Topo Athletic - MT Series

Non goretex trail runners Topo are my jam. Big wide toe box. Altra is my second choice

I’ve worn Altras and Topos. My wife has some Hokas. It really depends on what fits your feet.

I’ve gotten 500+ miles on several Topo models, though I hear Norda 001 last even longer.

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.

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.

One more YES for Lone Peak. Are you used to shoes with a bigger toe box? If so, they'll be great and you should be fine on rocky terrain. I find the Topo more smurf-like than the Lone Peaks. Too marshmallow-ey for my taste. I think the switch to 0 drop is minimal. I wouldn't over think it, but you'll know.

The ones that fit you. The problem with shoe/pack recommendations is that everyone's fit needs are different. By all means, try the Altras and the Topos! But I suggest trying as many shoes on as you can, preferably from a retailer with a great return policy so you can wear them around your house. Of course it's pretty well impossible to mimic the conditions of actual hiking while keeping the shoes returnable, especially for several days or weeks in a row. I personally have a really hard foot to fit. I have narrow, low volume feet and I tend to get some degree of heel slippage in pretty much any type of "athletic" shoe ( I always lace with a heel-lock). So I usually have to try on several pairs and am the most annoying person at the store. I personally find European brands like La Sportiva, Salomon, or Scarpa to be the safest bet - but I rarely ever see those brands recommended compared to Altra or Topo.

I’m really liking Topo MT-5s for road to trail

Weird! I have flat feet and Topos don’t bother me at all. I’ve definitely experienced that high arch feeling in other shoes, but never Topos (and I have 6 different models of them!)

Can you not order the shoes, try them on, and return if you don’t like? FYI: I am a 9 in most shoes (except for Altra, where I’m a 9.5), and the size 9 Terranventure fits me perfectly. I tried the MT-5’s a few weeks ago in our local store but in a 9.5, and sure enough, it was just a tad too big. So I’d go with the size you are wearing in the majority of your shoes.

I second the Topos. I can run perfectly fine while barefoot but the second you give me padding, I need at least a small amount of drop or my Achilles acts up. I use Topos for road and trail running as well as backpacking on very rocky/rooty terrain, up to 20 miles a day. The Vibram soles are wonderfully grippy and outlast the rest of the shoe which has a solid lifespan. I use the Terraventure model for trails and backpacking. Trail runners are the standard now for most hiking as opposed to boots, and quite a lot of AT thru hikers, etc use Topos (or Altras if they can do zero drop).