ALTRA Women's AL0A4VR3 Escalante 2.5 Road Running Shoes - Lightweight Cushioned Sneakers for Women, Neutral Running Shoes for Road & Treadmill Training, Gym Workouts & Daily Walking

Nice shoes. The top is like a sock but does wear out fast. I hike and walk my dogs all over so after daily use and three washes the top material started to fray. It’s ok though - I wanted a shoe that’s super light a breathable. Only thicker materials are more durable but I didn’t want a shoe with a thicker top.I love how thin the tongue is but it won’t stay in place and constantly slides way to the side.I also really like the shock absorbing sole ! It’s not bulky like most shock absorbing shoes but somehow works great.The fit is great too. I have bunions so my foot is wide in the front but my heals are thin and most wide shoes end up rubbing my heals because of that “flip-flop” action. These shoes fit snugly on my heals and have plenty of room in the front.The reason I deducted a star because they look super dorky on my feet ( makes my feet look kinda like ducks feet ) and not that comfortable when walking at the full stride. Like it’s hard to take a normal, full heal to toe step because of the angle of the sole.I’m sure - for many people comfort is more important than looks but I wishit was combined somehow. ?I have been wearing Escalantes since they first came out. Main issue is the sizing always seems to run small. I had been wearing size 8.5 since the beginning but decided to try size 8 this time. They took a little longer to break in and finding the right sock pairing but they are good. I do see why I went with the bigger size because my forefoot is wide and needed the room in the toe box for my pinky toe to splay. Now Altra makes various widths so if you are like me, be sure you have your feet measured prior to buying.Cons:Since the ball/toe of the shoe isn't tapered like traditional tennis shoes, the shoe actually feels a bit large on my foot, but it also feels like it fits in length. So I am not sure that I would size down, but I would recommend trying on a pair before ordering. It is very comfortable but when I was doing burpees, they kept coming off (easy fix... I just stopped doing the stupid burpees in class haha).They don't have a ton of arch support or a super thick insole... this isn't necessarily a horrible thing, but as I am getting older my joints (especially knees) needs as much shock absorption as possible, but still very comfortable.I am slightly pigeon-toed and the shape of the front of these shoes makes it very, very obvious.Pros:These shoes are some of the most comfortable, versatile tennis shoes I have ever worn... and I have a ton of different brands and types of high-end wrokout/running shoes.The wide toe allows a more natural movement of your foot, giving you better balance and stability.The shoe is super lightweight, but good quality. I take a "xtreme" step class, which is full of crazy, fast moves, which requires a person to be light on their feet and some shoes feel like bricks on your feet, but the feel almost as if you were not wearing shoes at all.The shoes have pretty decent traction yet are still pretty flexible.Probably my favorite all around shoe for working out. Just ordered my second pair.This is my 2nd pair of Altra Escalantes. I bought the first 3 years ago, and unfortunately, OF COURSE, THIS edition purchased via Amazon is a bit different First off the toe box is a bit narrower than before. I don't notice it much thanks to the give of the mesh material which is great, but it threw me off when I compared this version to my old version, which had a wider splay of the toes. Second, the foot bed material is way thicker. While I know these aren't supposed to be barefoot shoes, just zero drop, the first pair of Escalantes I had were thinner, and I actually got some nice ground feel from them. Alas, these new ones I cannot feel much of anything due to the thick sole. Overall though I cannot complain. These shoes are incredibly comfortable and are my daily walker, and I love that I can slip them on, once broken. They are so comfortable, and this gray pair with coral accents is cute to boot.This is a great shoe for me, a runner needing a wide toe box due to neuroma/metatarsal/bunion pain. I grabbed another pair of the 2.5s since I'm worried that the new Escalante 3.0s will be more like the 2.0s and less like the 1.0s and 1.5s.I suggest sizing down half a size. I wear a 9.5 in running shoes typically & a 9 would have been a better fit.I really like these shoes. I love the wide toe box. As a physical education teacher, I am on my feet all day and am constantly working out with my students. These shoes are comfortable and help me get through the day. I have the same style in two different colors and look forward to getting more.The heel sits wrong on this style for running; it's too high and digs in. However for walking and general use it works great. I use these for mountain biking as they grip the large pedal solidly and don't weigh much. I have a black and a pink pair. The pink is very vibrant.Ich laufe viel. Hatte bisher typische Laufschuhe mit viel Sprengung. Laufe aber seit längerer Zeit Vorfuß und nutze außerhalb des Joggens nur Barfußschuhe. Ein Freund hat mir empfohlen Laufschuhe ohne Sprengung zu kaufen und ich habe mich für diese entschieden und bereue es nicht. Toller Schuh!Wider at the toes, doesn't give you that scrunched up toes feeling. Amazing stability and soooo comfy! Love them!