Topo Athletic - MTN Racer 3
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Dec 25, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
1898
551
"I even washed them accidentally and still worked perfectly fine afterwards."
"Been using them for about four years working out in my gym, and cycling daily (45+ minutes on a bicycle outdoors)."
"They last absolutely forever (I know 1980s models still in daily use)"
292
59
"the splay in the toes is naturally better with that wide toe box"
"the splay in the toes is naturally better with that wide toe box"
"Even after mountain backpacking a dozen miles over very steep rocky trails my toes are never sore or cramped feeling."
266
78
"they are extremely durable. ... I’ve got well over 1000 miles out of a pair and they still have grip and the uppers are in great shape"
"they are extremely durable. ... I’ve got well over 1000 miles out of a pair and they still have grip and the uppers are in great shape"
"As far as grip goes, all three are excellent. It's truly amazing how good they are at gripping scree, sand, and unstable terrain."
225
76
"super comfy (my knees ache so much less on descents with them) ... I can’t stress enough how much they’ve helped my bad left knee on descents."
"I ran the R2R2R in a pair of Racer 3's. Flawless. ... I ran the 100-mile Javelina Jundred in three different pairs (Pursuit 2, older Racer 3's, and a new pair of Racer 3's). Flawless."
"The most striking aspect of the shoe was how much it protected my legs. ... At no point throughout the run did I feel fatigued. ... This is EXACTLY what I was looking for."
21
21
"Yea, my feet are sore 2 days later, but no blisters, not going to lose any toenails. ... I'm so glad I moved to these shoes."
"I just finished a 52k ultra on the weekend. Not a single blister, not a single black toenail, no foot pain. My quads are a whole different story lol. But the shoes looked after me very well."
"it actually removed the knee pain I had had for years that was ironically caused by hokas"
15
3
"I can’t do zero drop. ... I don’t like the lack of push off ... I’ve had plantar fasciitis in the past which is not suited for zero drop. ... I use Topo and Altra low heal to toe drop but not zero."
"I’ve taken my Topo MTN racer’s up Longs, Capitol, and multiple laps up Freeway on the 2nd flatiron. ... I’d say they’re the perfect scrambling shoe if you’re looking for something for class 3/4. ... I like a lower drop shoe for scrambling because I feel more centered/connected to the ground."
"I like the ultraventure for less technical stuff and the MTN racer for more technical stuff. ... Turns out 4-5 mm of drop was what I needed. Switched about 5 months ago and it seemingly resolved all lingering issues."
48
8
"As far as grip goes, all three are excellent. ... It's truly amazing how good they are at gripping scree, sand, and unstable terrain."
"Mountain Racer 3 for shorter / technical or muddy runs."
"nothing beats underfoot feedback when it comes to feeling secure on scree and wild rock"
73
38
"They have a normal heel and midfoot, but the forefoot is very roomy. ... My feet haven't felt so good in years."
"Yea, my feet are sore 2 days later, but no blisters, not going to lose any toenails. ... I'm so glad I moved to these shoes."
"I just finished a 52k ultra on the weekend. Not a single blister, not a single black toenail, no foot pain. My quads are a whole different story lol. But the shoes looked after me very well."
Disliked most:
17
16
"And it leaks. Consistently. It sometimes even manages to flood things."
"Biggest issue I had with the tarptent was that the weatherproofing/seam sealing started to fail."
"Both of my Coleman Instant tents have holes in the floor after just 2 uses. Both of them leaked water in a moderate storm. ... The Coleman Instant Tent has a known issue with leaks so they sell an additional aftermarket rainfly. ... I have the rainfly. Doesn't even cover the windows.... The windows fill up with water and then the water started dripping right off the keeper for the windows screen...."
78
163
"An almost new pair I wore in a mountain 100 was dead after the race. ... It was all stretched out and even had a hole in the side when it wasn't that crazy technical of terrain."
"An almost new pair I wore in a mountain 100 was dead after the race. ... It was all stretched out and even had a hole in the side when it wasn't that crazy technical of terrain."
"I have additionally had issues with the Vibram soles delaminating from THREE SEPARATE PAIRS of Speedgoats now. So they are struggling with some quality control issues with their adhesive. ... I think their adhesive just degrades with time. The shoes were probably manufactured and sat in a warehouse long before they made their way to my feet. Plus I think the design of their sole contributes to the problem."
2
6
"they hold SO MUCH WATER. ... They are not waterproof, but they don’t drain very well. ... I wish they drained better."
"they hold SO MUCH WATER. ... They are not waterproof, but they don’t drain very well. ... I wish they drained better."
"I hate that nylon sags and it's actually pretty weird it sucks up water. The last thing you want a tent to do is get heavier, stay wet and lose tension."
16
71
"It was also surprisingly not very protective. ... Used it for first 50 of a 100 miler and my feet have never hurt so much at the end of race. ... I just don't think Topo's foam with any plate is enough protection for me without more stack."
"It was also surprisingly not very protective. ... Used it for first 50 of a 100 miler and my feet have never hurt so much at the end of race. ... I just don't think Topo's foam with any plate is enough protection for me without more stack."
"My Altra Lone Peak shoes have zero cushioning ... I can feel every pebble on the trails."
9
22
"For me the Terraventure 4 had the worst pronounced arch. Paired with the narrower midfoot and need to tighten the top of the laces for better heel hold, it caused me to commonly have more pressure(on the arch) and pain during runs with that model."
"I tried Topo mtn racer3s last week and they had the traction I want but they blistered my arches on all 3 of the runs I did in them."
