Customer Reviews Topo Athletic Ultraventure

I absolutely love this shoe! I've tried several other shoes and none are as comfortable that also gives me confidence on the trails. Other highly cushioned shoes like the Brooks Caldera made me feel like I was going to twist my ankle. Not these! I've put over 300 miles on these and they are holding up very well. I also did a 50 mile event and my feet felt great.

Review Update: These were amazing for the Jay Peak 53K which is up and down ski slopes and the steep rocky VT Long Trail for 8+ hours, as hard and technical a course as imaginable (10,960' of climbing). With just one re-lace after the shoes were wet for a while they felt so nicely locked down the final 5+ hours that I was confident on the downhill bombing. No ankle rolls and descends like a lower stack height shoe for me. Tiny and transient hot spots outside either big toe and base of my R big toe, but only had about 35 miles of break in on this 2nd pair. The overlays are so nice for durability, but may restrict my protruding hammer toe a little bit at that spot. But this course is a lot to ask of any shoe, it's savage. May go up a 1/2 size if this does not go away with more break in, but on shorter runs it's not an issue. LOVE the durability of this shoe on such a technical rocky course! GREAT ultra shoe, this may be the Goldilocks for Beast Coast racing.

I run frequently on gravely, rocky, dusty, single track and fire roads in Northern California. This is my first pair of Topo's and I couldn't be happier. It sounds cliche, but they are the best trail running shoes I've ever worn. They are super comfortable out of the box, wide toe box ( I am 2E ) and cushioned just the right amount without feeling like some other shoes where you have no connection to the terrain (Hoka's). The longer and more technically difficult my runs become, the more I appreciate these shoes. What a find!

For steep technical descents heel lock down, tongue padding, and laces are very important to me. These have a nice firm heel counter with notched padding inside to lock the heel and midfoot in place quite nicely,without having to re-lace. Thick high quality rope laces, so important to prevent lace bite and keep the foot locked in. Tongue is padded and reinforced with a very nice strip of synthetic leather to help prevent lace bite.(some brands have been skimping big time on laces and tongue) 30/25 stack I think is great for any course. Look close and these just ooze quality. Overlays to support the mesh I hope will prevent that oh so common mesh blow out spot just behind the great toe at the flex point. These look new and the foam still feels fresh after 50 tough trail miles. Don't rush to change anything on this gem Topo Athletic!

the best shoe you'll ever buy. True to size, light, durable, supremely comfortable- like walking on a cloud. More importantly designed to fit the natural shape of a foot! In other shoes, after walking 10-12 miles feet ache (arch), soreness and occasional blister. With my ultraventures...no ache, no soreness, no blister. Been waiting for years for great shoes like these.

the best shoe you'll ever buy. True to size, light, durable, supremely comfortable- like walking on a cloud. More importantly designed to fit the natural shape of a foot! In other shoes, after walking 10-12 miles feet ache (arch), soreness and occasional blister. With my ultraventures...no ache, no soreness, no blister. Been waiting for years for great shoes like these.

What a well balanced comfortable trail shoe. I appreciate the fact that Topo designs its shoes so that the heel cup and midsection of the shoe fit in a manner that allows you to properly secure your foot with a more moderate tension from the laces resulting in a good secure fit without feeling the need to over tightening the laces. This provides better circulation for your feet and extended comfort. This also allows you to loosen the laces and relax in the shoe without it feeling like it will fall off or flop around when your cooling down or just lounging around the outdoors. The materials and the overall fit and finish are as good and in some cases better than other brands on the market. Improvements/changes? Keep the max stack height and utilize a skeletonized rock plate that would provide a little more torsional rigidity and at the same time provide for more under the foot protection from objects. Looking fwd to Mtn. Racer. I hope Topo keeps this fit and style in their lineup.

My terraventures bit the dust so I went out on a limb and tried these, AWESOME! The traction and cushion is so balanced I don't notice what kind of terrain I'm running on. I didn't realize I was running in soft mud until I doubled back and saw how deep my footprints were, but that didn't slow my pace at all. I bought these as a trial but they are easily my new favorites. The terraventures were good and I used them for several ultras, but I won't be using anything but the ultraventures from here on out. Better traction, more cushion, a natural running motion, and they don't have the annoying heel lock that they terraventure had.

