Topo Athletic  Ultraventure 5 Trail-Running Shoes - Men's

This is my first pair of Topo Athletics as a trail running/hiking shoe, and unfortunately, they just did not last very long. I wanted to like these shoes since I already wear Topo Athletics as my daily and road-running shoe, but I'm really disappointed in the quality here. I've only put 50 miles into them and they're already starting to come apart around the midsole and outsole tip. The bottom Vibram traction points are also points of concern and failure as they too seem to be coming undone. *Maybe* at around 100 miles or so, but I've never had a shoe show signs of coming apart this quickly before. Comfort wise, for hiking they felt great until hitting 8 or more miles where I started to blister on the outer corners of my heel due to slippage. For context, these were taken on a 45 mile backpacking trip and used for one trail run after. The slippage became more of a concern as I hit the downhills on the run and felt my heel slipping everywhere inside the shoe. I get the design in the back is nice in terms of easily slipping your foot in and out, but it creates the heel slippage issue and it creates a massive entry point for debris to get in which I would constantly feel and have to stop to remove. Overall, Topo Athletic has got to refine their design and build quality here. A premium shoe like this should not be having these kinds of issues.

The 4s were my go-to hiking shoes, so I was excited to give these a try - I needed to replace my last pair before a big trip later this summer. Took them out on a weekend trip as a trial run, and WOW! They kept all the good parts of the 4 while making noticeable improvements, like the slightly more plush midsoles (my knees thank you) and whatever they did to make the heel lock-in more stable. I’m already excited for my next pair when these wear out.

This was a miss for me, I’d call it subtraction by addition. What I mean is the brand made the upper material less breathable, added rubber overlays on the lacing chain (which for me has created pressure) and the upper feels lower volume than UV4. Topo also didn’t include its FKT insole, which is in its other trail offerings such as the Vista & MTN Racer. It’s a fantastic insole and it doesn’t fit in this model due to the lower volume upper & thicker mesh utilized. I’m assuming the logic for this update was to make the shoe more durable but it came at the expense of comfort.

Just got back from a thru-hike of the Superior Hiking Trail in northern Minnesota. My wife and I used these Topo Ultraventure 5 trail runners for the hike. This pic is post-clean up. I wanted to point out that the toe guard separated from the body about 30 miles into hiking for both of us. they did not get worse over the remaining 270 miles, but they did become really good a grabbing grass, ferns and twigs along the way. Other than that, the shoes preformed really well and we were happy. Now I guess a need to bust out some glue and repair these for some more use.

The Ultraventure 5 is a disappointing update. Upper material is thicker than the previous version, causing the shoe to be very warm. The heel cup has changed, doesn’t provide a secure fit , even using runners loop. Experienced heel slipping on the run. Highly recommend trying on prior to purchase, it doesn’t fit the same as the previous version of the Ultraventure.

This is my first pair of Topo shoes. I needed something with a bit more cushion than my current hiking shoes. I typically day hike on somewhat technical terrain. Rocks and roots mainly in the NC mountains. So, after trying on multiple manufactures brands, I landed on the Topo Ultraventure 5. Since this was my first pair, I had can't compare to previous versions. I am a hiker, not a runner, so please keep in mind that I am reviewing from that perspective. I had them out on the trail the next day. I was very impressed with the feel these shoes provided. My foot is fairly narrow, so there was some concern about the width. However, I found that the extra room in the toe-box was just what I needed. No issue with heel slipping at all! I was also impressed at how these handled on the rocks and roots. We had a couple of afternoon thundershowers, so a good opportunity to test on slippery rocks. I am happy to say that these passed the test and I remained upright the entire hike!. Time will tell regarding durability, bit initial impressions are positive.

About 50 miles logged on the Ultraventure 5 so far and it’s they’ve been great. I the same great natural foot shape that keeps me coming back to Topo ( previously owned terraventure and aptos) and the new edition of the ultraventure feels more agile. Been running them in moderate trails and no complaints.

I walk mostly on the Silver Comet Trail. I feel like the weight and design of these shoes give me more distance and speed with less effort. Something with the support from these shoes, and I am a 220 lb old guy, makes me feel younger. Sorry, not really a technical review, but more of a usage review from someone that likes a long walk, for me that's 24 miles. Mostly though I go out for two to four hours. I never think about my feet.

I walk 30 plus miles a week.The Topo shoes are awesome.overall fit is great . The wider toe box is wider than hoka bondi 9 that I been using. I would recommend these shoes to a friend.These shoes are a size 9.My other shoes are 9 1/2.I’m 5’9 and weigh 210.I’m 70 years old. I’m located in eastern Washington.

The fit is very different from the earlier Ultraventure models. While the clearance between the toes at the front of the shoe is only slightly larger for the same size, the overall fit is terribly sloppy with very poor lockdown across the middle of the foot. It does not appear nearly as breathable.