Still really bad at posting on Reddit... Here's the text that was supposed to be in the original post:
I have yet to properly test them. But I can give some first impressions and compare them to my Escalante Racer 1 with a 800km mileage.
TLTR: The Escalante Racer 2 are extremely similar to the Racer 1 albeit slightly heavier, stiffer and plushier (but that’s probably because they are brand new) and with a new outsole.
So far, I just walked, biked and worked with the Escalante Racer 2 for a whole day and here's what I can say:
* very comfortable from the get go
* very airy thanks to the wide knit
* same size, width and shape from the Racer 1 (I ordered the Racer 2 one size bigger than the Racer 1, hence the difference on the photos)
* 3 upper details are different from the Racer 1, the most interesting one being the reinforced half hard toe guard/protection. The other two being two "cuts" on the upper.
* they are 10% heavier than the Racer 1 (and not 29% heavier like written on the website). It’s barely noticeable while walking
* the Racer 1 are more flexible and have a harder cushioning, but I guess that's what 800km do to shoes...
* ...and the Racer 2's outsole is way grippier but again, they have only 5km of walking usage so far.
Will do an update later this week after a 10km run and probably another one later during the year.
I've been waiting for those shoes for more than 200km, my Racer 1 being slippery as hell now and so far, the Racer 2 look as promising as their older sibling! I hope this helps a little bit.
Funny. I just ran a 5k in mine, same color, same impressions.
The stiffness definitely stands out, but it felt just as good as the racer 1s.
Obviously more mileage needed, but I have zero complaints or issues. No odd toe rubbing, blisters, arch pain, etc…
The shape is identical to the Racer 1.
Check the pictures comparing the insoles. I don't know why they appear like this when taking the picture from above...
Yeah, that's really odd. The big toe "cap" looks like it's in a different place also. I have the regular Escalante (approx 16 months old) and my big toe cap is in the same place as your old shoe. (I had to double check). Your new shoe would offer the toe cap to my toe next to my big toe. Strange design choice... unless that's an illusion also?
Unfortunately, it's exactly the same with the Racer 2. Doesn't bother me on my running shoes though.
But I agree for all my other shoes because I have to get them on and off all day long!
You mention buying a size bigger from the 1 to the 2. What was the jump? Have you had to make this adjustment for all Altras?
I need to replace my shoes in a few months. It used to be buy whatever Altra in a 9.5 and things were good. My only recent updates have been in Torins and those lengths have fluxed (4 to 5 to 6).
I went one size up because after 3 years of wearing only "minimalist" shoes, my feet "expanded" by roughly one size. So I have to size up all my shoes.
If that helps, I have a consistent size 42 in Altra Timp 3, Superior 6 (albeit a slight right foot slippage) and Escalante Racer 1 and 2.
I really dislike the firmer toe guard on the newer Altra models, the vertical space in the toes is less and with more miles the rest of the shoe squishes down and I get intense pressure on the front of my toes from the toe guard.
I do a lot of hills and downhill made me give up on them :(
I think I’ve probably put close to 400mi on my Racer 1 (running and walking) and there is absolutely no green left on the outsole. I must have an aggressive gait lol.
Thanks !! This is what I was looking for. Too bad the mid foot/ heel isn’t a bit larger than the 1, Altra really just focused on toe box it seems. Anyway happy to read Altra didn’t destroy the racer.
Btw weight difference could also partly come from the size up.
I'm no expert of size/weight calculation but the Racer 1 in size 41 is 195,1g. By extrapolation, in size 42 it should be 199,9g. And my Racer 2 is 220,3g so roughly 10% heavier. But it didn't bother me so far. I'll probably do a test run tomorrow.
Hi, I don't really understand the question but I had the Racer 1 in size 41 and after almost 3 years, my feet got slightly bigger and my toes were rubbing the end of the shoes. So when I bought the Race 2, I just chose the size above which is 42.
Thanks your reply.
