NEW Altra Shoes for 2024 – Escalante 4, Mont Blanc Carbon and more

It’s that time of year when we start to see what Altra has in store for us in 2024!  I was in person at The Running Event in Austin and got my hands on man...

It’s that time of year when we start to see what Altra has in store for us in 2024!

I was in person at The Running Event in Austin and got my hands on many of these shoes. And I, for one, am excited to see these out in the wild next year.

So, let’s jump into it and see what upgrades could be in your 2024 shoe rotation.

Altra Escalante 4 Altra Escalante Racer Altra Vanish Carbon 2 Altra Experience Flow/Form

Altra Lone Peak 8 Altra Mont Blanc Carbon Altra Timp 5 Altra Experience Wild

New Altra Road Shoes for 2024

Escalante 4

I’m so excited about this one! It’s an Escalante that’s flexible again!

When I spoke with Altra, they described it as a mixture of the Escalante 1.5 and the Escalante 3. This means we have soft flexibility with a secure upper, which is what everyone has always wanted!

Amazingly, the shoe also loses weight from its predecessor, partially thanks to the redesigned outsole. We now have exposed Ego foam under the midfoot and rubber only covering the high contact areas.

With the Ego foam, we’ll see some increased softness and a slight increase to 24mm from the Escalante 3’s 23mm. But really, the flexibility will make all the difference.

After having this shoe in my hands, I can’t wait to get a pair in my size and put it through its paces!

Escalante Racer 2

Just when everyone was worried it would be discontinued, Altra came out and surprised us!

A new Escalante Racer!

Generally, we’ll see similarities to the Escalante 4, only dropping 2mm in stack height to 22mm and providing a minimal but secure upper.

Even though the midsole is said to be Ego foam, it will feel a little firmer than the Escalante 4 to keep that race-ready action in play.

At 22mm, will the old Escalante Racer die-hard fans be disappointed in the stack height increase? Only time will tell!

Vanish Carbon 2

We’re seeing many updates for the second iteration of the Vanish Carbon.

The stack height has been raised to 36mm using the Ego Pro nitrogen-infused foam, and the carbon plate will be full length!

When I first picked up this shoe, I was shocked by its lightweight feel. It’s not common for you to feel such a feather-weight Altra shoe.

My only concern was with the heel lock. Altra has moved towards bumped catchers on a thin heel cuff. And if you remember how this similar Mont Blanc heel design went….. Well, that’s a worry.

I was reassured by Altra that many people have had their feet in this shoe, and it’s worked for many of them. So we can keep our fingers crossed here.

Experience (Flow/Form)

When I first picked these two shoes up, I didn’t even realize the difference.

Only when the “stability” aspect was pointed out to me did I realize we have two 4mm road shoes from Altra. (Technically, it’s 3, but more on that later.)

Now, the FWD experience is rebranded to the “Experience” line, coming in two flavors. Neutral (the Flow) and Stability (Form).

There’s not much to report on the Flow, but the Form has a wider base with more rubber on the hard-wearing areas and a guide rail running from the heel to the midfoot.

I’ve been unsure about these 4mm Altra options in the past, and I remain skeptical. I understand they can work for some people, but is that the market Altra is trying to capture?

New Altra Trail Shoes for 2024

Lone Peak 8

It’s more of the same when it comes to the Altra Lone Peak. Version 8 is already out and after getting 50km in the shoe, my full review is out!

From the exterior, there are very little changes from version 7 -> version 8. And for most of you, that’s a good thing.

The upper material has been updated and is very reminiscent of the Lone Peak 6 material, and the overlay caging in the midfoot is more relaxed.

For those with a wider midfoot like me, it actually means this model is runnable again!

Another bonus is that the price has dropped $10 to $140. Which is very much welcomed when most companies are bumping their prices up! Thanks Altra.

Check out the full review now!

Mont Blanc Carbon

In the past, I’ve tried to race in the Mont Blanc only to find the fit was horrendous.

This time, we have a completely new Mont Blanc model, and from the looks of it, they’ve fixed the heel lock!

The heel now looks like a relatively normal heel! No weird puffy tabs, no super thin floppy materials. It’s just a rounded mold with a bunch of cushion around the collar.

Aside from the fit, we now see a carbon plate in an Altra trail shoe.

This makes all the difference for those looking to go faster. But only time will tell if the carbon speed will translate from the road to the trail.

Timp 5

I’m going to be honest. I missed this one at the TRE show. But I have found a lot more information online.

The Timp 5 is going to get a Vibram outsole!

That’s fantastic news for all those who had their MaxTrac outsole wear in less than 300km! (My wife included)

The tongue is now cushioned instead of the silly, thin ankle-cutting option from the Timp 4.

And, fingers crossed, the newly reinforced upper means we won’t see feet bursting out the side of the shoe, again, like we did on the Timp 4.

Plus we’ll be seeing a Gore-Tex waterproof version being release!

Experience Wild

We’re back in the 4mm drop lineup! But this time on the trail.

We’re seeing the same format from the FWD experience coming to the trail, too.

After a quick overview, it doesn’t seem like we’re seeing a super aggressive trail option here, and maybe instead, we’ve got another road-to-trail option for those looking to transition to Altras.

Again, I’m yet to be convinced that Altra and 4mm drop is the right way for the brand, but I also understand that 4mm isn’t all that much.

I will reserve judgment until we start seeing reviews of this model until I can make my mind up!

Conclusion

After being slightly disappointed in the release from Altra in the last few years, it seems like they’re hitting it out of the park in 2024!

I and many of our barefoot readers will be super happy with the Escalante updates and that the Escalante Racer is alive and kicking!

I’m even going to try the carbon-plated options next year. It’ll be my first time running in a carbon-plated shoe. So what will a barefoot runner think of the “extra propulsion”? We’ll find out.

Now, what are you excited about? Leave a comment below, hit me on Instagram, and drop me an email. I’m always excited to talk about an exciting future!