Topo Athletic - MTN Racer 4

The 4s already came out! Got them during REI’s anniversary sale and they’ve been fantastic. Just wish the cushioning was a little softer for extremely long rocky trails

La sportiva prodigios. Spacious toe box, deep heel cup, plenty of cushion but a firm ride, and great traction like all la sportiva shoes. My holy grail. The topo mtn racers are nice too

Topo Athletic [https://www.topoathletic.com/activities/go-trail](https://www.topoathletic.com/activities/go-trail) are worth considering if you like Altra, and I've had 6 pair of Altra.

I love my MTN Racers! I ran an [R3](https://trailtopeak.com/2023/11/20/a-guide-to-running-the-grand-canyon-from-rim-to-rim-to-rim-r3/), the Javelina Jundred 100M, and the Anza Borrego 50 Mile in a pair. Bomb-proof and graceful. I just got the new Ultraventure 4's hoping for a bit more cushion with the same ergonomics as the Racers. I put a few treadmill miles just to check 'em out and, so far, they have the feel I was looking for with more cushion. Promising!

Another Topo guy, here. I've had three pairs of MNT Racer 3's and the Ultraventure 4's. I have very wide feet and a very high arch. I get what people are saying about the arch support being a little too much, but, man...they fit me perfectly. I LOVE the arch. And the toe room is luxurious! 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. I'm running the OM 100K in Washington State (14,300' miles of elevation gain) in a few weeks in a new pair of Racer 3's and a broken-in pair of Ultraventure 4s) Point is: I love these shoes and I think they are worth a look. Tough as nails; I feel very protected and more confident in my footing. And there's something about how they lace that I just love. Hard to explain, just feel secure. Personally, I'd try the Racer 4's (but you can get a good deal on the 3's and you probably won't know the difference). *(FWIW: I was a die-hard Altra guy until they got too narrow in the toe box.)*

I use Topo MTN Racer shoes. In Australia they're not cheap, but no more than all the other brands. Uphill running is just hard work. Don't try to race it (yet) just short steps and grind your way up. Yes your legs and lungs will burn, but that's the overload that is necessary to get the strength and fitness. Downhill running needs care and technique to avoid injury from falling. Run with short quick steps. Try not to put the brakes on to slow yourself because that actually needs MORE traction, which is in limited supply on steep hills. You have to run with gravity a bit. It's scary. You need the short steps so you can change direction to dodge bad spots or find the less slippery spots. Good luck! Enjoy your trail running, it's worth it!

Topo Mountain Racer ftw

I get 1200km out of Topo Mountain Racers before the Vibram has lost most of its grip

I've been thru Topo Hydroventure, Ultraventure 1/2/3, MTN Racer 1/2/3/4. The UV3's lost the outer/lug grip plot, the MTN3's felt like running in floppy support-free canvas bags (the MTN4's are a return to form). I haven't tried the Vistas yet. What I'm concerned about with the Vistas is catching little rocks in that split heel just like Saucony Peregrines do. Did you experience this in your run test? Other than that, the lugs are the same as the MTN4's, right?

Check out Topo Athletic's MTN Racer v4 - great grip, good cushioning, 33mm heel height/5mm drop, long life, neutral/supportive.

Topo Mtn Racer v4 for the win!

Topo Mtn Racer v4 for the win!

Have you looked at S/LAB Genesis, or the new La Sportiva Prodigio Pro? I've got 497 miles in my first S/LAB Genesis pair and still have them. Prodigio Pro is one of my top picks so far in 2025. Kjerag is very minimal underfoot - don't expect anywhere near Speedgoat level of cushion or protection with those. That's a completely different type of shoe. I just tested the MTN Racer 4 and I don't think it's a great update. There's a lot of protection underfoot but it got heavier and lost a lot of flexibility.

Howdy ULers, I am in need of some real help and advice. I feel like I have been on a never ending journey to find a pair of shoes that actually work with my feet for the better part of 4 years. Lets start with what I've tried and why they don't work: * Altra Olympus 5 - One of the most comfortable shoes to try on, love how they walk and the padding is great for PA trails. However after about \~150 miles the padding around the ankle that locks your heel in place rubs and destroys my Achilles. Maybe that's when the inside of the sole starts collapsing and the shoe has just worn out, but for $180 that's disappointing. Would try again if the only option * Altra Lone peaks (All WTR Mids, 8, 9) - I have wanted to love these shoes and keep trying them again, but they have zero arch support, they have no padding, and no durability. If I lived in Washington these would probably be perfect, but alas, \*rocks\* * La Sportiva Jeckyll 2 - my current runners. Durability is 10/10 I've put at least 300 miles on these shoes and they are groing strong. The from the insole down to the outsole they're the best shoes on earth, however the toe box is narrow, and the upper is so thin that the laces hit a lot of uncomfortable pressure points on the tops of my feet. * Topo MTN Racer 4- loved the dimpled insole, everything else about this shoe was a disaster. * La Sportiva TX Hike Mid Leather GTX - I got these on my travel day going from the whites to the ADK's because I rolled my ankle in my runners and desperately needed some ankle support. Swapped the regular insoles for some SOLE cork guys and will hopefully have some success, but the outsoles are not super grippy and I really wish they were. * LOWA Renegade GTX - I had a pair of these for 5+ years and are overall the best boot ever made if you ask me. Unfortunately, they're super heavy, dont breath at all, and the boot goes up quite high and it makes moving quickly where you want your ankle to be able to move, impossible. So that brings me to the next point, what I would look for in an ideal shoes: * medium cushion stack made of responsive, dense foam, grippy outsoles, and a supportive insole (solomon and the la sportiva jeckyll do this best IMO) * A wider toe and foot box, with a durable upper that breathes, but is thicker than a layer of mesh to pad the foot against the laces * zero drop with a hell lock system that doesn't rely on gripping around the Achillies. So people of Ultralight, does anyone have some ideas for what to try next? Thanks for taking the time to read and respond! EDIT to ask if anyone has actually tried the Flux Footwear trail runners? Ive looked wt the brand several times and always feel skeptical.

Hoka mafate speed 4, topo mtn racer

Topo! Either mtn racer 4 or vista

I went with the Mtn Racer 4 and love them for summer hiking in the Rocky Mountains. I felt the Ultraventure didn’t provide the feel of stability which I seek. Ultraventure had great cushion but didn’t quite cup my foot so that I felt secure. For reference before these ToPo Mtn racers I hike a lot in Salomon XA Pro 3D for very difficult hikes (according to my old knees and bones).

ToPo brand Mtn Racer 4 model are my go to hiking trail shoes in the summer If super rugged terrain Salomon XA Pro 3D

ToPo yes! Mtn Racer 4 for me. Phantom for my daily gym shoe and walks.

Totally echo Salomon XA Pro 3D wear them on the more technical trails in the Rocky Mountains Wasatch Mountain Range ToPo brand Mtn Racer 4 hiking shoes are my faves as well.

Came ri recommend ToPo Mtn Racer model! Wide toe box with great heel cupping.

Second this, try topo athletic MTN racer 4 but the mid sole is too tight. Altra lone peaks have a more balanced fit, although one complaint from me is that it's too slippery especially on the downhills.