Customer Reviews Topo Athletic Phantom

perfect trail runner

I am not a runner but this is the second pair of Topos I've purchased. The comfort can't be beaten for walking or standing for long periods of time. I also like the wide toe box, solid construction, and lightweight materials. I purchased the light gray with navy heel and these are now officially my "dad shoes" without looking too much like the typical, white, dad shoes.

Wanted to wait to write a review until I'd run a 50K in these shoes. Performed really well overall. The fit and feel of this brand is for real, and I have been super impressed with the toe box and secure midfoot and heel. I do have to tie my shoes a bit tighter than I do in other brands to get that secure fit, but after figuring that out it's been a great overall feel. I'm used to running zero-drop shoes so the 5mm drop was a bit of an adjustment, but I've noticed my calves have been way less sore after long runs. Biggest thing for me is the GRIP. Virginia running means lots of slick trails (humidity...) and these shoes really give me fantastic grip on any type of trail which is where some of the west coast brands have failed. Only con is that I wish the shoe was just a tad lighter, but they're certainly pretty comparable to similar shoes out there. And, let's just be honest...better color schemes and designs? I don't really love the look of any Topo Athletic shoes, but I'll take function over style any day.

Great fit. Super comfortable with the extra cushioning! Great looking shoe.

I use it as a work shoe on my feet for 8-12 hrs a day and as a walking shoe. This shoe is superior to any other shoe I've owned for these purposes. I can't wait to try the trail style shoes next.

I Use these as a road trainer, super comfortable, love the wide toe box

I'm an avid runner, putting in between 55-85 miles per week split almost evenly between trail/gravel/pavement in the mountainous Southwest. The Phantom is a fantastic shoe that fits the bill for most of my miles. Essentially the only time I wouldn't wear it is for speed workouts or more technical trail. It's responsive enough to be a daily trainer, yet soft enough for recovery miles. It also has better tread than many road shoes, so I take it road-to-trail quite often. Great all-around shoe!!

My first Topo was the phantom and I was a little unsure when I first tried it on. I have PF in my left foot and EVERY shoe hurts. I went on a 15 mile run for my first run in the phantoms and they felt so great that I accidently did the last 8 miles at tempo pace. I usually have a horrible limp due to my PF after a run but was walking fine. I'm sold. I'll be trying out many other Topo shoes from here on out.

My first pair were Magnifly 3 and I loved them. I was able to get >800 miles out of them. I opted for these to see how I'd like the added cushion. They are great! Same fit as the magnifly 3. Very happy!

The shoes are comfortable, light, easy too walk or run and my toes feel free not squash together. Good balance on the mid strike of my feet. No matter the surface rough, hard, soft or hilly it's all good.

The Topo Phantom fits my wide forefoot/narrow ankle perfectly. It's traditionally been very difficult to find show that fit properly. I've tried Saucony (sloppy ankle in wide), and went through two pairs of Altras Paradigm 4/4.5) for both training and work. I tried a new running store and this was what was recommended. I bought the Navy/Orange pair for work and now have the Grey/Blue. Not a single foot problem and they're comfortable right out of the box. Highly recommended

I think they are my new favorite shoe. Fit great , wear great.

Definitely recommend this shoe for great cushioning

Used the phantoms for long runs. found that this was the perfest shoe for me when transisioning to a much smaller (heel to toe drop). The roomy toe box was something I didnt think I needed until I tried these shoes and found it to actually be quite cumfortable and supportive. Put around 350+ miles and they are as good as the first day I used them.

I love the fit of Topo Shoes. I use them for training. My only suggestion is more cushion on the front of the foot. I can't wear them for my ultra races.

