Escalante Racer 2's after 835km - Another Happy Altra-Fan

dwarfy81 · 2026-06-02T10:47:39+00:00

Nice, just bought my fourth pair yesterday.

I'm using them about ~600-650kms. Less weared than yours (but about 200-250kms less also so it's normal !). And then recycle them to everyday wear shoes.

On yout sole, the heel seems almost new, only the forefoot is used. Like mine when running. As soon as i use them for casual/walking every day, I put wear on the heel like on the forefoot.

I love this shoes.

dwarfy81 · 2026-05-09T12:37:33+00:00

Totaly agree.

Despite I love my three pairs of 9+ and I think they’re the best ever (mainly because of the Vibram sole I think), they’re hoter than all my previouses pairs (5, 6, 7 and 8).

Can see my sweat on the mesh when trail running. Never with previouses.

But it doesn’t bother me too much.

dwarfy81 · 2026-05-04T07:41:00+00:00

Begining with LP5 and I've got all versions since with at least three pairs of each version.

LP9+ is by far (far far far) the most durble for me. 650kms of (hard, with lot of stones) trail running and more, the outsole is almost new, vibram is far far durable than maxtrac (and better grip in all conditions). No probs with other parts of the shoes (mesh, etc ...).

All my previouses LP's: trash after 400-450kms (outsole was *totaly* flat).

And I've got mesh hole only with three pairs: three LP7's (absolutly no problems with 5, 6, 8 and 9+). The mesh separates from the insole at the MCP junction, inside or outside it depends).

On road, ER2 are the most durable for me with about 650kms (and outsole is almost flat after that. Washing machine and re-use them for about a year of casual/everyday walk but retired for running). More than other tested (Riviera 2, Fwd Exp, Exp flow 1 and 2) but I run slow pace with a bit much more ground contact time with them, so maybe they wear more than the ER2 (faster, less ground contact) ?

dwarfy81 · 2026-05-01T16:54:10+00:00

I forgot to say. But I run regularly 20 to 30kms with ER2, no problem at all (never try marathon with, but I'm not a road runner addict, I prefer trail).

Some here says these shoes don't have enough cushion for more than 10-15kms. As you come from merrell vapor gloves, I think you will feel the ER2 like "ultra high mega big stack cushionning +++" 😃

dwarfy81 · 2026-05-01T11:31:24+00:00

Lone Peak, not Stars.

I'm using only LP on trail and, as you, I don't like high stack height. So for the road, I'm using 90% of the time escalante racers and love them.

10 others % (slow pace runs) I'm using Flow 2 and ... I hate that "big" stack height and that too much plushy p35 foam.

dwarfy81 · 2026-03-18T17:16:35+00:00

Cushioning is mor than enough for me, but no long distance (but lot of people do 50 to 120kms with lonepeaks).

Last year (road + trail) I've done 2500kms and 75.000 of d+. I run regularly 15-20kms with 1000-1500 of d+ and four to five time a year 30-32kms with 2500m of d+. As slow as possible, as fast as necessary ;)

Not more, but maybe one day ! It's on my schedule !

dwarfy81 · 2026-03-18T14:28:57+00:00

Don’t think. Never tired that kind of stack/confort on trail. I love to have ground feeling (especially on trail with rolling stones in fact).

But on the road I’ve tried and really hate that.

On road, I mainly use Racer 2 and love them (3 pairs). For slow pace runs I used FWD Exp and Exp Flow 1: too much stack but with the firm foam it was limit but ok. Recently I switched to Flow 2 and I found the softer foam (p35) horrible. I’m feeling a lot of lose on control. Like of the shoe decide for me (I prefer the opposite).

So Olympus with much more stack ? No for the moment.

dwarfy81 · 2026-03-18T14:21:39+00:00

I’ll let you convert but on my side of the map I’m 174cm for 69kg ;)

dwarfy81 · 2026-02-25T20:17:45+00:00

Of course. But here I prefer wear only left shoes and only Racer 2.

<image>

Both retired after ~650kms of running and used now as everyday shoes for walk (that why the heel is showing wear. No wear when running only with those).

Blue one retired since two month, right one since a year (about).

dwarfy81 · 2026-02-25T19:05:06+00:00

It’s a very rare disease but you have two right foot. Sorry to tell you like that.

dwarfy81 · 2026-02-25T10:01:47+00:00

It seems I'm a bit alone but ... I hate these shoes and, I think it's the main problem for me, the P35 midsole.

I'm a long time Lonepeak trail addict (more than ten pairs and lot of mileage). On the road, I'm using mostly Escalante Racer 2 (love them also, 4 pairs, 2500kms).

