I started wearing the Topo Ultrventure Pro in 2022 during my PCT thruhike. I started with the Altra Lone Peak shoe, and loved the no blister light weight option. But, the lack of Altra Lone Peak support was an issue, with knee pain and back pain resulting. The Topo Ultraventure Pro immediately solved my lower back and knee pains. That was unexpected. The blisters were a huge drag though. This was a heavier shoe than any shoe I have ever worn, so I was worried about how this shoe would perform long term.
The Topo Ultraventure Pro was perfect for my thruhike. It helped my body handle the weight on my back and the terraine. When I purchased this shoe on trail, I bought 6 1/2 - it was too large and created blisters. I bought a size 6 and it was truly a perfect fit, even on trail. My shoe size was previously 5-5 1/2 depending on the shoe.
The Topo Ultraventure Pro is no longer available so I took the chance and purchased the Traverse.
I love this Traverse. The fit and function so far has been perfect. No knee or back pain. I find I can run and train with this shoe without my back pack with a lot of comfort. This has become my go to multi functional shoe- I wear it all day, while training - running and walking with & without a backpack, on soft & hard surfaces, variety of terraines (paths, streets, stairs, mountainous), while on flat or inclined elevations. What a plus. So far, so very happy. No blisters, either. We will see how it performs on a multi day backpacking journey, with a heavy load, in the Sierra.
As a trail runner and street runner, the Solomon was my shoe of choice, and the Altra lone peaks held strong on the trail, but, after wearing Topo UltraVenture pro and now the Traverse with their larger toe boxes, excellent insole support, with added rock plate support, the Altra Lone Peak and Solomon shoes have been placed in the back of my closet on the shelf.
Shoe choices are a very personal choice. This shoe just happened to check all my boxes, and offer even more by providing multi functional capabilities resulting in one shoe vs 3 separate shoes needed for my adventures.