Customer Reviews Topo Athletic ST-3

If you liked the ST-2, you'll probably like the ST-3. They feel super similar, but with the addition of the plusher midsole makes it feel a little more cushioned. Standing and walking in them reminded me of a very popular competitor model, but running still had the same zero drop, ST-2 feel. And know I'll be able to spend a lot of time in them without any issues. The new upper feels great. They don't feel too restrictive with the socklike material, but also, not too loose. The heel is still collapsible, but feels like a slightly "beefed up" neoprene. The lacing felt just right. They are super light, and very breathable. All in all, super happy with the update. I really like the new color way. I am a Topo Athletic Ambassador, but have been a huge fan of the ST series since day one.

If you liked the ST-2, you'll probably like the ST-3. They feel super similar, but with the addition of the plusher midsole makes it feel a little more cushioned. Standing and walking in them reminded me of a very popular competitor model, but running still had the same zero drop, ST-2 feel. And know I'll be able to spend a lot of time in them without any issues. The new upper feels great. They don't feel too restrictive with the socklike material, but also, not too loose. The heel is still collapsible, but feels like a slightly "beefed up" neoprene. The lacing felt just right. They are super light, and very breathable. All in all, super happy with the update. I really like the new color way. I am a Topo Athletic Ambassador, but have been a huge fan of the ST series since day one.

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.

I love the minimal feel and zero drop, but the outer sole is simply too thin. Cannot get even 300 miles out of them before wear hits the white cushioning. On my 4th pair of STs but looking for something longer lasting.

I have been using this shoe to play indoor volleyball for a few months. I usually play 3-4 nights a week. These shoes have been the best zero drop shoes I have used. The reason I had to take a star off is because the durability isn't quite as good as I was hoping. After about a month of use the black areas on the sole stated to peel. They are still being used but I did buy shoe glue to repair them. Just recently the insert has started to peel off layers which makes them a little less comfortable. Other shoes I have used are able to withstand playing for at least a year. If the durability of the shoe was better this would be the perfect shoe.

I've been running in ST-2s for years and love them. I've run multiple marathons in them and they were the first shoe that (together with changes in my gait) helped me stop my frequent injuries. The next generation ST-2s are unfortunately not as great. They fit very differently - they're narrower (but still long enough that the next size up wouldn't work), and leave blisters on the front sides of my feet even after 70 miles of break-in. Not terrible, but I'm probably going to have to try to find a new favorite road running shoe. Still a good shoe if they work for your feet, but don't assume the same fit as previous generation!

My wife bought the same pair of shoes in a womens and she loves them.. she's a big runner. For me the length seemed like the right size but the toe box was too narrow and was very uncomfortable.. tried them several days only indoors. I bought a different brand of shoe. Great product otherwise.

I like the shoe and the wide toe box, but the wide toe box isn't as wide as I thought. My feet are about 4 inches wide and toes feel crunches up together. But it's feels good other than that and is super light weight!!

I average about 30-40 miles a week. I've been generally running roads with Earth Runner's sandals. I don't do too much road running, but I've noticed I've been needing a bit more cushion to avoid injury. So, these are the first road running shoes I've bought in a few years. First thing I noticed is that these are surprisingly quite comfy, but not overly so. I like that my toes have plenty of room to splay out. Honestly, when it comes to road shoes, all I'm looking for is that my toes have room to move (or so I thought). I didn't give these shoes 5-stars because they gave me a blister on my right foot, where the Achilles is. I've had blisters in many places on my feet, but that was the first time I've had one there. It happened as I was half-way through my half-marathon last week. I've worn them a few more times both before &after that run. However, that was the first time I've done that distance. This week I ran another half, but made sure to wear thicker socks. Things turned out fine, thankfully. I think the issue is more with my foot, as my right is slightly bigger than my left. Running in sandals has been great for that issue. When it comes to trail running shoes, I just go a .5 size bigger. I went with the same size I've bought in their trail shoes (10.5), but came out with these results. My foot just happens to be big enough to feel a difference. I would really like it if I had the option of ordering different sizes for each foot. I'm stationed in Greece because I'm in the US Navy. Waiting for all this shipping back & forth can be a pain, but, if the product is good quality, I don't mind. I also prefer to support US companies. Lastly, maybe you could beef up the color options? I'm known for being quite a colorful runner when it comes to my clothes. It would be nice to have shoes that reflect my personality too.

I've tried a lot of running shoes, I've worn several pairs of Hoka's which I like for their stability and secure fit in the heel and arch, but hated them for being too narrow in the toe and gave me blisters. I've also worn half a dozen pairs of Altra's which have a wide toe box but the fit is crude and shifts around. This shoe is a perfect Goldilocks between the two, great secure fit in the heel and arch with a plenty of room for your toes to splay our. I ordered a discounted pair in a discontinued color (kind of a orangey fire engine red) and I wear them daily even though the look like actual clown shoes. Will be buying a second pair in a black going forward.

I use the ST-3s for racewalking and running. What I like, especially for racewalking is the 0 drop, light weight, and great flexibility. There is plenty of toe room and enough cushioning to get through a half marathon with no discomfort. Once I get going, I don't even think about the shoes, which is perfect. The laces stay tied better than the ST-2s did, but I still have to double-knot them to be assured of not having to retie in mid-workout.

Well made shoe, light and perfect for running. Love the large toe box. It has a slightly different structure than the ST-2 which takes a little while to get used to and about 10-15 miles to break in. Only thing I miss from the ST-2 is the second set of lace holes at the top to do a heel-lock! Please bring those back when you make the ST-4.

I use the Topo ST-3 at the gym and for lounging around the house. This is a very good shoe, super comfy, but I'm not crazy about the new cloth material on the upper. I liked the ST-2 more than the ST-3. Wish it hadn't changed, but like I said, it's still a very good shoe! I hope Topo always makes the ST line!

The ST-3 wraps your foot like a glove providing a secure feel that does not over heat. The low stack height, zero drop and minimal cushion provides a true ground feeling for those wanting to be closer to barefoot. The only negative is the graphic detail/eyelets at the front corners of the lacing. They rub when striking at the forefoot, right at the crease and due to the minimal design can be a nuisance. Overall a good minimalist shoe, with only a slight design flaw.

Compared to the ST-2, the ST-3 is less secure around the forefoot because of the knit upper. Other than that, it's an extremely comfortable running shoe with a much improved midfoot fit. It's excellent for basically any activity, from speed workouts to long runs. The ST-3 strikes a perfect balance between lightness and durability.