I always look for reviews that give details on how a shoe will fit my foot shape... so here we go...a very specific review that I hope will resonate with someone. I used to run in Mizuno's b/c they fit my foot well. They are narrower than natural running shoes, but they are not as narrow as nike, brooks, hokas.. Mizuno provides decent volume in front of the shoe and good heel lockdown. The downside to Mizunos is that they all have super high drops. I switched to Altra b/c Mizuno's high drop aggravated my plantar fasciitis. The Altra's also fit my foot well and the regular Torin 4's became one of my favorite shoes. After 2 pairs of Torin 4's, I finally had to admit that I slightly heel strike...the wear pattern showed the truth. I bought the Altra Torin Plush 4.5, thinking the cushion would absorb my light heel striking. Unfortunately, Altra changed the upper fabric and lowered the toe box volume, so the 4.5 Plush didn't fit as well as the regular 4's. After a few weeks of reading and watching as many web reviews as I could find, I figured that Topo may be a good option for my foot shape. I bought a pair of Phantom's. TBH they didn't feel great during the first step in or while wearing them around the house. I even contacted customer service to ask about the return process. They assured me that I could run in them for 30 days to test the shoes, so I took them out for a run. Now I've run about 50 miles in the Phantoms and they have become one of my favorite pairs of shoes. They are light enough, balanced enough and cushioned + responsive enough to cover my runs on most days. Fit : If Mizuno's or Altra's fit well on you. Also, if you like Hokas but the toe box is too narrow, try these shoes. They have good heel and mid foot lock down, and good space in the toe box. Your foot will not feel squeezed. Cushion : These are not soft shoes. They are firm but shock absorbing, and springy. The 5mm drop and the toe box rocker kept my stride rolling along. I was very surprised by how my legs felt the day after. They felt so good, I ran 3 x 10 mile days, back to back to back. By comparison the Torin 4.5 Plush feel like stepping into memory foam, but also feel dead a few miles into a run. The Mizuno Wave Sky feel super soft, but also bottom out after a few miles. Another random comparison for those still reading : if you like the Altra Timp 2.0 and wish there was a better road version than the Torin....to me......the Phantom feels like a firm road version of the Timp 2.0. So yes, buy the Phantoms.

My third pair of Topos. I can't imagine running and light hiking without these.

Every day use and walking.

I'm a big Topo fan for all the obvious reasons: shape of foot, room for toe splay, low heel drop. With that as a given, I can additionally say about the Phantom in particular that I love the extra cushioning and 5 mm drop -- perfect for longer runs on the road where your joints can take more of a beating. But the shoe is still relatively light for all that cushioning so doesn't feel like I'm wearing truck tires. Wore them right out of the box on a nice long run the day I got them and felt great.

Fantastic fit and feel out of the box. My new go-to road running shoe.

I used to run in Altra shoes, and I did so for about 2 years. When they came out with the Torin 4.0 something was different and they hurt me. I went into a boot when I was only 7 weeks away from my first marathon attempt. After healing and trying a few different things, the guy at my LRS suggested the Phantom and it changed everything for me. I have been running in a Phantom now since March and I am on my second pair. I am running farther than ever. I am starting to break some PRs and with the help of a great recovery program, I haven't had any foot or leg issues since. I will run in this shoe as long as the specs suit me like this. Thank you for creating this shoe which allows me to run.

My feet are wide especially in the toe area. These fit me well while also providing nice structure - giving me a good foot plant feel and confident stride. My first try with this brand and happy I did!

The question was "rate your fit and comfort". For my feet I have to say that these are the best athletic shoes I have ever had. I'm a 2-5 mile daily trail and/or street runner. The toe box is roomy and the heel box is snug. Super comfortable. No aches or pains in my feet after these runs I'm on my second pair of of the Mountain Racer (Trail shoe) and first pair of the Phantom road shoe. I'm hard on my shoes and the sole wear is important. The Trail shoe with the Vibram sole wore out a bit sooner than expected so I'll be interested to see how the Phantom soles hold up.

This is my work horse, day after day, street running shoe. You'll likely want something more streamlined if you're looking to break your 5k or 10k PR but to take care of your feet as those miles are adding up this shoe can't be beat.