Topo Athletic - MTN Racer Series
Models:
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Dec 5, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
57
9
"They have a normal heel and midfoot, but the forefoot is very roomy. ... My feet haven't felt so good in years."
"Big wide toe box"
"I had a very narrow shoes before, but this was very comfy."
38
12
"I adore my MTN Racer 3's! ... I ran a rim-to-rim-to-rim in a pair, last year's Javelina Jundred (100M), and the Anza Borrego 50M in them. ... Bombproof and 100% trustworthy. ... They are incredible. ... But my Racer 3's took all sorts of hardcore abuse and never ripped, bulged, or tore. ... I ran hundreds of brutal miles without a single issue. ... And I've had two pair to date; looking at getting another pair in the spring."
"I’m 280 miles in on my MTN Racer 3 and probably 40% of those miles with a 25-40lb pack/ruck weight. Sharp granite and volcanic trails with death marbles galore. Quite a bit of talus scramble and 3/4 class chose. Pretty sure they’ll make it to 350, maybe 400."
"Lasted like 1200km."
28
3
"Grip felt great springing off rocks, kept grip in sandy sections, and the big lugs were able to keep everything locked down on fast downhill sprint sections."
"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."
31
20
"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."
"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."
"Legs and feet felt great after the run with no hotspots developing anywhere."
20
4
"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 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."
"Agree that Topo shoes are a good alternative. I got the Mtn Racer when switching from Altras. ... I switched from zero drop and that was a big help. ... Don’t push too hard. I did and ended up with a 6-month achilles injury before finally switching away from 0 drop."
Disliked most:
19
14
"the material near my big toe and pinky toe were ripping at the creases after only 125 miles."
"Both my Topos ripped open in under 400-miles this year. ... One of the Topos didn’t even last 200"
"the top of the shoes by the tongue was completely worn through, so that the plastic-y interior material was coming through ... both were split next to the tongue"
5
17
"For flat feet, stay away from Topo - they have super high arch support that caused me major issues even with just low arches."
"I tried the Topo Mtn Racer 3 too and struggling with plantar fasciitis, it didn't do the job for me, felt very painful."
"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."
1
4
"I did the first half in Topos and got terrible Achilles tendinitis and planter fasciitis. ... Made the switch to speedgoats at Shasta per the recommendation of the shoe guy and all symptoms started to get better."
"Topo Mtn Racer and Altra Experience Wild don't have a rock plate. I need that for a very technical 100 miler."
"Just wish the cushioning was a little softer for extremely long rocky trails"
5
15
"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."
"the midfoot was way too narrow ... The worst part was the awful midfoot. ... Some "normal" shoes have a wider midfoot."
"I tried topo MTN racer 3. They are wide in the forefoot, but narrow in the arch/midfoot. Can't wear them"
1
2
"they hold SO MUCH WATER. ... They are not waterproof, but they don’t drain very well. ... I wish they drained better."
"the upper holding a ton of water"
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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