Customer Reviews Topo Athletic Fli-Lyte 4

The uppers are snug and feel secure. So many road shoes nowadays feel like one hard stop will send your foot right through the uppers - not these. The 3mm drop is just right for people like me who have Morton's neuroma. The platform has good stiffness and cushion balance. Don't change anything!!

I love my flilite and magnifly shoes!

I wear the Fli-lytes for my quicker road running sessions. I find they offer enough cushion without the weight to help me push the pace.

I work a job where I'm on my feet moving all day. For years I would experience soreness in my metatarsals. The wide toe box is a lifesaver. This is my fourth pair of Topo shoes and they're just as lightweight and comfortable as the others. Of course they work great when I run too, but protection from the foot pain during work is the best. Also appreciate that they have neutral color options so I can wear them with nicer clothes.

Overall I like this shoe as I appreciate the slight stack-height over zero drop. I'm ok with the relative low lifespan of the sole. I do sense the fly-lyte run more narrow than the comparable trail shoe. I'd only recommend: 1) strive to make all shoe models adhere to the same length and width; 2) stop showing pictures of people running as if they were on the moon. I understand the exaggerated levitated pose is standard across the industry; but, hey, that's no justification for encouraging bad form. I'm on my 4th pair of topos and will keep purchasing until I feel they deviate too far from their original intent (as Alta did by getting too narrow, too inconsistent, and too focused on form over function).

Shoes fit great as I have a wide foot. Just wish they had more cushion in the sole and I wish they offered all black colors where the shoe and sole are all black.

They are my kick through the day shoes

Amazing. I switched from another brand because they've ruined their shoes, and I've discovered I like Topo even more than I ever did the other brand! These shoes are superbly comfortable, though I like the Spectors better. These are just ever-so-slightly too firm in the forefoot. I think they'd be better for gym workouts though I'm happy with their comfort and they work for running so will keep them. I'll probably try the Magni-Fly to replace these as everyday runners.

I run 2-3 times usually 6 miles at a time. The 10 mm drop on my ASICS were hurting my right big toe so I switched to these over the course of a few weeks. The reason for 4 not 5 stars is that there is an odd lump that feels like it ought to be an arch support but is too far back in the foot to be one. I think it helps hold your heel in place. I could see that bothering someone but it was a non issue after 50 miles. You don't want to buy these too big so size down if you're in between. Got a small amount of burn on my smaller left foot arch because of this but no issue on my right. But again after a bunch of runs it's all good now- I tie the left tighter and the lumps aren't really noticeable anymore. But these are great light responsive stable shoes with an amazing roomy toebox. The low drop is great for making sure my strike is staying forward and not being lazy on my heels.

Been wearing flu-lytes since version 2. This version still has the same fit and same drop as it's predecessors but they added a bit more of the hard rubber to the front center of the sole which gives it a slightly harsher feel with repeated steps so I took off a star. Otherwise I'd have given it 5 stars. Maybe it'll get better after breaking in. Anyhow I still love the fli-lyte and not planning on switching any time soon.

Great for walking but not a good running shoe for me. The wide toe box is nice but feels like running with flippers. I prefer Nike Free as a running shoe.

I have been eagerly awaiting the release of the Fli-Lyte 4 after owning two pairs of the Fli-Lyte 3 and running a combined 500+ miles in them. Similar to my other Topos, the Fli-Lyte 4 run a half size small, so I wear 9.5 instead of size 9. I really like the redesigned upper and better lacing structure. One of my few complaints about the Fli-Lyte 3 was how often the laces would come undone. That said, I fully agree with the other reviewer and question the utilization of Zipfoam. The shoe is very responsive with a lot of ground feel at 3mm drop, but it also produces a harsher and less flexible ride. Further, I worry about the durability of Zipfoam given my experience with the Topo Zephyr. I like that shoe, but it was not particularly durable and degraded in comfort on runs over eight miles or so. I would have recommended Topo add this new upper to the previous sole from the Fli-Lyte 3 while adding some wear resistant material to the forefoot and heel. On the Fli-Lyte 3s (black/white) the midsole material was exposed and wore quickly in high contact areas. In summary, the upper on the Fli-Lyte 4 is a solid update but the lower seems like a downgrade from the previous version. More runs are needed.