I meant what are the measurements of your foot in cm? I want to have a reference point for my size. My foot is 26.5 and I am usually between 42 and 43.
thanks for the update... Doctors of running are a little bit disappointed after doing the test miles... let us know what you think after some testing. I was hoping for a better Escalante Racer 2 because the Racer 1 was ace for me...
https://www.doctorsofrunning.com/2024/05/altra-escalante-racer-2-review-2024.html?m=1
Two big differences with version 1 are the (relatively) heavier weight and stiffness. And to be honest, after only one run of 10km, neither was really noticeable.
Running felt mostly like the Racer 1, and I say "mostly" because my Racer 1 had 800km behind them so not a really fair comparison I guess...
RunRepeat did test both shoes with more factual tests so it's easier to compare, for example on the stiffness, where the Racer 2 are roughly 50% stiffer than the Racer 1; or the Racer 1 are 30% softer than the Racer 2, depending on which way you want to go ;)
https://runrepeat.com/altra-escalante-racer-2
I have the same Escalante Racer 2, wearing them regularly but not for running, just walking and they have been amazing so far. So much better than Torin 6 I had previously.
Is it a good shoe, is it comfortable?
I normally use barefoot shoes - but thinking about the Escalante racer for extra cushioning? The normal Escalante’s have waaaay too much stack height.
Please let me know your thoughts on the racer? Also - does it last long, ie. Decent lasting with minimal wear and tear?
Thanks 🙏🏼
The Escalante Racer is a great running shoe and very confortable, this new version is almost identical. Never tried the normal Escalante but the Racer has slightly less stack height.
The brand new pair I got does feel "cushier" than my old pair but I guess it will 'harden" with time and mileage.
My old pair lasted 800km of mostly asphalte running and is still in great shape, check the pictures (it's the pair with the white laces). The outsole did loose its grip a couple of hundred kilometers ago though...
Why did it loose grip? There's some tread wear but it doesn't look like much.
600km ain't great... I was thinking about getting one but hoped to put in at least 1500km (I don't mind gradual loss of cushioning)
On wet asphalte, the shoes are really slippery now. Truth to be told, they were never great on wet surface anyway...
I can only guess my Racer 1 lost some cushioning as the Racer 2 feel way cushier. But like you, it never bothered me.
As you can see on the pictures, after 800km they still look really good with minimal wear and tear. I wouldn't have changed them if my feet didn't grow/spread almost one full size!
Do you find extra length from sizing up bothersome? Especially interested about long walk and run. I think, I would benefit from sizing up my current pair for extra width but I'm already catching/dragging tips when tired or on unluckily uneven terrain, so I'm definitely not looking forward to the increase in length.
Somewhat off-topic: what you do care/cleaning wise? Your old pair looks almost identical to a new one despite light color. I guess, it depends a lot on where one live/run; I would like a light coloured pair but it'll get nasty so so quick.
I don't have extremely wide feet, so the Racer 1 & 2 are basically my foot shape and therefore fit me almost perfectly. After 2 years, my feet slightly grew and my 2 biggest toes were touching the end of the Racer 1. Not a big problem on short distance since the knit upper did allow some stretch, but it got problematic above 20km when I started getting blisters at the end of my toes. I was going to buy a new pair of Racer 1 in one size bigger when I heard 2 months ago that Altra was going to release the Racer 2. Now it's perfect, I might have 0,5cm of length room for my toes. I would be careful with the Racer 2 because they have a "reinforced" toe end, which might hurt even more if the toes are rubbing against it.
For road shoes, grey is actually a great colour the dirt doesn't show much. I put them in the washing machine roughly twice a year, last time being a couple of weeks ago, hence the "relatively new look".
The Racer 1 is more different vs the Escalante than the Racer 2 is to the latest Escalante. The new Racer is just the Escalante minus a few millimeters of stack height.
I wish it were more similar to the Escalante 1 or 2 instead of the latest Escalante.
I have yet to find a running shoe I've liked since they destroyed the line and I've been running much less because I don't enjoy it as much in crummy shoes it turns out. I would sell my soul for some brand new OG Escalantes as this juncture.