I thought I'd follow up my initial review with an update at 300 miles. I run trail on rough desert and mountains terrain. At 300 miles this show is still going strong. Very little tread wear and the upper's are still looking new. Past shoes I ran trails in lasted maybe 200 miles before starting to deteriorate. This shoe is still going strong. Can't tell you how pleased I've been with this shoes performance. Just picked up a second pair.

The Ultraventure's are music to my feet (thus the slight reference to Bob Marley in the title). I am a 65 yr old male, who hikes with my dog, about 4mi/day in the woods near my house. The trails are dirt with roots, rocks, branches, some mud etc. The Ultraventure's are great in all conditions. They are super comfortable, have outstanding traction and very good stability. This is the first shoe I've found in a long time that fit me comfortably right out of the box. The fit is true to size and the large toe box is just right for my feet, and the snug heel means no slippageI tried a pair of Altra Lone-Peak's but they were way too sloppy. Also tried some Hoka'sthe Speedgoat 3 and the Stinson ATR 4but these fit my feet much better and feel more stable. Oh, and the oval shoelaces on these stay nice and tight and never seem to loosen. So glad I listened to the good reviews. I highly recommend theseat least for day hiking. Go out and buy a pair. You won't be sorry.

The Ultraventure's are music to my feet (thus the slight reference to Bob Marley in the title). I am a 65 yr old male, who hikes with my dog, about 4mi/day in the woods near my house. The trails are dirt with roots, rocks, branches, some mud etc. The Ultraventure's are great in all conditions. They are super comfortable, have outstanding traction and very good stability. This is the first shoe I've found in a long time that fit me comfortably right out of the box. The fit is true to size and the large toe box is just right for my feet, and the snug heel means no slippage-I tried a pair of Altra Lone-Peak's but they were way too sloppy. Also tried some Hoka's-the Speedgoat 3 and the Stinson ATR 4-but these fit my feet much better and feel more stable. Oh, and the oval shoelaces on these stay nice and tight and never seem to loosen. So glad I listened to the good reviews. I highly recommend these-at least for day hiking. Go out and buy a pair. You won't be sorry.

I heard about Topo from the Ultrarunning Podcast and wish I tried them sooner. I had been wearing a different brand of shoe known for having a roomy toe box and zero drop for three years and had persistent issues with an inadequate heel lock, too loose of a midfoot fit, sizing inconsistencies, inadequate durability, and premature midsole flattening. Updated and new shoes from these brand were inconsistently addressing these items. Topo's Ultraventure addresses these concerns and fits better for me. After a hundred miles, the shoe shows no signs of wear and the midsole has not flattened. The improved fit helps with control and I have fewer hot spots. The deep and spaced out lugs help with gripping soft or wet trails and sheds debris well. I had no issues with the low drop; my first run with the Ultraventure was 23 miles on trails. The toe box is adequately roomy. Overall, I'm very happy with Topo and am looking forward to switching my trail and road shoes over to Topo.

I heard about Topo from the Ultrarunning Podcast and wish I tried them sooner. I had been wearing a different brand of shoe known for having a roomy toe box and zero drop for three years and had persistent issues with an inadequate heel lock, too loose of a midfoot fit, sizing inconsistencies, inadequate durability, and premature midsole flattening. Updated and new shoes from these brand were inconsistently addressing these items. Topo's Ultraventure addresses these concerns and fits better for me. After a hundred miles, the shoe shows no signs of wear and the midsole has not flattened. The improved fit helps with control and I have fewer hot spots. The deep and spaced out lugs help with gripping soft or wet trails and sheds debris well. I had no issues with the low drop; my first run with the Ultraventure was 23 miles on trails. The toe box is adequately roomy. Overall, I'm very happy with Topo and am looking forward to switching my trail and road shoes over to Topo.

Even here in the Netherlands, we are running in Topo Athletic shoes. This is already mine 5th pair of Topo's and I must say that this one is really fantastic. More cushion than the Terraventure and MT-2 which is especially welcome during the longer runs. Likes: cushion (energy return) lightweight, lacing, protection even without a rock plate, and the width. I have no dislikes !!

I'm a Topo ambassador and I was waiting to get enough miles on these bad boys before I would give a review. I now have about 400 miles on my Ultraventure and I gotta say I'm super impressed as I think I have plenty of life left in the shoe. I've ran 4 ultras in them from muddy water crossing to miles and miles of sand and many training miles on the rocky unforgiving terrain of Arizona that I mainly run on. Not a single tear in the upper the shoes haven't flattened out so I'm not finished with them yet. They are my go to shoe and I couldn't be happier and my feet couldn't be happier, I definitely would recommend them.

