In production · trail · Trail / Daily · $160
Roomy, natural-feeling trail trainer for door-to-dirt mileage.
Built for trail, daily, at a target pace of 8:30–11:30 /mi on trail.
Topo Athletic tuned this midsole balanced (3/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 32 mm of heel stack is the modern daily-trainer sweet spot — enough foam for long miles without losing contact with the road. Combined, the ride reads as lively at 3/5 responsiveness.
There is no plate here. The midsole does all the work, so the shoe flexes naturally and stays versatile across paces — easier on the feet day to day, but without the snap of a plated shoe when you want to roll.
A low 5 mm drop encourages a midfoot landing and keeps the ankle working through a fuller range. The geometry is fairly traditional and flat, so the shoe follows your foot rather than steering it. Forefoot flex is middle of the road. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.
The toe-box is unusually roomy — foot-shaped rather than tapered, which suits splayed or bunion-prone feet. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 400 miles from the outsole, about $0.40 per mile at $160.
For the foams and plates Topo Athletic uses across its line, read the Topo Athletic brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
278 g / 9.8 oz
3 g heavier than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
32 mm
4 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
5 mm
1 mm lower than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$160
Level with the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
3 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~400 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Topo Athletic line it is heavier than the brand's median (275 g / 9.7 oz) and sits taller than its median stack (32 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Skechers Premier Trail 2.0
290 g / 10.2 oz · 32 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $110
Cushioned budget trail shoe with Goodyear rubber traction.
Merrell ProMorph
266 g / 9.4 oz · 33 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $140
Road-to-trail daily on FloatPro+ with Vibram XS Trek Evo grip.
New Balance DynaSoft Nitrel v5
285 g / 10.1 oz · 30 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $90
Budget trail shoe for packed paths and light terrain.
Salomon Pulsar
289 g / 10.2 oz · 29 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $140
Do-it-all daily trail trainer on optiFOAM at a friendlier price.