Trail-Running Shoes Buying Guide

Made with max cushioning for rugged terrain, these Topo Athletic shoes are ready to put in the miles. ZipFoam™ midsoles provide a combo of response and protection.
Imported.
View all Topo Athletic Men's Trail-Running ShoesBest Use | Trail Running |
---|---|
Trail-Running Shoe Type | Rugged-Trail |
Running Shoe Cushioning | Maximum Cushion |
Heel-to-Toe Drop (mm) | 5 |
Heel Stack Height (mm) | 38 |
Forefoot Stack Height (mm) | 33 |
Footwear Height | Ankle |
Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
Upper | Recycled engineered mesh |
Lining | Textile |
Midsole | ZipFoam (EVA/TPU) |
Outsole | Vibram Megagrip |
Rock Plate | No |
Vegan | Yes |
Weight (Pair) | 1 lb. 5.8 oz. |
Gender | Men's |
Sustainability | Contains recycled materials |
7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 14 | 15 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Men's | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
UK | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
EU | 40 | 40.5 | 41 | 42 | 42.5 | 43 | 44 | 44.5 | 45 | 46 | 46.5 | 47.5 | 48 | 49 | 50 |
Mondo | 25 | 25.5 | 26 | 26.5 | 27 | 27.5 | 28 | 28.5 | 29 | 29.5 | 30 | 30.5 | 31 | 32 | 33 |
Foot Length (in.) | 9.8 | 10 | 10.2 | 10.4 | 10.6 | 10.8 | 11 | 11.2 | 11.4 | 11.6 | 11.8 | 12 | 12.2 | 12.6 | 13 |
Measurements are stated in inches.
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This was the shoe I'd been waiting. The happy cross between the Ultraventure and MTN. Racer, with Atmos 38x33 thrown in for good measure. As a longtime advocate of Topo putting Vibram Megagrip outsoles on their Ultraventures and improved cushioning on their Mtn Racers, the Vista looked to be the perfect trail shoe. And......it wasn't an awful bright color. However, as soon as I put the Vista on I knew something was not quite right. My forefoot and toes, especially pinky toes felt squished. Not something I'm use to with Topo. The insole, midsole and outsole combined with the 38x33 are incredible cushioning. Just what we've been waiting for. The tongue is a bit short but not a deal breaker. The deal breaker is that the foot shaped anatomical toe box Topo is so known for is missing. The wonderful "spread and splay" is no longer. As others have pointed out, it is shaped more like a Hoka. I absolutely love everything else about this shoe, but it just doesn't fit right.....like a Topo. I have a closet full of Topo's from Ultraventures to Atmos to Trailventures and more. Sadly, I can't wear the Vista. Photos clearly show the difference when place side-by-side with the Ultraventure and Mtn. Racer. Hopefully Topo will make the corrections. We love your shoes!
As a user of Topo Mtn Racer 3 and Ultraventure 4 shoes I have been waiting for these shoes since their unveiling in November 2024. The Mtn Racer has the Velcro grip but lacked some cushion. When crossing granite trails (Sierra and Rocky ankle breakers) you could feel the edges through the ball of the foot. The Ultraventure has the cushion but when you hit marbles they tend to skate. When I first got the Vista and tried them on (at least the fit is same across all three) they felt a little too cushy, Once I hit the trail that feeling completely disappeared and I forgot what I was wearing. They exceeded all of my expectations. What shocked me was that heel hits on off camber rocks were muted. Even though the heel is widern other trail Topos I understood why the outsole is segmented. They flex independently without excess ankle rolling. During the hike we crossed a stream/river multiple times without skating on algae covered rocks. The shoes drained very fast without the sensation of standing on a sponge. These will be my extended backpacking shoes this summer along with use as my rough trail hikers. The wait was well worth it!
On paper, these should have been perfect for me. With Hoka making such a drastic change to their newest Mafate, I was looking to jump ship and try this new Topo model. The wider outsole in the midfoot (wider than previous Topo models) had me excited and when you add in the wider toe box and mega grip, these were a no-brainer to try. Unfortunately it took me all of about 2 miles in them to know that there was no way they would work for me. I’m a pretty serious over-pronator, and so i depend on good solid foam under the arch to keep my arch and ankle from dropping in too much. (every Hoka and Altra model I’ve used has done a great job with this). Unfortunately the midsole foam on the Vistas is SO soft, that it just collapses under foot and my arch and ankle just collapse inward. This was the first time in a couple of years that I’ve had arch/ankle pain after a run. The build quality seems great and the looks are pretty sweet too. I’m sure that for those of you with good form and stride, these can be great! But pronators beware.
Granted I did not use them as a "trail runner" but used them to do the Camino Francés from St. Jean to Finisterre, 569 miles plus the preparation miles. These shoes were amazing. No blisters, sore feet or other foot issues. They worked from the first day i put them. The toe box is not as roomy as Altra but they allow your toes with plenty of room, i think i prefer this kind of toe box, some have to much room and your toes slide. They also did not make my feet seat on some very warm afternoons with darn tough socks on. They held together perfectly very little wear and tear even the vibram soles performed exceptional, under all sorts of trail surfaces. Granted the cushion degraded some but what shoe wouldn't after that kind of milage and really not to the extent that I was worried about my foot care. Definitely recommend these shoes. Do not order up, in fact if I was going to actually trail run in these I might have tried a size smaller. The only improvement I would make is a tad longer on the tongue, like the design, it wasn't an issue but thought it might be. Awesome shoe, expensive but worth every penny I spent.