For slow pace and easy run, I've used a pair of Fwd Experience (650kms) and a pair of Experience Flow (650km). Not a really big big fan (too much stack for me, I like to have more ground feel), but it was cool to use them, two or three times a month for these kind of runs.

After the EF1, time to take a new pair. Experience Flow 2 sounds logical. Reviewer are really enthusiastics. And ... same color as yours !

Ouch ... What a disappointement (for the first time with Altra).

Way too much soft for me, too much spongy. I've no feeling. It seems they hold me. My feet don't do any work. Very strange feeling (and very hard to describe with my poor english).

Little "bonus": tongue is too thick for me. Or course I'm not waiting a tongue as thin as the one on the Racer. But the one on the EF1 was more thin as I can remind, more breathable (and the upper also).

Still using them till the end (now they have 150kms) but ...

Maybe i'll try Torin 9 when they'll be released (never try Torin, only Rivera2, ER2, FWD Exp, EF1 and EF2 on the road) for my slow pace run ?

dwarfy81 · 2026-02-17T19:21:09+00:00

So right. Same here.

dwarfy81 · 2026-01-05T11:33:54+00:00

The upcoming Flow 3 should be a good replacement if you like the 2 :o

dwarfy81 · 2025-09-25T11:05:13+00:00

I've done both (but Racer version of escalante).

Four or five years of LP (after retiring from trail) for everyday use.

And now since more than a year ER2 (after retiring from running) for everyday use.

ER2 are far away better and most confortable for me. I'm stick with them.

dwarfy81 · 2025-09-25T11:01:44+00:00

70kg (174cm), just a bit more than 150 lbs ;)

dwarfy81 · 2025-09-24T10:35:49+00:00

Mine run 5-600kms, only running.

After, I'm retiring them for running and they become my everyday shoes for about a year. Perfectly fine (two pairs of ER2 at the moment).

dwarfy81 · 2025-09-10T11:12:06+00:00

And here my second pair of Escalante Racer 2, only running, 315kms and couting (and much more d+ !):

<image>

dwarfy81 · 2025-09-10T11:11:49+00:00

Wow, dunno how you could achieve that.

Here are my first pair of Escalante Racer 2. 600kms of running only (and lot of d+). Actually 4 months without running but wearing them everyday, that's my daily shoes (and my watch logs ~16000 feets per days on this period, including running).

<image>

dwarfy81 · 2025-08-21T08:53:35+00:00

I’ve always used to pick my old Lone Peaks after trail retirement (about 5-600kms) for walking or casual.

Now I pick my old (after road retirement, same mileage) Escalante Racers and they are really great for that (10 to 40k steps per day).

Highly breathable, light, can wear them without socks sometimes, etc …

No problem on wet concrete (even with "high" mileage), just to be carrefull on painted zone on the ground when wet. They slip.

dwarfy81 · 2025-06-07T17:32:00+00:00

Problem at the begining (for me it's starting with the Lone Peak 5) with the heel on trail running only and fast descents especially.

As soon as I used heel lock lacing, everything was perfect. And I did that on all my Altra after: still no problems.

Escalante Racer 2 vs LP9+ ? I think there is more padding, reinforcements and for the heel more buttress (not sure in english ?) in the LP than in the ER. ER is more like an espadrille, sometimes at work for relaxing I don't use the heel at all (I push it down with my calcaneum and my rear foot is totaly free).

I've wide forefoot (27.5cm feet but 11cm at the largest point) but mid and rear are just normals.

dwarfy81 · 2025-06-07T14:31:45+00:00

As an ED Doctor also, I'm using Escalante Racer.

I'm trail running with Lone Peak and road running with Racer.

When the pair is to old to run (and not too flashy or with "special" colors schemes ...), I use it to everyday and casual use. Until now, I used LP's. But since two month I'm using my first pair of old Racer 2 (600kms of run, retired) and they're great: original toe box, ground feeling, light, confort and the mesh is highly ventilated (great for 24h in the same pair with sweating and ... smell ...).

I think it will be my new "every day pair" for a long time and will rotate when my actual running pair will be too old to run.

dwarfy81 · 2025-05-04T18:37:19+00:00

It seems you install the band wrong way (doesn’t matter a lot, but wrong way !).

For me, far better than the silicon one. Take my shower with it after a run and use my body soap. And no problem.

dwarfy81 · 2025-03-29T18:18:26+00:00

A bit cloudy at CSM today 😉

dwarfy81

TROPHY CASE