Topo Athletic
Topo Athletic
Runventure Series
Top Pros
Top Cons
Reddit Reviews
I highly recommend Topo Trail runners. I have wide feet and they are fantastic. I use them for all of my running now, road and trail. My current pair is the Runventure 4's and theyre fantastic. vibram sole and lightweight. roomy toe box. They are definitely worth checking out
+1 for anything Topo. Wide toe box and zero drop. They’re my go to for road and trail now
I highly recommend Topo Trail runners. I have wide feet and they are fantastic. I use them for all of my running now, road and trail. My current pair is the Runventure 4's and theyre fantastic. vibram sole and lightweight. roomy toe box. They are definitely worth checking out
Maybe give Inov8 Trailfly Zero a shot, too. I am currently, coming from Xero Scrambler Low and Topo Runventure 4. Wide toebox, I prefer the build (outsole, foam, fit) to my Topos.
Long time for me in Solomon’s and finally left them. I switched to topo ventures wide toe and have done both hiking, and trail running with some tarmac in between. My one regret is I had not found the Topos sooner and switched - highly recommend them
Not sure if this thread meets the UL reqs but I have the same issues with altra being too floppy for my large foot and made the bottom of my foot very sore within a few days on trail. My current favorite shoe is the topo athletic vistas or ventures because they are so comfortable and have the perfect amount of stiffness and plush feeling that I sometimes forget to switch into my flip-flops once I arrive at camp even after 15 mile day which is pretty wild. Also look at La sportiva they make great shoes that are very durable. The hokka speed goat are great and I’ve used 5 pairs now but the shoe tends to go flat and the cushion feeling is gone much faster than other plush cushion shoes I’ve tried.
The la sportive PRODIGIO max are a little wider at the tow box and the energy return is comfort amazing. I got them for trail running and day hiking but end up using them backpacking too. I still use the typos athletics although I think the build quality has taken a hit recently because the heel fabric has a hole with only about 350 miles.
I had the same problem and ended up with sized up mens topos (I'm a woman). I suggest trying out REI if you're in the states because if you are a member, you can buy a pair and have up to a year to return them for something different. edit to add I tried the Altra LPs and my toenail almost fell off (probably should have sized up tbh but this was before I knew about REI)
Everyones feet are different. I tried Altras, then womans topos both of which have a big toe box for my wide feet. Both of them were not good for my toenails. So I ended up a size bigger in mens topos. My feet are now happy. It's an expensive trial and error but shoes that fit you are essential. I also went to a running store to get an idea of their suggestions. The place I went to had a one month return policy. If you are in the states, I'd suggest getting a membership at REI. They have a return policy of up to a year if the shoe doesn't fit.
Everyones feet are different. I tried Altras, then womans topos both of which have a big toe box for my wide feet. Both of them were not good for my toenails. So I ended up a size bigger in mens topos. My feet are now happy. It's an expensive trial and error but shoes that fit you are essential. I also went to a running store to get an idea of their suggestions. The place I went to had a one month return policy. If you are in the states, I'd suggest getting a membership at REI. They have a return policy of up to a year if the shoe doesn't fit.
Altras are super popular. I liked mine but I blew them out in under 500 miles (closer to 300). I have been recently using Topos and have been happy but they are not as padded as Altras. I tried adding an insert but this made the shoe wear funny and I started getting a hot spot after like five miles so I took them out. I also tried Hokas but do not like them. Tons of padding but the heel is too tall and I found myself being more likely to roll my ankle at the end of a long day. Zero drop or close are better for me than the super padding of Hokas. As others have said, no goretex. I have a winter pair of Keen boots but these are only used in snow/slush.
I switched to Topos because the Altras blow out so fast. Comfy. But they seem to be deliberately designed to fail early to increase sales. I hate planned obsolescence… I tried Hokas but with the thick sole I found I rolled my ankle more after several hours on the trail.
I’ve switched almost entirely to trail runners including on a lot,of rugged terrain. I did find that when I was using Hokas that I had an increased tendency to roll my ankle after about ten miles. I like the padding, but have found lower drop shoes to be better for this. Altras are good, but I destroy them in about 300 miles. Trying Topos right now. Not as padded, but low drop with a wide toe box and they seem to be holding up better.
Trail runner will be fine. I was talking to a guy recently that said the AT requires real boots. But even by his argument, trail runners will be fine. The thing with trail runners is when you are tired, it is easier to roll your ankle. I have only found this to be a concern when I was using Hoka. Altras and Topos have less to zero drop and they don’t have this occur for me. Though Altras kind of suck for durability (expect 300 miles unless they fixed things). And Topos have less padding and are not as comfortable.
Topo athletic would probably be your best bet. But, really you just need to try on a bunch and see what feels right to you.
Topo is the correct answer. Go with Altras if you dont mind your achilles blowing up
I have very wide feet and really the only options are Topo and Altra which sucks because: 1. the low / no drop thing isn’t for everyone; 2. Neither make shoes with a drop larger than 5mm; and 3. The quality on Topo is underwhelming I overall like my Topos (LOVE the toe box - most comfortable I’ve ever tried in my life) but wish they had an 8mm drop shoe with a rock plate and also - they just fall apart kind of fast compared to other trail shoes. They’re a relatively new brand though so hopefully they keep getting better but tbh the improvement from the ultraventure 3 to 4 was non existent (2 to 3 got a little better). Brooks Cascadia comes in 2E and those shoes are sick. However, still not wide enough for me (and not as wide as the adrenalines which are my go to road shoe) and I’ve blown the sides out in 2 pairs although they held up extremely well for hiking running and backpacking other than that (which is because they’re not quite an ultra wide shoe despite being the widest non Altra or topo trail runner option I could find)
I also have an unusually wide foot and I have a love hate relationship with Topos. Love how wide they are but 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. Not to mention that Topo is just a newer brand is definitely still just figuring it out. The durability / quality of the shoes isn’t quite top notch despite $150+ price tags. Disappointing shoes but unfortunately the best compromise for me right now
Rankings by Use Case
Top recommendations from others in the same boat
Best for Deep mud and soft ground

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Salomon - Speedcross Series
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Hoka - Speedgoat Series
Best for Road-to-trail transitions

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Nike - Pegasus Trail Series
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Salomon - Genesis Series
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La Sportiva - Prodigio Series
Best for Ultra-marathon racing

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La Sportiva - Prodigio Series