I have run in the Fli-Lytes for years, and the pair of 4s I purchased may be my last. The F-L 2 was nearly a perfect shoe, and the 3 made the upper even better. As a runner who wants a responsive, natural fit and low offset, I feel betrayed. I want shoes to let my feet do the work, and I thought Topo did, too. I wanted to believe in the 4s, but I just can't be enthusiastic about the shoe. After I received them, I immediately noticed the last was deeper, heel cup more restrictive, and Zipfoam more sculpted than I think anyone who loved the old shoe would have asked for. I almost returned them immediately, but thought I'd give them the benefit of the doubt. For what it's worth, running in them is at best okay. Up on my forefeet, the ride is tolerable, but anything close to a midsole strike engages the awful arch peak in the midsole. The shoes feel sluggish, and hard to drive. Walking in them is immensely unpleasant because of the exceedingly narrow last. To be fair, I do think the new upper is well constructed, and the 4's lacing system is arguably the best I've run in. The rubber arrangement on the outsole is also much-improved. But everything else feels disappointing, and the connection I've felt to the road and my body in Topos is mostly gone. I love Topo. I would like to see a reversion to the old midsole/last, and would get another pair of Fli-Lytes in a heartbeat if the right reversions were made. Until then, I'll keep taking out my 3s and Terraventure 2s, which aren't dead yet, or look at Altras.

The Fli-lyte 3 was my favorite shoe. Ever. I loved that shoe. Ran literally thousands of miles in them. Set an FKT in them. Set numerous PRs. The Fli-lyte 4 comes up short. Honestly, I was nervous to buy it after I saw it used zipfoam; I haven't liked a single shoe that's used zipfoam. But I thought I'd give this a shot. I was both right to doubt and wrong to buy it. The zipfoam ruins the flexibility that I loved in the Fli-lyte 3, and the ride is much less smooth. With the Fli-lyte 3, I ran marathons straight out of the box. They were so comfortable! This morning I ran 11 miles in the Fli-lyte 4, and I was glad to be done. I have loved Topo shoes, both road and trail, but now I guess I'm down to just the Magnifly on the road (until that gets ruined by zipfoam, too).

Need more zero drop shoes

Over the past few I've had about 15 pairs of the Fli-lytes from v1 to v4. When I discovered v1 fell in love with them. I loved minimal shoes and since NB stoped making the minimus it took a while to find another pair/brand that i liked. They had just the right level of cushion to take out the road harshness but not so cushy it felt like running on marshmellows (i hate cushy shoes). Toe box room was great and durability was Ok, get around 500 miles out of them. V3 seemed to really hit perfection. Then comes along V4. The fit and durability were about the same for me but the cushion and flexibility is TERRIBLE. They are much stiffer and the foam is much harder. That combination makes them fairly uncomfortable to run in. PLEASE fix v5!

Definitely NOT what I was hoping for. I have LOVED the Fli-late since the first iteration. Most recently retired my second pair of Fli-Lyte 3s, which were extraordinary shoes. 450-500 miles on them. The perfect shoe. The 4 is a radically different shoe. Why did you mess up a good thing? The show is stiff, hard to put on, and, I'm a word, uncomfortable.

I ran 3 pairs of the Fli-Lyte _2_, they lasted around 500 miles each and there where my favorite shoes for road and gravel running up to 18 miles. I considered the _2_ as the right end of a natural running shoe. Perfect for me. Now I had to buy the _4_. What should I say? I am disappointed. The edges of the shoe are much stiffer, which leads to pain in my wide feet, also there is an higher and stiffer heel bump which presses in my arch. This is a no-go. I have a mid to low arch. I had to return them, before I get injuries by that. Also the stack height increased, so the angle to the ankle is larger. The 4 is definitely not a natural running shoe anymore. So sad.. Consistency is king, Topo! This is not consistent. I have not a problem with introducing new types of shoes, but do not call it the same at least. If I buy a Fli-Lyte, doesn't matter which version, I want to get a Fli-Lyte.

These shoes were a crushing disappointment. The Fli-Lyte 3 was my ideal shoe - lightweight but sturdy feeling, highly flexible sole, and a forgiving heel. The 4 is *none* of these things. It feels much stiffer and thicker on the foot, with a stiffer heel that is inexplicably angled in toward my achilles. The zipfoam is a big lose for me, I don't like the road feel and it doesn't have the responsiveness that my feet loved in the 3. My feet get tired easily in these, and feel clumsier. The 3's greatest feature was its trimmed-down nature that still provided good protection from the pavement and kept my feet feeling light and ready even after many miles. The 4 doesn't have that feel at all. What a mistake. Bring back the 3's design, please!

