on wet roads. 

I normally hate getting to this section with Altra. Many of their models are weak and break down too early. 

But with the Escalante, there’s a distinct difference. 

Many past models have been pushed thousands of miles, and considering this Escalante Racer is similar to models we’ve seen in the past, I think we’ll see good longevity. 

The upper is a tougher, semi-flexible weave optimized for comfort and longevity. I don’t believe Altra created the Escalante Racer upper with durability in mind, but the combination of material and shape certainly pushes it in the right direction. The Racer upper is distinctly different from the one we see on the Escalante 4, which I worry could be a little weak over time. 

The lacing eyelets are reinforced with an extra layer of material, making them just a little bit tougher to withstand the forces from the shoe’s flexibility. These aren’t just small ringlets; the reinforcement extends throughout the tongue opening, creating an even more solid base.

The minimal outsole rubber keeps the weight down, but you’ll likely see less longevity. In the past, the Escalanates had a full rubber outsole. No matter what your foot strike or wear pattern, you can be sure they’d be rubber underfoot to reduce wear on the shoe. That is no more. Flip your old shoes over and check out the wear pattern. If you see heavy wear anywhere around the midfoot, the new Escalantes may fail early for you. A midfoot wear pattern isn’t common, but everyone is different! 

Because the midsole started softening at 60km, I can imagine the shoe could feel fairly “flat” quickly. With a minimal shoe like this, that’s not bad because we’re not looking for the bouncy plush feeling. But this one is down to how you like your shoes. Do you want a consistent ride long into the shoe’s life? 

If you have any heel movement, you’ll see wear on the inner liner. This liner is a little grippy, which is good if the fit is perfect, but when you have some movement, that grip turns into friction—and friction turns into holes! Make sure you find the right size and get a good heel lock with a lace lock if needed. 

I’ve come away loving the Escalante Racer 2 and even kicking myself for not having the Racer in my rotation in the past! 

The mixture of firm cushion and flexibility is exactly what a minimal runner like myself is looking for when wanting a cushioned alternative. 

If you’re looking at the Racer because it has a lower stack height than you’re used to, that’s great! But just be sure to rotate the shoe slowly because it will put substantial stress on your feet and lower legs. Over time, your feet will strengthen, and you’ll be a better runner for it. 

I’m super happy I have an Altra with a minimal stack height, a wide toebox, and a durable design that I can suggest again! 

Thank you, Altra!