Customer Reviews Topo Athletic Phantom

A fun new direction for Topo to go and expand their clientele. These shoes are quite beefy, and offer a larger than normal toe box, and a pleasant heel to toe drop without having too big of a transition. 5mm drop is a great transition to more natural running from a more traditional road shoe. This shoe has some speed built in with a large toe spring and new zip foam. I feel fast and protected in this shoe. Looking forward to using this shoe for some road ultras in the future. They feel a little more cushioned than the Ultrafly series. I am a Topo Athletic Ambassador.

About a month before running Grandma's Marathon I made a last minute decision to run them in the Phantom. Overall the most comfortable shoe I have ever worn!!! From the start line to the finish, my feet and legs were sooooooo happy to be running in these. I have had a hip issue that has been giving me trouble for a couple of years and it was non-existent in this shoe. Looking forward to training more in this shoe and running both Twin Cities and Chicago Marathon in the Phantoms!!!

Been running in the Phantom for a few weeks now. I've used it for everything from warmups to long runs. The ZipFoam has enough response to get a quick pace going, but plush enough for slower paced runs.

I really couldn't be happier with how the Phantom has been performing for me. Initially acquired as a recovery shoe due to the increased cushion, I have been blown away with the versatility of this shoe. Zipfoam is both soft enough to support recovery paces and responsive enough to handle workouts. The heel-counter and supportive (and comfortable) arch profile lock my foot in while the rubber used provides sufficient traction on any surface that you will face. The support of the phantom makes it a go-to on days when my legs are feeling a bit extra worn-down from training; yet, they are light and bouncy enough that I have taken them out on 20 mile sustained efforts as well as shorter hill workouts. Support meets comfort. Cushion meets responsiveness. Well done Topo - these are a beauty.

I really couldn't be happier with how the Phantom has been performing for me. Initially acquired as a recovery shoe due to the increased cushion, I have been blown away with the versatility of this shoe. Zipfoam is both soft enough to support recovery paces and responsive enough to handle workouts. The heel-counter and supportive (and comfortable) arch profile lock my foot in while the rubber used provides sufficient traction on any surface that you will face. The support of the phantom makes it a go-to on days when my legs are feeling a bit extra worn-down from training; yet, they are light and bouncy enough that I have taken them out on 20 mile sustained efforts as well as shorter hill workouts. Support meets comfort. Cushion meets responsiveness. Well done Topo - these are a beauty.

Plan to get more hikes in per week.

I have this model is the newer version (2021) and this model is the prior year's model. While it is a comfortable shoe it is not nearly as comfortable as the newer model. I think the turned up toe is too high for me, however I bought these from topo athletic and it was on sale and not returnable, so I took my chances. I will try and wear them, but time will tell if they are actually workable with my high arches and plantar fasciitis. But overall this brand is one of the only ones that works for me.

Have been slowly coming back from injury. Like minimal shoes like ST-3 but they haven't felt good yet. The phantom has felt good and I've been able to steadily increase miles. They're slightly heavier than I ideally prefer but they've been a good transition shoe.

Love everything about this shoe, best Topo model I've tried and I've run road and trail models. Downside is the laces. Across the board they don't hold well, slowly loosen. Need a lace with a higher coefficient of friction.

I'm really enjoying these shoes. Before this I was in the cyclone and I prefer the front upper from that shoe but it doesn't lock your heel in as well as these do. I love having the extra support from the plastic plate. Would love to see one with a carbon plate.

I bought these in October 2020 for day hikes and overnights on medium to rough trails, under loads from minimalist to 30 lbs. Longest day hike 12 miles. 75-ish total trail miles so far. I am very satisfied with the fit, stability, and traction. I have wide feet with narrow heels. They fit so well I added daily wear, now nearing 100 miles in town. The soles are wearing well, but the heel collars have worn through to the foam. Disappointing for 8 months. Expecting at least 18 mo. Qualified "buy".

Great shoes so far. Have been a HOKA guy for years but these are definitely itself a nice addition to my running shoe problem. Will definitely buy TOPOs again!

I have ran in a few Topos over the years. I needed to return to a 5mm drop after a few seasons on 0mm (knees starting telling me so). Decided to give these a try since they also offered a stiffer ride. That is a fact. Took a good week to get used to that but now my gait and wheels are in sync. Now I can feel that extra bounce the tension plate gives out. The tongue is a bit stiff and long cutting into my ankle above the no show sock line. Glad to see bright FUN colors... after all running is supposed to be happy. Topo needs to do better with its colors and schemes across all RUNNING shoes - come on guys - live a little! The standard Black, awful White, typical Blue, Green or Gray are boring. I do like the colors and design of the new MTN Racer 2 that is more like it - creative and eye catching. Anyway, I am positive these will allow the 300+ miles Topo usually gives me especially since it is firmer. Overall it is a solid runner and delivers what it advertises.

I have been backpacking in these shoes for nearly 150 miles so far, and actually look forward to putting them on to hit the trails! The trails around here are rocky and "rooty", but the sole plate and the tread lugs make it safe and enjoyable. My backpack weight is around 25 lbs with full food and water, but I still have good support from the shoes. I have had only one wear area show up and that is right at the Achilles area padding on both shoes. It could probably have a thicker material there to prevent breakdown. Overall, I am super pleased to have finally found not only a comfortable shoe, but also a very functional one!

