Topo Athletic  Specter Road-Running Shoes - Men's

Could have been a good shoe -- but the durability

I was really hopeful when trying my first Topos. I liked the shoes out of the box: good support, good energy return. A friend called them "sprightly" and that was about right. But it's also true that they did not hold up. I have worked to become a decent midfoot runner, but the outer sole is paper thin and not durable, so I wore through them in 120 miles -- less than half of what I can get from the Asics and Brooks I normally run in. And for their price... these were a major disappointment.

Don't waste your money or time

Shoes broke down with somewhere around 50 miles. I had plantar fasciitis in hopes the cushion would help. They didn't help so I stopped using them (to save mileage) and when I started to run again, the right shoe gives in and the ankle rolls when using, even with walking you can see it happen. Since it was 8 months when ordered from REI they won't take them back. Lesson learned, don't buy shoes from REI because their guarnatee doesn't count. I love Topo shoes but these are terrible. I guess the times of REI keeping their word are gone. My Topo Phantom bought as the same time have held up well though.

My current fave road shoe

I’m so glad I found the Topo brand. They’re well made and fit my feet better than other brands. This is my favorite Road shoe. I didn’t expect it to be a ‘super shoe’ just because it had Pebax in it. It’s comfortable, light and doesn’t cause any foot foot issues for me. And REI had it at a great price.

Great shoe with little durability

Very lightweight and comfortable. The main issue has been the inside of the shoe around the ankle area. It has worn through very quickly on the heel and sides...more wear on these shoes (haven't even run in them, only walked) in a few months than shoes I've had for 5+ years. A+ on lightweight and comfort...a big fail on durability.

Midfoot was too narrow for me. Otherwise no complaints.

Good, but could be much better

Since I started running last year (about 3 miles a day, so no marathoner), and I have some age on my joints, I've been trying out the maximalist shoes (those with maximum cushion). Running across a very good price for these, I thought it might be worth giving them a try. I love my Asics and Brooks, and Hoka's have been good, so I was hopeful I might find a new brand to like. The good - very lightweight, good (not the best, but good enough) cushioning, very comfortable, could be daily shoes. The bad - the right side sole seems to be out of tune - that is, it slips around under the foot. I have to kind of push it so it centers underneath the foot. Once I get it centered, it mostly stays for the duration, but it slips enough that I have only run 7 or 8 times in them. Each time, I remember why I didn't like them. I don't know if I got a defective shoe, or if this is the brand. In either case, I don't think I can recommend them.

Great recovery shoe

Super comfy. I needed a shoe with some drop to recover from an Achilles injury. These totally worked. I’ll start using Them running soon.