Topo Athletic - Pursuit 2
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Dec 15, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
1924
560
"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)"
226
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."
144
60
"As I have wide feet, I have literally sat 4 hours in a specialist hockey shop and tried on every pair of hockey shoe released in the last 5 years. ... thought I'd try their Cascadias in 2E fit too. Life changer!"
"the splay in the toes is naturally better with that wide toe box"
"My foot (as measured by Fleet Feet's scanners) is D width (women's wide) at the forefoot and my heels are really narrow so Topo's shape works well for me."
52
10
"The Trabuco 12 have been the best trail shoes I’ve ever owned. ... I’m 6”4 and charge hard over serious rocky terrain…and I feel completely safe in them."
"S-tier: Asicsgrip. ... Tested it on mossy wet rocks by the waterfall. ... Beats megagrip"
"I've done super fast series on technical terrain where at first I would've swear I was about to kill myself but nope."
17
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."
"zero drop allows you to adjust your foot quicker to terrain changes so I find it very helpful for technical terrain."
"low drop with a wide toe box ... Altras and Topos have less to zero drop and they don’t have this occur for me."
Disliked most:
18
17
"Topos narrow so insanely in the midfoot it’s insane. I grabbed the ultraventure 4s and had the worst foot pain ever because my feet were just hanging off the sides."
"Topos narrow so insanely in the midfoot it’s insane. I grabbed the ultraventure 4s and had the worst foot pain ever because my feet were just hanging off the sides."
"the midfoot was way too narrow ... The worst part was the awful midfoot. ... Some "normal" shoes have a wider midfoot."
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."
9
41
"very fragile when they come into contact with any rocks or roots. ... When I finished they were full of holes. ... For 160 euros I'll be lucky if they last the month."
"O cabedal é feito com aquelas telas, por isso ele acaba não sendo muito resistente. ... Eu usei ele em Uricibi para fazer uma trilha que cruzava um rio várias vezes nesse fim de semana e num trecho em que a mata estava bastante fechada, eles acabaram rasgando nesses pontos pelo atrito com a vegetação"
"I bought the 13s and after two runs totalling 30k a hole was starting to appear on the side and the front toe area where the outsole meets the upper, it started peeling. I sent them back for a refund."
7
35
"heel is not great as it doesn't really hug down on your feet and lets debris get in, and in the worst of cases, rubs on Achilles heel when running downhill"
"heels get blisters."
"I tried 2 different pairs trying to get a better fit ... when I did that with Nordas I found that it was still a tad too short/tight ... when i half sized up again the heel rub was insane ... I'm kind of shocked they haven't addressed it in a minimal update."
14
3
"hate that the highest drop shoe they offer is 5mm. Not everyone is into the low drop trend. ... So basically for me it’s either a shoe that’s not quite wide enough but has a higher drop or a shoe that is wide enough but lower drop."
"hate that the highest drop shoe they offer is 5mm. ... Not everyone is into the low drop trend. ... So basically for me it’s either a shoe that’s not quite wide enough but has a higher drop or a shoe that is wide enough but lower drop."
"Neither make shoes with a drop larger than 5mm ... wish they had an 8mm drop shoe with a rock plate"
Topo Pursuit were my replacement. Curious how the Xero Ridgeway will perform (currently my side s[ho]e)
r/trailrunning • New shoe advice wanted please! (Altra failed me) ->Topo Athletics are my favorite. Specifically the Pursuit, and I’m excited to try the Traverse sometime, too. I like them far better than Altras as they’re much more secure and durable. A lot of hikers have pivoted from Altra to Topo.
r/hiking • Any recommendations on a good pair of hiking shoes not boots? ->Yes I would, the Pursuits have a pretty wide toe box but locked in midfoot and heel.
r/hiking • Any recommendations on a good pair of hiking shoes not boots? ->Non goretex trail runners Topo are my jam. Big wide toe box. Altra is my second choice
r/bikepacking • Good shoes for bikepacking? ->2 pairs of the Superior 5, terrible traction when wet on limestone. 1 pair of the Olympus 5, much better traction but the midsole packed out around 200 miles in and that’s probably because of the inner flex thing because there’s less foam there. I’ve got some topo pursuits with 400+ miles that are great and Nnormal tomirs with 400+ miles that’s are also still great. I just don’t think altra makes a great shoe for me, especially because I have a narrow foot and would lose multiple toenails after marathon+ distances.
r/trailrunning • Best shoes for grip/feedback ->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 ->My Topo Pursuits are wide toe box and minimal cushion which you don't really need on trails like you do on pavement. They are zero drop so if you aren't used to that, take your time adapting. That said, zero drop allows you to adjust your foot quicker to terrain changes so I find it very helpful for technical terrain.
r/trailrunning • Beginner in need of trail shoes ->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 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 ? ->I've had some issues with on my Topos I run in. I think its partially from my feet being narrower low volume. I'm going to try some different lacing to help keep the tension off the toe end of the laces to see if that helps.
r/Ultralight • Topo’s ripped after 185-miles ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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