Topo Athletic  ST-5 Road-Running Shoes - Women's

I'm surprised there are no other reviews for this product. These are my favorite running shoes and brand. I have at least 4 pairs of the Topo shoes and 2 pairs of the Altra and I feel the Topo are easier on my back when I run. While the Ultra might have a bit more cushioning, it feels like there is a bit of a rise (arch support?) mid-sole that seems to aggravate my back issue. Plus, the Topo feel springier somehow. I also ran in Merrell which were very comfortable but had so little cushioning they weren't good for street running; however, they were terrific for trail or treadmill. All three brands are terrific for just plain walking.

These are my all time favorite shoes. I've had so many foot issues over the last few years, and I needed something that really helped my foot recover its strength. These are the most perfect foot-shaped but not quite "barefoot" style shoes. I worried that walking 15-20k steps daily on my honeymoon would be too much too soon for my recovery, but these shoes made it possible and my feet have never done better. They're also smaller and lighter than most sneakers, and are so easy to pack for travel! My only gripe is that when I purchased these over a year ago, the size 8 fit perfectly, but when I bought a new pair of 8s recently, they fit smaller (like legitimately smaller, not just that my old ones were stretched out), but the 8.5s still felt too big. I've always been between an 8-8.5 so I'm annoyed to report that these now fit true to size rather than run large.

I bought these last summer and have work them everywhere from the gym, running to chasing kids around Disneyland. These can do it all and are true to size.

These shoes are very lightweight and comfortable. I wanted simple shoes I could wear to the gym and to work and these are great.