Altra Escalante 4 vs Escalante Racer 2

Which Running Shoe Is Better?

Products

Altra Escalante 4
Altra Escalante Racer 2

Tested using Methodology v0.9

Updated Nov 21, 2025 05:28 PM

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Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v0.8.2

Updated Jan 05, 2026 07:07 PM

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Amazon.com

Our Verdict

Altra Escalante 4

Altra Escalante Racer 2

The Altra Escalante 4 and Altra Escalante Racer 2 are two very similar running shoes, sharing a zero-drop midsole and an anatomical footbed geometry. Two features set them apart, though: The Racer has a lighter, more breathable upper and a slightly thinner, firmer midsole. Neither shoe offers plush cushioning or bouncy foam, but compared to the extremely stiff Racer, the Escalante 4 is a bit more forgiving.

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Variants

  • Escalante 4 (Black - (US - Men 9))
  • Escalante 4 (Black - (US - Women 7))
  • Escalante Racer 2 (Black - (Men - US 9))
  • Escalante Racer 2 (Black - (Women - US 7))
Read more

Main Differences for
Marathon Racing

Threshold 

0.10

Marathon Racing 
 

4.5
3.9

Forefoot Energy Return 
 

5.4
1.9

Weight  

6.7
7.2

Full Comparison

Design

Weight  

6.7
7.2

Right Shoe Weight Photo 
 

Compare High-Res
Altra Escalante 4 Right Shoe Weight Photo
Compare High-Res
Altra Escalante Racer 2 Right Shoe Weight Photo

Left Shoe Weight Photo 
 

Compare High-Res
Altra Escalante 4 Left Shoe Weight Photo
Compare High-Res
Altra Escalante Racer 2 Left Shoe Weight Photo

Weight 
 

241.4 g (8.52 oz)
227.5 g (8.02 oz)

Stack Heights 
 

Stack Height Photo 
 

Compare High-Res
Altra Escalante 4 Stack Height Photo
Compare High-Res
Altra Escalante Racer 2 Stack Height Photo

Heel Stack Height 
 

24.3 mm
22.7 mm

Forefoot Stack Height 
 

22.9 mm
22.5 mm

Heel-To-Toe Drop 
 

1.4 mm
0.2 mm

Advertised Heel-To-Toe Drop 
 

0.0 mm
0.0 mm

External Shape 
 

3D Model Full Shoe  

Preview 3D
Altra Escalante 4 3D Model Full Shoe
Preview 3D
Altra Escalante Racer 2 3D Model Full Shoe

Outsole Heel Width 
 

79 mm (3.1")
79 mm (3.1")

Outsole Arch Width 
 

74 mm (2.9")
74 mm (2.9")

Outsole Forefoot Width 
 

114 mm (4.5")
114 mm (4.5")

Heel Width-To-Stack Ratio 
 

3.25
3.48

Forefoot Width-To-Stack Ratio 
 

4.98
5.07

Internal Shape 
 

3D Model Internal  

Preview 3D
Altra Escalante 4 3D Model Internal
Preview 3D
Altra Escalante Racer 2 3D Model Internal

Internal Length 
 

273 mm (10.7")
277 mm (10.9")

Internal Heel Width 
 

60 mm (2.4")
63 mm (2.5")

Internal Forefoot Width 
 

97 mm (3.8")
99 mm (3.9")

Wide Sizing Available 
 

No
No

Other Features  

Other Features Photo 
 

Compare High-Res
Altra Escalante 4 Other Features Photo
Compare High-Res
Altra Escalante Racer 2 Other Features Photo

Tongue Gusset Type 
 

Non-gusseted
Non-gusseted

Plate 
 

None
None
Performance

Heel Energy Return 
 

1.6
0.8

Heel Compression Video  

Heel Energy Return  

 Preview Graph
Altra Escalante 4 Heel Energy Return
 Preview Graph
Altra Escalante Racer 2 Heel Energy Return

Heel Energy Return 
 

66.8%
63.1%

Forefoot Energy Return 
 

5.4
1.9

Forefoot Compression Video  

Forefoot Energy Return  

 Preview Graph
Altra Escalante 4 Forefoot Energy Return
 Preview Graph
Altra Escalante Racer 2 Forefoot Energy Return

Forefoot Energy Return 
 

72.4%
67.7%

Heel Cushioning 
 

3.3
2.3

Heel Cushioning Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Altra Escalante 4 Heel Cushioning Picture
Compare High-Res
Altra Escalante Racer 2 Heel Cushioning Picture

Heel Cushioning  

 Preview Graph
Altra Escalante 4 Heel Cushioning
 Preview Graph
Altra Escalante Racer 2 Heel Cushioning

Energy Absorbed At 550N 
 

2.03 J
1.50 J

Energy Absorbed At 1100N 
 

5.26 J
4.18 J

Energy Absorbed At 1900N 
 

8.44 J
7.55 J

Forefoot Cushioning 
 

4.8
4.2

Forefoot Cushioning Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Altra Escalante 4 Forefoot Cushioning Picture
Compare High-Res
Altra Escalante Racer 2 Forefoot Cushioning Picture

Forefoot Cushioning  

 Preview Graph
Altra Escalante 4 Forefoot Cushioning
 Preview Graph
Altra Escalante Racer 2 Forefoot Cushioning

Energy Absorbed At 800N 
 

3.17 J
2.62 J

Energy Absorbed At 1300N 
 

5.17 J
4.73 J

Energy Absorbed At 2050N 
 

7.39 J
7.30 J

Heel Firmness 
 

8.7
8.9

Heel Firmness  

 Preview Graph
Altra Escalante 4 Heel Firmness
 Preview Graph
Altra Escalante Racer 2 Heel Firmness

Firmness At 550N 
 

89.5 N/mm
125.2 N/mm

Firmness At 1100N 
 

222.0 N/mm
227.4 N/mm

Firmness At 1900N 
 

487.5 N/mm
429.8 N/mm

Forefoot Firmness 
 

9.4
9.3

Forefoot Firmness  

 Preview Graph
Altra Escalante 4 Forefoot Firmness
 Preview Graph
Altra Escalante Racer 2 Forefoot Firmness

Firmness At 800N 
 

174.3 N/mm
176.9 N/mm

Firmness At 1300N 
 

379.5 N/mm
334.4 N/mm

Firmness At 2050N 
 

675.8 N/mm
569.7 N/mm

Forefoot Long Run Cushioning 
 

3.9

Forefoot Long Run Cushioning  

 Preview Graph
Altra Escalante 4 Forefoot Long Run Cushioning

Energy Absorbed At 10km 
 

4.59 J

Energy Absorbed At 20km 
 

4.37 J

Energy Absorbed At 30km 
 

4.22 J

Energy Absorbed At 40km 
 

4.10 J

Altra Escalante 4

Altra Escalante Racer 2

Comments

  1. Comparison

Altra Escalante 4 vs Altra Escalante Racer 2: Main Discussion

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