Altra Escalante Racer 2 Review - Perfect minimal shoe meets cushion
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- čas přidán 7. 08. 2024
- The minimal Altra Escalante Racer lives on with a version 2. But has it changed?
Throw your questions in the comments, and let me know what you think of the new Escalanate Racer 2!
To read a full review of the Escalate 4 or any other foot-shaped or barefoot shoe, visit barefootrunreview.com/altra-e....
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Très bonne revue , les miennes sont en commande... à suivre !
Oh yeah! You'll enjoy them!
Thanks for the review. I have 2 pairs of the Escalante 3s - those were the first Altras I owned. I actually enjoyed them.😅 I was considering getting the Racer 2, but based on this and your Escalante 4 reviews, I think I'll stick with 'real' minimal shoes. My current go-to is the Xero HFS II. I wear them for workouts, some easy runs and races. Ran my current HM PB on them. Any thoughts on which other Xero might make a good companion shoe?
Also, requesting you to review some Xeros on your channel
@@small_strides if the Escalante 3's work, stick with them! You'll find the cheap right now. :)
And as long as you're pairing them with some more minimal I think you have a perfect rotation.
If you head over to my website barefootrunreview.com, you'll find reviews for nearly all Xero Shoe options. But I've not got videos yet, because this is all new for me.
For me the Xero shoes Speed Force II is great. Very minimal, that true Xero shape and lighter than anything else. The HFS II didn't work too well for me, it seemed a little stiffer and more cushioned than the typical Xero options. But that's a personality thing.
The prio Neo can be a nice compromise between the HFS II and Speed Force II.
Anyway. Hopefully that helps. Let me know if you'd like to know anything else!
@@barefootrunreview I love the escalante 3 - as sneakers/walking shoes, in winter, when I can't weat thin soles... but I'd never run in them - they are way too heavyvfor running
You were on point with the review. I had the Escalante 4, the shoe was softer and it used to bounce from side to side when picking up the speed. I didn’t like the breathability so I returned and got the racer 2.
The shoe is firmer but it helped when picking up the pace and the upper has a snug fit on the mid foot to prevent the foot from sliding. The racer 2 is a better shoe imo.
I’m thinking of getting a minimalist shoe to strengthen my feet. Do you think that I can strengthen my feet with Altra 0 drop shoes or do I need a minimalist shoes ?
Great! I'm glad they worked for you!
I think both of your statements are true.
- You can build foot strength in Altras
- You can build more foot strength in minimal shoes!
Personally, I advocate the careful use of minimal shoes to allow the body to adapt to forces without cushion. This allows specific areas of the feet and lower legs to strengthen.
At the same time, we have to be careful to build up slowly and allow our tissues and bones to adapt to the higher stresses of minimal shoes.
I write a lot more about this on my website, specifically this post. barefootrunreview.com/the-case-for-barefoot-running/
Feel free to ping me if you want more advice! I'm always happy to talk about this.
Perfect shoe
Glad it works for you!
Thanks for the excellent YT reviews and website - both very good 👍
I would love a recommendation of a competitor to the Escalate Racer for me to try? Does anyone know of one?
I have had three pairs of the original Escalante Racers and found the midsole breaks down too quickly.
My ideal running shoe would be exactly half way between the Xero HFS 2 and Escalante Racer. Eg a bit more Cush than X HFS but more solid and durable than E Racer. Any ideas? Many thanks 🙏
Sure thing! The two shoes that come to mind are the Bahe Revive, and Lems Primal. Both sit at around 10mm in stack height, so remain flexible and somewhat minimal.
The fit of the Bahe is a little deeper than all the shoes mentioned, so beware of that. Both have good width throughout the whole foot.
Worth a look I think
@@barefootrunreview thanks very much, greatly appreciated 🙏
I usually wear pretty minamislist trainers but bought a pair of these for my longer road runs where I want a bit of cushioning. All the reviews said they fit true to size but I have the same issue with the mid and fore foot width. I find the outside of my foot spills over the side and my pinky toe gets cramped up against the upper too, which is the absolute worst thing for running long distance in. Really disappointed because I like everything else about the shoe. I considered buying another pair half a size up but over-long shoes is not ideal for running in. It's a shame that altra only offers the wider fit on a couple models, and even then there's rarely enough stock to service the demand for them. Back to vivo for me.
I got the escalante 2.5 before and hated it because it felt too cushioned and unstable.
Do you think this is more minimalist and firmer?
100% yes. The standard Escalante range has always been somewhat soft (apart from the 3). This Racer 2 is firmer and more stable for me.
What do you think of the insole that comes with both the Escalante and Escalante Racers? I hate them!!! They are weirdly squishy and make any ground feel impossible. I like the Escalates when worn with ‘normal’ insoles taken from other barefoot shoes.
Have you tried reviewing the shoes with different insoles?
@@AndreS_22246that's an Altra thing. Most of their insoles are thick and squishy. I find they tend to flatten over time. I did try both models with a 3mm in sole, but felt I could get a better lockdown with the original insoles. And for me Fit comes first.
@@barefootrunreview thanks. Yes I agree about fit and lockdown, and that you need the correct ‘volume’ from the in sole to achieve that.
I actually bought some quite hard EVA foam in 3mm thickness and cut an insole shape from that. So my ideal set up is: Escalante Racer, take out their insole, add my DIY 3mm layer and a Xero shoes insole.
Sounds daft but I love it!! (Although I wish the Escalante was more durable…)
Thanks for your excellent channel and website.
Does the Racer 2 still have the same shape as the Racer 1 or did the toebox get more narrow?
It is at least as wide.
I never ran in the OG Racer, but from all accounts I've heard the racer 2 has the same fit as the original.
Same fit and shape, but feels differently since it is much heavier and stiffer... the racer two is like weight training for your legs
The Racer 2 is a horrible update. The racer 1 was ok, I've ran thousands of kilometers in them. However it had one problem. It was a bit heavier than traditional lightweight trainers and way heavier than running flats. They were in fact the heaviest shoe in my rotation. They were heavier than my Asics Nooosa 14, which is ridiculous, given the noosa is a definitively non- minimalist shoe. However, the pros weighed out the cons. Zero drop and wide toe box, plus the flexibility was worth the extra weight. ....but here comes the racer 2. A slap in the face of all who loved the original racer. It is 249g in standard size. That is ludicrous. Absolutely ludicrous
What weight did your original Escalante Racers come in at? Oh yeah. What size too?
@@barefootrunreview Racer 1 EU43, 216g/218, Racer 2 EU43 249/251g
It's ridiculous these are the heaviest shoes I have in my rotation. I also have the Metaspeed Sky, the the Asics tri Noosa 14, the Nike Alphafly 1, the Merell Vapor Glove 6 etc.all of which are lighter. I weighed all shoes on the same scale
Wow. I measured my racer 2's EU42.5 at 220g. I'm surprised that 1/2 size could contribute to that much weight gain. I wonder why yours are weighing much more. 🤔
@@barefootrunreview me too...
@barefootrunreview p.s. I've returned them by now. Even if there was something wrong with my scale or my shoes, I didn't see the point in keeping something that's inferior to its predecessor in every respect...I have a pair of racer 1's that will last another 500k ...
You listening to music while making this video? No? Then take the ear buds....
They have a directional microphone which yields better autdio quality than the phone microphone. They are a must for now.
What's your problem 😂
I too have an ear fetish! 😉👂🦻
What in the actual F is wrong with you, mate? Seek help.
You’re a weirdo, why would that bother you? Insufferable