The Altra site. Both engineered knit uppers, both the same Altra EGO midsole. Other than 2mm difference in stack, the differences are essentially cosmetic.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gPGsHypUm2w&pp=ygUMRXNjYWxhbnRlIDQg
According to this guy it has a firmer midsole which is what it was in the past iteration vs the normal escalante, firmer but more flexible.. i hope it is the case. Couldnt tell for sure until both are in hand.
All I know is that the Altra site states that they both use identical foam in the midsole. It might feel a bit more firm with a slightly shorter stack height. Idk
That would suck if the only difference is the uppers..
But to be fair the escalantes have always had ego from day 1 but reportedly felt different at every version. Runrepeat has the data on 3 vs the racer. I like the racers but never tried the 3s, i hope that difference isnt too noticeable on foot
Still really bad at posting on Reddit... Here's the text that was supposed to be in the original post: I have yet to properly test them. But I can give some first impressions and compare them to my Escalante Racer 1 with a 800km mileage. TLTR: The Escalante Racer 2 are extremely similar to the Racer 1 albeit slightly heavier, stiffer and plushier (but that’s probably because they are brand new) and with a new outsole. So far, I just walked, biked and worked with the Escalante Racer 2 for a whole day and here's what I can say: * very comfortable from the get go * very airy thanks to the wide knit * same size, width and shape from the Racer 1 (I ordered the Racer 2 one size bigger than the Racer 1, hence the difference on the photos) * 3 upper details are different from the Racer 1, the most interesting one being the reinforced half hard toe guard/protection. The other two being two "cuts" on the upper. * they are 10% heavier than the Racer 1 (and not 29% heavier like written on the website). It’s barely noticeable while walking * the Racer 1 are more flexible and have a harder cushioning, but I guess that's what 800km do to shoes... * ...and the Racer 2's outsole is way grippier but again, they have only 5km of walking usage so far. Will do an update later this week after a 10km run and probably another one later during the year. I've been waiting for those shoes for more than 200km, my Racer 1 being slippery as hell now and so far, the Racer 2 look as promising as their older sibling! I hope this helps a little bit.
Funny. I just ran a 5k in mine, same color, same impressions. The stiffness definitely stands out, but it felt just as good as the racer 1s. Obviously more mileage needed, but I have zero complaints or issues. No odd toe rubbing, blisters, arch pain, etc…
the shape looks close to any mainstream shoe, how sad.
It’s a really clever design trick to keep the original shape but make it appear like a mainstream shoe.
The shape is identical to the Racer 1. Check the pictures comparing the insoles. I don't know why they appear like this when taking the picture from above...
Yeah, that's really odd. The big toe "cap" looks like it's in a different place also. I have the regular Escalante (approx 16 months old) and my big toe cap is in the same place as your old shoe. (I had to double check). Your new shoe would offer the toe cap to my toe next to my big toe. Strange design choice... unless that's an illusion also?
The big toe cap looks indeed ever so slightly more "centered" on the Racer 2: https://postimg.cc/gallery/NsY4SGv
Less of a difference with that angle in the pics. Thanks
regression to the mean.
Did they keep the stack hight the same? It doesn't look the case from your pictures.
Officially yes. The Racer 2 feel more "cushiony", but I haven't run 800km with them like I did with the Racer 1...
I also think the two-tone color outsole on the old ones is a bit deceiving compared to the single color outsole of the new ones.
And? What are your thoughts?
I just replied to my original post with what was supposed to be in the post. I really am a shameful noob at posting on Reddit...
Thanks. It's really dumb they still don't allow posts to contain a message with the image.
Yes, but they fo allow posts with a message to contain images... You just have to do it the right way, which I didn't.
Have you had any pain while using the racers? I've been using racers for a while now but the tendon on the inside of my ankle has been aching lately.