I am a Topo ambassador, but I would be rocking these shoes even if I weren't. The grip on them is amazing. I've taken them up wet boulders, down steep descents, and through rocky terrain, and they have passed every test. Despite the lack of a rock plate, I do not feel the rocks or roots on our Arkansas trails.

After a great experience with my new Ultraflys, I decided to try Topo for their trail shoes. I wanted the Ultraventure for the additional cushioning, as I wanted these to become my shoes for further long runs (+15 miles) and any trail marathons or ultramarathons. They fit similar to the Ultraflys. The roomy toe box is awesome, especially when you're going downhills. However, the heel and middle of the foot still stay snug in the shoe, which is nice. Also, after a few puddles and splashes, they seemed to dry out pretty fast; maybe those were the drainage gills working? My only complaints are how the toes curve up more than the Ultraflys, which can feel a little awkward on hard surfaces, and the weak grip on mossy, damp rocks, but most shoes fail here too. No big deal breakers. Overall, I'd buy again. Good job Topo! Keep making great products. And thanks to Russ at Topo customer service, for going out of his way to help me with sizing.

Just recently bought these shoes by hearing all the rave about how cushioned this pair was. I have been hiking in some Runventure 2's for quite a bit now (100 miles or so) and all I can say is wow! Those shoes have been the best pair I've owned for hiking. I don't do any trail running but I use it for the lightness instead of lugging around heavy boots on my feet. I liked them so much that I went ahead and purchased a pair of Ultraventures knowing that they would have more cushion and durability would be great and man was I blown away by how well these felt on my feet! I was pleasantly surprised by how cushiony these Ultraventures felt. Prior to having Topo trail runners, I had a pair of Altra Lone Peak 4.0's and had to return them because of the feel of them being sloppy. If I were thru hiking a long distance trail, these Ultraventures would be my go to due to the cushioning, durability, and overall feel of the shoe especially the toe box. Would definitely recommend this shoe!

I know it's not their intended use but two days after buying a pair of Ultraventures I spent the entire night standing next to a hospital crib with a very sick baby so I wore my new shoes. Could not have done that with any of my other shoes.

Great trail shoes. A lot of support and good cushioning. Just ran a 50 mile trail run through mud and streams and they performed extremely well. Gaiters were also great. They kept out everything (except the water of course) and never came unhooked. I highly recommend these shoes.

With 10 miles on these shoes, completed the Chattanooga 100! I can say no blister or feet problems at all! Unbelievable show!! Thank you for a great product!

I bought this model for my wife and me recently and we are both very happy with the style and fit. We are not runners, simply always looking for a well made, durable, comfortable athletic shoe for walking, hiking and casual wear. This shoe ticks all the boxes. The wide toe box, cushioned insole and vibram sole cannot be beat by any other brands we have owned. I personally plan to buy a second pair and hope Topo continues to offer the Ultraventure. The only improvement I would want is perhaps added color choices. I'm so glad to have discovered Topo Athletic!

I'm absolutely loving them at the moment. They are everything that the Ultrafly are, plus extra grip. I have used the Ultrafly on buffed out trails and light technical trails for about a year and a half on and off, with no real issues. There is no rock plate in the Ultraventure, but I have stepped on numerous roots and rocks intentionally to test out if they would puncture or if I'd even feel the stick. Not even a little bit. I ran about a mile on the road in them and couldn't even feel the tread. Not sure if that's all together a good thing or a bad thing. No issues on downhills. The temperature of the shoe is a lot better as well with the new laser cut mesh and drainage holes on the side of the upper I am currently a Topo Athletic ambassador, but have loved the Ultrafly even before I became an ambassador.

I'm absolutely loving them at the moment. They are everything that the Ultrafly are, plus extra grip. I have used the Ultrafly on buffed out trails and light technical trails for about a year and a half on and off, with no real issues. There is no rock plate in the Ultraventure, but I have stepped on numerous roots and rocks intentionally to test out if they would puncture or if I'd even feel the stick. Not even a little bit. I ran about a mile on the road in them and couldn't even feel the tread. Not sure if that's all together a good thing or a bad thing. No issues on downhills. The temperature of the shoe is a lot better as well with the new laser cut mesh and drainage holes on the side of the upper I am currently a Topo Athletic ambassador, but have loved the Ultrafly even before I became an ambassador.