Customer Reviews Topo Athletic MTN Racer

I purchased these shoes for Cocodona 250 as a third pair. My plan was to use them at the end, but they are going first in the rotation now and I am recommending them to all my friends.

I love this product and so do all my friends that trail run in it. It is a great shoe but the sizing is a bit off. I measure about a 10 and 3/4 so I constantly switch between 10.5 and 11 and with this shoe I wasn't able to try it on before and got an 11 and it was quite large. I can still run in it but the fit is a bit off. a 10.5 would've been a bit better. Still awesome!

These are awesome shoes for thruhiking. I used them last year for over 600 miles without then breaking down. They are crazy light, and very comfortable! I guess if I had to change anything I'd put in a different style tongue, and add a rock plate. But again I can't really complain about much.. these have stood the test of time, and are very comfortable! Awesome grip, and super lightweight..a great option for thruhiking in the spring, summer, or fall.

This is my second pair of MTN Racers, so safe to say I've been loving them. My first pair I wore on a 250 mile thru-hike and then some more. I am tall and heavy, but my feet were happy all day even carrying a pack! These have a well-built shank and are sturdy. To contrast, many I hikers I encountered in Altras complained about how quickly they broke down. I would definitely recommend these Topos to anyone.

Just brilliant comfort. I've never written hiking shoes that I do*not* want to take off after a hike but here they are. I've even found them pretty good in wet conditions like snow/ice as long as we're not talking about deep pockets of 6+inches of snow. Don't think I'll ever go back to regular hiking boots or possibly any other brand.

I walk at 4-8 miles every morning as a daily routine. I live in a northern state with plenty of snow. It's been snowing, icy or slushy everyday since these were delivered. I'm new to Topo and these shoes are the best I've owned. No lie from the other reviews, the drainage/drying is unreal. I can step too deep into slushy snow and think nothing about in minutes. I avoid submerging but life happens and these shoes take it. Awesome traction, fit, feel, construction, etc. Worth every penny!

Great shoes for trail running. Very durable. Upgrade those Altras to these!

Topo should have called this shoe the PNW (Pacific Northwest) Racer. It has proven to be perfect for the type of muddy, wet, rooty and slippy terrain I run on in WA. The grip is superb, with absolutely no slippage thus far. I feel completely confident tackling any terrain out here. Mud shedding is great. The fit is spot on (for my pear shaped feet), no heel slippage and roomy, but not too roomy in the toe box. Topo quality is some of the best in the industry. I really like the look, water resistance, and durability of the rip stop, I hope they keep it for future versions. I owned the Altra Lone Peak for a couple years and I personally feel the MTN is way better in every way especially in fit, stability, and durability. Reviewers have complained about the firmness of the foam, but this isn't an issue for me as I prefer more trail feel. Overall certainly one of the best running shoes I have ever owned especially for the PNW Fall - Spring seasons.

Team Topo Great job on these shoes for Hiking... I was an Altra guy until I tried these out.. I found the Altra Timps.. my go to hiking shoe was not keeping me safe on wet rocks.. So I tried these.. I love them(GREAT ON WET ROCKS) and will not go back.. I've hiked a few hundred miles in these and they are holding up great.. I look forward to doing a Thru Hike of the AT in 2021 in these.. However in PA I may use the Ultraventure Pro's.. (ROCKPLATE) Keep up the great Job

I bought these for a 2 month camping trip with my fianc. We love to hike and will easily do 7-10 miles/day. This was my first wide toe box shoe and I noticed an immense difference from non-wide toe shoes. So, I came into this trip, with these shoes, feeling very positive about them. I wore these on every single hike we did including Angels Landing at Zion. Flat rocks, dirt trails, loose rocky trails, dusty trails, concrete, and inclines and declines...I wore these on all kinds of terrain. Even got them wet, socks too, from a misstep into a puddle and they dried very quickly. They also stay very clean on the bottom, almost never having mud stuck on them. I would guesstimate I put 400-450 hard miles on these shoes and the last week of the trip I really noticed the treads worn down. They allowed me to push my feet with no negative pains or soreness afterwards that I have experienced with other brands. I would buy these again 100% and will probably try some other kinds. I also love the red!

I wear may different models of Topo Athletic and have been extremely satisfied with every shoe. Whether it be a trail shoe or road shoe, they've been perfect every time! It's terrific knowing I can have confidence in a shoe regardless of what model I buy. Thank you for a quality product!!!

Great trail runner and hiker. Sturdy enough to handle rocky trails and very light compared to other trail shoes i have had

Awesome.

Had difficulty finding a good trail/road hybrid for my 13 EE feet. These were a little tight at the ball out of the box, but quickly loosened up, are comfortable and provide excellent support. Read a few reviews which made me nervous about road running much with these, but they have been great running 5 miles a day.

Mountain Racer are very light shoes. The Vibram holds on rocks and dirt very well and protects your feet when jumping on sharp rocks. The front of the shoe is wider than on Salomon, which I like. Performance gators also work very well. I am buying another pair and I will ship it to my friend in Europe who runs ultramarathons and I sponsor him.

