Altra ESCALANTE 4 Man - Dark Shadow

(Instructions for choosing the right size and "Petri's Product Description" see below. Size and color inquiries: info@petrisbarefoot.com)

Zero drop - Wide toe space - Light - Moderately flexible and little thicker sole - VEGAN

Simplified and refreshed. Altra built the Escalante 4 as a nod to the fan-favorite Escalante 1.5, with FootShape fit, greater flexibility, and a lighter weight. Tackle fast training runs, daily walks, or everyday errands in this streamlined and versatile road-mile destroyer. It’s got an engineered knit upper for a more sock-like and forgiving fit, with a knit tongue, just like the original Escalante. Altra evolved the rubber midsole for a lighter weight and more flexibility so you can feel connected to the road. A new footbed feels more like the iconic Escalante 1.5 and 2.0, with the same Altra EGO™ midsole foam for responsiveness and comfort. Move the way you were designed to with a roomy toe box to help your toes move freely and zero drop. So much comfort and style in such a simple shoe? Lace it up, take it out, and see for yourself!

FEATURES

• Midsole: Altra EGO™
• Outsole: rubber
• Drop: 0 mm
• Stack Height: 24 mm
• Upper: Engineered Knit
• Footshape: Original
• Cushioning: Low
• Line: Road
• Weight: 212 g

CHOOSING THE RIGHT SIZE

NEVER CHOOSE YOUR "OLD SIZE" if you haven't worn the exact same shoe before! Sizes vary between different models even from the same manufacturer and the size of the shoes you've worn before may have been wrong in size, etc. - there are many possibilities for error.

Also, note that manufacturers' own size charts are often far from accurate. Also, too often only one size chart is used even though the same sizes for different shoe models actually differ from each other, etc.

To find the right size, do the following -

1) First check the length of your feet according to the following instructions. Measure with an assistant if possible (Note! Read the shoe model description below to make sure that you are choosing the right shoe for yourself!):

1. Place the paper on a hard floor next to a wall and step on it BAREFOOT, making sure that your heel slightly touches the wall behind you.
2. Mark the end of your big toe or the outer part of your toes on the paper and repeat the procedure with your other foot. (Note! Make your foot as long as possible to make the measurement easier, keep all your weight on the foot being measured)
3. Finally, measure the distance from the edge of the paper to the end of the big toe or the outermost part of your foot at 90 degrees angle to the paper and write it down for yourself.

2) Add about 1-1.5 (2) cm of room to the measurement of your longer foot you got above to get the required shoe size (inner length of the shoe).

3) Choose the right size from the table below, but also take into account the things below the table! We have checked the inner dimensions of this model at PETRI'S BAREFOOT as follows -

Altra Escalante 4 Man's inner lengths:

EU 41 - 26,8 cm

EU 42 - 27,1 cm

EU 42.5 - 27,6 cm

EU 43 - 28 cm

EU 44 - 28,5 cm

EU 44.5 - 29,0 cm

EU 45 - 29,3 cm

EU 46 - 29,7 cm

EU 46.5 - 30,1 cm

EU 47 - 30,6 cm

EU 48 - (length available when in stock)

EU 49 - (length available when in stock)

4) Check the length of your foot again. The longer foot is the one you are looking for! The correct size rarely matches the full EU size.

1. If you have a wide foot compared to the shoe model, always choose the larger size if you are between two sizes. This applies especially to those with a significant width and/or chest in the middle of the foot in relation to the shoe.
2. If you have a narrower foot, you can consider a smaller size as long as there is at least 0.8/1 cm of extra space.
3. If the arch of your toes differs significantly from the arch of the toe of the shoe, you should choose a larger size if you suspect that one of your toes may touch the front of the shoe at a point other than the longest point of the shoe.

5) Finally, if you can't decide, you can always order two pairs of shoes of the same model for fitting. However, remember to return the wrong size soon because someone is probably also waiting for them, thank you!

PETRI'S PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 

Escalante's update from 3 to 4 has been a return to the old in good sense. The new model of Escalante - as much as 50 grams of "useless" structure has been removed from the shoe. So it is quite a bit lighter than before. The sole of the shoe is more flexible than in 3 and the heel is clearly narrower. Sizing of the shoe is half the number larger than its predecessor.

This wonderful and really cool-looking road running shoe can also be worn perfecty with jeans. The total height of the sole is below average for Altra shoes, but of course the Escalante is a thick-soled shoe if you approach the matter from the barefoot world. The shoe has a lot of room in the toes and the ankle does not get sprained easily, so it is also suitable for relaxed family games. A really versatile shoe! 

On the scale of pure barefoot shoe - hybrid model - minimalist shoe (thick-soled barefoot shoe), I count the Escalante as the "thick-soled barefoot shoe".

Suitability for barefoot shoe beginners

I can recommend the Escalante as your first (thick-soled) barefoot shoe, because it is safe to walk and run also longer distances right from the start. Of course, the zero drop can take some time to get used to, so listen to yourself before you rush into a half marathon with your new shoes.

Take off the insole from time to time and notice how the ground feel and the shoe changes! Also, remember your footwork from the start if you later want to get more pure barefoot shoes. Try to get away from heavy heel strike before you buy thinner-soled barefoot shoes - you can practice that too with the Escalante.

Suitability for experienced barefooters

Escalante is a stress-free and casual shoe that looks good even with you blue jeans. You need probably little more cushioning time to time on longer runs and/or if your legs are sometimes overstressed? Remove the insoles and the ground feel starts to remind more of a barefoot shoe - the Escalantes are not the most damped road shoes anyway. All other good characteristics of a barefoot shoe are found in the shoe, except for the thickness of the sole.