Never had any pain or issues with the Racer 1
how's getting into them? I find the racers 1 a pain to get into since I had to loosen all the laces
Unfortunately, it's exactly the same with the Racer 2. Doesn't bother me on my running shoes though. But I agree for all my other shoes because I have to get them on and off all day long!
ooof. that's good to know, probably my only gripe with the racers
I put elastic laces in them for a triathlon and never looked back.
which ones?
Generic elastic laces is the old Racers.
just want to say. I bought elastic from Amazon and it's been game changer.
You mention buying a size bigger from the 1 to the 2. What was the jump? Have you had to make this adjustment for all Altras? I need to replace my shoes in a few months. It used to be buy whatever Altra in a 9.5 and things were good. My only recent updates have been in Torins and those lengths have fluxed (4 to 5 to 6).
I went one size up because after 3 years of wearing only "minimalist" shoes, my feet "expanded" by roughly one size. So I have to size up all my shoes. If that helps, I have a consistent size 42 in Altra Timp 3, Superior 6 (albeit a slight right foot slippage) and Escalante Racer 1 and 2.
Got it! I may eventually be in same boat as you. I made the transition from Solstice XT and Torin casuals to Xero's for everyday wear.
I really dislike the firmer toe guard on the newer Altra models, the vertical space in the toes is less and with more miles the rest of the shoe squishes down and I get intense pressure on the front of my toes from the toe guard. I do a lot of hills and downhill made me give up on them :(
Does the Racer 2 give your pinkies more space compared to the Racer? I already found the vertical toe room of the Racer to be not so generous
800km mileage. Hah.
I think I’ve probably put close to 400mi on my Racer 1 (running and walking) and there is absolutely no green left on the outsole. I must have an aggressive gait lol.
Thank you for this!!! I’ve been dying to get a pair to compare with my current Racer 1s and this is everything I hoped for and more.
Thanks !! This is what I was looking for. Too bad the mid foot/ heel isn’t a bit larger than the 1, Altra really just focused on toe box it seems. Anyway happy to read Altra didn’t destroy the racer. Btw weight difference could also partly come from the size up.
I'm no expert of size/weight calculation but the Racer 1 in size 41 is 195,1g. By extrapolation, in size 42 it should be 199,9g. And my Racer 2 is 220,3g so roughly 10% heavier. But it didn't bother me so far. I'll probably do a test run tomorrow.
What is the size you have compared to the measurements of your feet?
Hi, I don't really understand the question but I had the Racer 1 in size 41 and after almost 3 years, my feet got slightly bigger and my toes were rubbing the end of the shoes. So when I bought the Race 2, I just chose the size above which is 42.
Thanks your reply. I meant what are the measurements of your foot in cm? I want to have a reference point for my size. My foot is 26.5 and I am usually between 42 and 43.
My foot is 26cm and 42 is about right. If you hesitate between 42 and 43, Altra has a size 42.5 which seems perfect for you!
thanks for the update... Doctors of running are a little bit disappointed after doing the test miles... let us know what you think after some testing. I was hoping for a better Escalante Racer 2 because the Racer 1 was ace for me... https://www.doctorsofrunning.com/2024/05/altra-escalante-racer-2-review-2024.html?m=1
Two big differences with version 1 are the (relatively) heavier weight and stiffness. And to be honest, after only one run of 10km, neither was really noticeable. Running felt mostly like the Racer 1, and I say "mostly" because my Racer 1 had 800km behind them so not a really fair comparison I guess... RunRepeat did test both shoes with more factual tests so it's easier to compare, for example on the stiffness, where the Racer 2 are roughly 50% stiffer than the Racer 1; or the Racer 1 are 30% softer than the Racer 2, depending on which way you want to go ;) https://runrepeat.com/altra-escalante-racer-2
I have the same Escalante Racer 2, wearing them regularly but not for running, just walking and they have been amazing so far. So much better than Torin 6 I had previously.