Got the 1/2 size smaller... Fit would be perfect if it wasn't for the crazy firm toe protection piece... If you like a good snug fit on the length, you may not like the toe protection. It gets in the way in a painful way with my pinky toe. Might have to suffer with a slightly too big shoe because the size that fits my foot size perfect is ruined by the toe cap/guard... With all that said, if you can find the perfect fit and not be bothered by the toe cap, I highly recommend these shoes.

needs more cushion, plus they are just a little narrow for my bunion

I prefer zero drop shoes for running. I have many Altra shoes and I decide to try the Topo because of zero drop and big toe box. Magnifly 3 is a perfect shoes for my regular training because of comfortable cushion without the big stack height. It is a little heavier than my Altra but not by much.

I primarily bought these for work, as I do a fair amount of walking outside, but also wanted something for some actual hiking. I have a "bad" right knee so I had to give up backpacking and bigger mountain hikes, but still wanted something to help me enjoy the great outdoors. These seemed to alleviate a lot of knee pain, and that is just coming off from a 30 day trial on the Hoka Challenger Mid with Gore-Tex! I like the way these fit width wise, like Keen [also Sketcher Extra-Wide] boots. Because these have that same WIDE look, that are better for those of us with wider toe boxes, like EEE. I have tried almost every brand with wide sizes under $200, and these just simply feel better for my foot, but they should still offer a wide option...PLEASE! Not a lot of interior height either, so going to try some lacing techniques to try and free up some room for my higher volume feet, plus to be able to run thicker or cushioned socks, and also to hopefully eliminate heel lifting(getting a little better). But I am not too hopeful, because there is no leather to stretch or even break-in. Length is like Danner and Sketchers for me, in that they are a half to a full size bigger than I wear in every other boot. I am normally a 10w-10.5w, but had to go down to a 9.5 on these. I have had these for a couple of weeks now and appreciate the waterproof [and breathable] booties, because I also work in the rain, and walk across dew covered drenched lawns in the mornings. However we will see how long they stay waterproof, as I don't have much luck with waterproof/breathable membranes, besides Gore-Tex, and that only last a year for me. Most others brand versions start leaking on me within two weeks to about 3-4 months. My better half says I should be a boot tester for all the brands of boots I have owned and failed. They still do make my feet sweat, even with eVent, especially compared to the apparently very breathable Hoka boots I just tried. I also prefer leather, so this will be the first full nylon boot I have ever tried, and so far I don't mind them. One less boot to Sno-Seal. However, just like the waterproofness, we will see how the outside holds up long term. Likes: wider toe box and squared off toe design(like Keen), stable transition through the gate cycle, Vibram outsole :), speed lacing with a 'lace-lock' feature, isolation from rocks and roots from the full-length ESS rock plate, waterproof [so far]. Annoyances: Slightly heavier than the Hoka boot I just had, sweaty despite the eVent DVdryLT one-piece upper that is supposed to be breathable, stiff sole(so unfortunately lots of heel lift) probably due to that full-length ESS rock plate, no wide sizes(even though they are wider than most other boots "wide" sizes), low volume(so need to wear thin socks), and thin/too flexible removable insole which make insertion after drying difficult.

I hope they last, I run about eight hours a week mostly trails, the Vibram sole was the reason I bought these shoes. They feel less comfortable comparing to Nike, or other brands I've tried but I don't want to buy shows every three month.

The lip of the inner medial heel cup where the upper is secured to the heel is too bulky. It feels overdeveloped and causes a pressure point on the medial posterior foot. It's as if the arch support is moved rearward an extra 1.5 inches. Additionally, the arch area has no support at all.

Love the toe box room and fit. Had much better luck with this than Hoka One.

I try to never by a running shoe based on color. Hence why I bought a gray shoe. I've been looking at Topo since my Hoka toe box was giving me problems. I bought Topos because it had the same drop as Hokas and the toe box was bigger. I trained and ran a 1/2 marathon and the shoe held up nicely. I will buy Topos again. The shoe color leaves a lot of room for improvement.

I have a ridiculously wide toe box but a narrow heel. The shoes I've been running in for years were getting too painful and causing too many problems. I needed a wide shoe but didn't want to go zero drop. I am female, so i originally bought these in a women's 10.5 but they were still a tish too narrow so I returned them for the men's 9, i find that men's shoes are always wider through the box. These are perfect! Not the most cushiony shoe but that's fine by me. Wide toe box with great arch support! Love!

I wore these shoes as my daily for almost a year. I have plantar fasciitis and bunions. These were comfortable on my messed up feet. I work in a clinic and I'm on my feet most of the day....standing on hard surfaces almost always. This was my first pair of Topos and I'd get this pair again. I have learned with my second pair of Topo which is a different model to pay attention to how much cushion I need and if that model offers it. This one did.

The toe box feels a little tight compared to the usual topo fit. The show is very solidly constructed but with the toe box and a little less cushion, it's less cozy than my other Topo shoes.