"I had to immediately return them due to their pronounced arch support. ... My feet hated them"
8
13
"the midfoot was way too narrow ... The worst part was the awful midfoot. ... Some "normal" shoes have a wider midfoot."
"the midfoot was way too narrow ... The worst part was the awful midfoot. ... Some "normal" shoes have a wider midfoot."
"I got some hot spots from them on about a 15 mile run after only wearing them a few times. ... My foot spills over the inside of the narrow arch slightly. ... I only use them for training now because of the narrow midfoot."
5
8
"The downside of trail runners to me (Solomans) was I would sometimes get foot bruises on sharp rocky ground. ... My Solomans had a rock plate (thank you for pointing out my omission), but I feel a big difference with my Murrell Moab's."
"the lack of a rock plate eventually started to bother me on long days of backpacking on rocky trails"
"Current Salomon trail runners have to thick of a sole and cant feel rock well beneath them ... maybe the ones I have just dont work well for this specific use case."
8
20
"For me the Terraventure 4 had the worst pronounced arch. Paired with the narrower midfoot and need to tighten the top of the laces for better heel hold, it caused me to commonly have more pressure(on the arch) and pain during runs with that model."
"I tried Topo mtn racer3s last week and they had the traction I want but they blistered my arches on all 3 of the runs I did in them."
"the high arch bothered one of my feet and gave me PF."
13
20
"the midfoot was way too narrow ... The worst part was the awful midfoot. ... Some "normal" shoes have a wider midfoot."
"the midfoot was way too narrow ... The worst part was the awful midfoot. ... Some "normal" shoes have a wider midfoot."
"For flat feet, stay away from Topo - they have super high arch support that caused me major issues even with just low arches."
Non goretex trail runners Topo are my jam. Big wide toe box. Altra is my second choice
r/bikepacking • Good shoes for bikepacking? ->I can imagine that the MTN Racers would be a good ultra shoe, I do own them but I've never ran an ultra, full disclaimer. But they are a wide and stable shoe with plenty of cushion, but not so much that they lack any ground feeling. The vibram is super versatile too and they are surprisingly fine on less technical segments of trail or even the odd road link up.
r/trailrunning • Best ultra trail shoes ->I have the MTN Racer 3 and overall I like the shoe, compared to other stuff I have they are a little softer and higher stack but despite this they have quite good ground feel and they are surprisingly usable on link up road and hardpack sections. I really like the Vibram soles, good for varied mixed terrain without feeling overkill. If i ordered a Topo trail shoe again, i would likely go half a size down, I find them a little wide for my feet which I don't think are the widest in the heel and midfoot. I've just ordered the Cyclone 2 and ordered half a size down but I will have to see. I am not a massive fan of the insoles with big arch support that Topo use, although very well made, the obvious flaw is that they just won't fit every different foot. Is anyone able to recommend a decent aftermarket insole for Topos?
r/RunningShoeGeeks • Topo Athletic Trail and Road Shoes ->Topo Athletic MTN Racer - 5mm drop, foot shaped with a huge toebox, vibram, mid-high stack, not the lightest but very durable and versatile. They also have 3 and 0mm drop shoes in the lineup. Otherwise would look at Inov8, Scarpa, Salomon. Scarpa Ribelle Run or similar could be good although I haven't tried them. Or Salomon Thundercross. If you get on with zero drop then Inov8, maybe Altra.
r/trailrunning • Shoes like Saucony Peregrine 14 RFG ->I have Topo Mountain racer 3. Light weight, cushion, arch support and Vibram soles
r/CaminoDeSantiago • Help me choose my shoes ->I’ve worn Altras and Topos. My wife has some Hokas. It really depends on what fits your feet.
r/AppalachianTrail • Shoes ->I’ve gotten 500+ miles on several Topo models, though I hear Norda 001 last even longer.
r/Ultralight • More durable/longevity trail runner and hiking shoe options? ->If you as me Altra is terrible. The quality over the years has went down the drain. Topo Athletic has now passed them as the most popular shoe for thru hikers.
r/WildernessBackpacking • Trail shoe for long, NOT ultralight trips ->Have you looked at the Topo lineup of shoes? Same wide toe box, same 0mm drop options. I have a bunch of them. Some zero drop, some 3 and 5mm drops. The only thing I don't like about Topos is that I hate ortho-lite insoles so I swap in super feet insoles instead. But that is probably an issue in most trail shoes since they try to go lightweight.
r/trailrunning • Trail shoe recommendations? ->Topo does the wide toe box. My Ultraventures have a 5mm drop, Terraventures have a 3mm drop and there is also the mtnracer model as well (haven't tried that one yet).
r/trailrunning • New shoe recommendation request… ->Topo for sure. I made the move from New Balance to Topo and haven't looked back
r/trailrunning • Trail running shoes with a wide toe box ? ->As a former Altra fanboy, which included several pairs of LPs, I can vouch for the Mtn Racer 3. Much more durable, the sole/traction is infinitely better, wide toe box, and just an overall more secure feeling shoe. I am much more confident running/racing on the trails in my Topo’s than I was in Altra’s, and they’ve lasted much longer.
r/trailrunning • What’s the best trail running shoe you’ve ever owned and why? ->My friend, it was truly excruciating on the trail - I'm so glad someone else has experienced it! Both the MTN Racer and the Terraventure gave me grief. I managed to solve it on The West Highland Way with the toe caps. I've ordered the GOATs half a size up. Did you go wide or standard?
r/PacificCrestTrail • Does anyone have experience with both Topo Vs Hoka trail runners? ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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