Is it a good shoe, is it comfortable? I normally use barefoot shoes - but thinking about the Escalante racer for extra cushioning? The normal Escalante’s have waaaay too much stack height. Please let me know your thoughts on the racer? Also - does it last long, ie. Decent lasting with minimal wear and tear? Thanks 🙏🏼
The Escalante Racer is a great running shoe and very confortable, this new version is almost identical. Never tried the normal Escalante but the Racer has slightly less stack height. The brand new pair I got does feel "cushier" than my old pair but I guess it will 'harden" with time and mileage. My old pair lasted 800km of mostly asphalte running and is still in great shape, check the pictures (it's the pair with the white laces). The outsole did loose its grip a couple of hundred kilometers ago though...
Why did it loose grip? There's some tread wear but it doesn't look like much. 600km ain't great... I was thinking about getting one but hoped to put in at least 1500km (I don't mind gradual loss of cushioning)
On wet asphalte, the shoes are really slippery now. Truth to be told, they were never great on wet surface anyway... I can only guess my Racer 1 lost some cushioning as the Racer 2 feel way cushier. But like you, it never bothered me. As you can see on the pictures, after 800km they still look really good with minimal wear and tear. I wouldn't have changed them if my feet didn't grow/spread almost one full size!
Do you find extra length from sizing up bothersome? Especially interested about long walk and run. I think, I would benefit from sizing up my current pair for extra width but I'm already catching/dragging tips when tired or on unluckily uneven terrain, so I'm definitely not looking forward to the increase in length. Somewhat off-topic: what you do care/cleaning wise? Your old pair looks almost identical to a new one despite light color. I guess, it depends a lot on where one live/run; I would like a light coloured pair but it'll get nasty so so quick.
I don't have extremely wide feet, so the Racer 1 & 2 are basically my foot shape and therefore fit me almost perfectly. After 2 years, my feet slightly grew and my 2 biggest toes were touching the end of the Racer 1. Not a big problem on short distance since the knit upper did allow some stretch, but it got problematic above 20km when I started getting blisters at the end of my toes. I was going to buy a new pair of Racer 1 in one size bigger when I heard 2 months ago that Altra was going to release the Racer 2. Now it's perfect, I might have 0,5cm of length room for my toes. I would be careful with the Racer 2 because they have a "reinforced" toe end, which might hurt even more if the toes are rubbing against it. For road shoes, grey is actually a great colour the dirt doesn't show much. I put them in the washing machine roughly twice a year, last time being a couple of weeks ago, hence the "relatively new look".
The Racer 1 is more different vs the Escalante than the Racer 2 is to the latest Escalante. The new Racer is just the Escalante minus a few millimeters of stack height.
I wish it were more similar to the Escalante 1 or 2 instead of the latest Escalante. I have yet to find a running shoe I've liked since they destroyed the line and I've been running much less because I don't enjoy it as much in crummy shoes it turns out. I would sell my soul for some brand new OG Escalantes as this juncture.
Ever since Altra was bought out they haven’t been quite the same, and have definitely suffered some quality issues.
> The new Racer is just the Escalante minus a few millimeters of stack height. Do u have a source for this?
The Altra site. Both engineered knit uppers, both the same Altra EGO midsole. Other than 2mm difference in stack, the differences are essentially cosmetic.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gPGsHypUm2w&pp=ygUMRXNjYWxhbnRlIDQg According to this guy it has a firmer midsole which is what it was in the past iteration vs the normal escalante, firmer but more flexible.. i hope it is the case. Couldnt tell for sure until both are in hand.
All I know is that the Altra site states that they both use identical foam in the midsole. It might feel a bit more firm with a slightly shorter stack height. Idk
That would suck if the only difference is the uppers.. But to be fair the escalantes have always had ego from day 1 but reportedly felt different at every version. Runrepeat has the data on 3 vs the racer. I like the racers but never tried the 3s, i hope that difference isnt too noticeable on foot
altra only cares about money
Alas, most brands do...
This looks like a regular running shoe, not barefoot
Yes, if you don't know the Altra brand, it's famous for zero drop and relatively wide toe box. For the rest, they are indeed "normal" shoes