Definitely an order of magnitude better than the last Topo I ordered. If you're looking at competitors to this shoe (Hoka torrent, Altra Lone Peak, Altra Timp, etc) try the Topo first. It has all the features the best competitors have plus some (super grippy vibram outsole, gusseted tongue, the right amount of cushion). I've run about 60 miles and they look like they will be very durable as well. Highly recommend!

First impression was these were exactly what I expected. The sole was firm yet flexible and the fit was perfect. I have run in the Topo running shoes for years and I'm pleased to finally try the trail runners. I can't wait to put on some more miles.

I own the phantom and the mountain racer and love both shoes. I would definitely buy them again

Fantastic! This is my favorite trail runner I've ever owned! This shoe is super responsive so I feel like I have loads of control. I used to be prone to rolling my ankle, that has completely changed and I think it's because of the wider toe box on the MTN Racer, my toes are splaying better, again giving me more control. The other great thing about this shoe is it's so light, yet it feels super tough! The Vibram mega grip sole is front and center. You feel what your foot is striking, but it doesn't hurt and it's uber sticky - Control x 100! These shoes feel plenty comfy and springy. I've put about 30 miles on them, and I can tell they will still be comfortable after 300. I normally wear a size 10.5 in most brands, but I had to exchange for a 10.0 in the MTN Racer, so be advised they run small. If I had a complaint, it's the color options are horrible, I dislike the color red in general, and the teal and lime is just garish. How about some new colors by next year Topo!? Sincerely, A new costumer for life - Kyle

Fantastic! This is my favorite trail runner I've ever owned! This shoe is super responsive so I feel like I have loads of control. I used to be prone to rolling my ankle, that has completely changed and I think it's because of the wider toe box on the MTN Racer, my toes are splaying better, again giving me more control. The other great thing about this shoe is it's so light, yet it feels super tough! The Vibram mega grip sole is front and center. You feel what your foot is striking, but it doesn't hurt and it's uber sticky - Control x 100! These shoes feel plenty comfy and springy. I've put about 30 miles on them, and I can tell they will still be comfortable after 300. I normally wear a size 10.5 in most brands, but I had to exchange for a 10.0 in the MTN Racer, so be advised they run small. If I had a complaint, it's the color options are horrible, I dislike the color red in general, and the teal and lime is just garish. How about some new colors by next year Topo!? Sincerely, A new costumer for life - Kyle

I like trail runners that are neutral, responsive, low drop, lightweight, and have a roomy toebox. I usually run in Lone Peak/Torrent type stuff. Not sure if I'll go back after this shoe. i love the ripstop upper, lightly cushioned tongue, toe room, and responsive midsole.. These shoes seem bombproof. Clearly a lot of thought and effort went into the design. Thank you Topo for giving me something that Altra and Hoka haven't been able to deliver.

Now that the Pandemic is here and I'm not going out to fancy places, I wear this shoe every day. It's got a perfect feel to it even if it is a little big. I take a walk every day and go to the grocery store. I feel dressed up with its bright red color and I get a lot of compliments. The previous pair, red like these, weren't very worn out, so I gave them to my daughter. She's very pleased with them. She especially likes the roomy toe box.

I average 30-40 miles a week, most of it running the trails here in Crete, Greece. The biggest issue has been finding shoes that can handle the type of terrain you find here. The trails aren't always nicely manicured. That means durable shoes are hard to find, but, it seems like this shoe holds up very well! From the first run, it felt very comfortable. No pain in a foot that had been bothering me. There was even some surprisingly added stability in the ankle region that I wasn't expecting. I was parkouring off rocks, jumping to & fro. I tested it on a trail near my home that I love because it has a variety of terrain: forested path, treacherous rocks, &some road. I've added the photos because I think reviewers for mountain shoes should let us know the type of terrain they're testing them on. I think we can all agree that certain trails are shoe-eaters. With that knowledge, I had to put them through the ringer on their first run. It's been about 3 weeks that I've had them & I know I've found the shoe for me. The outersole sticks to the rocks here like a magnet. It's nice to know that they won't slip. I attribute that confidence to my improved performance on these trails. There's just enough cushion to make landing on a jagged rock not painful, but still able to feel connected to the trail underneath. The only thing I know will be an issue is more attributed to me having a right foot that's a bit bigger than my left. I would love to have the option to have one shoe bigger than the other. I have this size in US 10.5, but my right foot is better suited for a US 11. I usually won't know until I have some serious downhill. The end result if the shoe is the wrong size is the dreaded black toenail. But, I am still very happy with these shoes and will continue to purchase it. One other recommendation would be to have more options when it comes to colors. But that's just a personal preference.

I heard of Topo about 4 years ago and gave them a try. The wide foot box and minimum drop pulled me over. Once I used them I became sold out. Ran marathons and some races in them and had nothing but good things to say. I will probably always use Topo's. Bought my most recent pair for a several hundred mile walk and know these will be fantastic!