This is part two of my previous review titled "This is a support shoe" I continue to stand by my previous valuation and comments in the first review, nothing has changed there with respect to this shoe being far from a balanced, neutral running shoe, but now that I have (almost) completed a full training cycle with my first pair of Fli-Lyte 4's, I would like to provide some additional feedback. First addition, the restructured heel cup is a brutal Achilles and heel destroyer. It took me a couple weeks to figure out what was going on, why my heel and Achilles were starting to ache during and lingered on for hours after my runs (not blisters, just pain), but eventually I noticed that Topo significantly reduced the padding and structural design of the heel cup. This change overexposes my heel and Achilles to a significant amount of the stiff material used to form the new design. This is a frustrating and clearly unnecessary design flaw. Second addition, the Zipfoam is not an upgrade in durability. It's stiffer, much stiffer, but also degrades in cushioning apparently quicker than previous versions. Throughout the life of this training cycle, these shoes started with a stiff harsh ride that quickly degraded to a non-uniform or non-balanced ride. After about 175-200 miles it was obvious the ZipFoam was not holding up during runs over 5-7 miles or in general overall in quality. This was my first experience with ZipFoam I'm not impressed and consider ZipFoam a lower quality product. Third addition, the lacing system is a much-needed improvement. As mentioned in other reviews, the Fli-Lyte 3's laces are prone to coming untied and the overall system was difficult to dial-in with consistency. The new lacing system eliminated those issues. Fourth addition, the new upper seems to be an upgrade as well, though I never really experienced issues with the upper in the Fli-Lyte 3's like I did the 2's, so overall I'm pleased that this doesn't appear to be an issue. So, I'm giving a star to the lacing upgrade and the (apparent) upper improvements.

I thought the FlyLite 4 was their best ever version until I developed painful tenderness in my achilles tendons after about a week and a half of mixed road and trail running. Love the new laces, love the enhanced secure foot feel and the same nice toe box. What went wrong is the change they made to the back of the heel: replacing the achilles notch that used to allow for full range of motion without the heel rubbing into the tendon, with a higher, stiffer, more forward-pointing crest that - after 30,000 steps / week - is doing too much damage and I can't run in them. The FlyLite line has literally been the holy grail shoe for me - for 4 years I've enjoyed and appreciated and LOVED this line of shoes that stayed beautifully consistent and worked well in every important respect. Now I'm back to the drawing board and my feet are homeless once again....

Out of the box, this version may share the same name as previous versions, but unfortunately it is categorically not a Fli-Lyte based on previous versions. The website may claim identical specs to previous versions like the 3mm drop, neutral, and balanced but make no mistake this is a significantly stiffer shoe with unnecessarily robust arch support. I have trained and raced in Fli-Lyte shoes for eight consecutive pairs, starting with the 2's, and that number would have been higher but for a significant back injury in 2020 that kept me out for most of the year. Bottom line, I am a big fan of the Fli-Lyte models for both training and racing until now, that is. Like a previous reviewer, I'm not looking forward to "making do" with the Magnifly 3 (which is likely slated for execution next) until I can find a suitable replacement for the Fli-Lyte. With all fairness, this might be a good shoe, but not if you're expecting an upgrade to the previous Fli-Lyte! Cons (if your looking for an upgraded Fli-Lyte): As mentioned above, the shoe feels significantly stiffer. The zip foam has a harsh ride, and the energy return they claim it has is not distinct. In fact, the harsher ride across all pace ranges causes more fatigue, not less. I don't seek out excessive or even moderate cushioning in my shoes, I like the minimal feel of previous versions of the shoe because it allows me to feel more of the surface below, but this shoe is downright hard even on dirt and gravel, when compared to previous versions of the same name. The nonsensical arch support is exaggerated with the added stiffness, making it impossible to ignore the fact that the neutral feel of previous versions is completely gone. As with the inaccurate specs on neutrality, balance, etc. I am also questioning the authenticity of the 3mm drop. Out of the box and through the totality of each training run thus far, the shoe feels elevated in the heel compared to the forefoot. Walking or running, there is no escaping the sensation that this shoe has an elevated heel compared to previous versions, or at least that's how they feel. I would not be surprised to learn that they are also a 5mm drop like all the other updated shoe models. Pros: I like the new lacing system; it is easier to work with and fine tune. I will give the benefit of the doubt on the upper, but only a full training cycle can determine the quality and it's unlikely that I will continue to train through a full cycle wearing a stiff support shoe that feels nothing like a 3mm drop shoe.

These wore out very quickly with the shoe beginning to fall apart after 50 very light miles.

Wide toe box is nice and fit is otherwise fine, but extreme amounts of rigid, inflexible arch "support" make these uncomfortable to stand in, let alone walk or run. This is the first time I've ever noticed a shoe's arch before - good or bad - over thousands of miles of running in more than a dozen different models across several companies. Need a complete overhaul, or at the very least, to be marketed appropriately as the stability shoes they are.

I really wanted to like these. I've developed achilles issues since going minimalist/barefoot and wanted something with a low stack height but more than zero drop. Seemed perfect. Except for some reason this shoe has the most aggressive over the top arch support of any shoe I've ever worn. Why someone would want a minimalist low drop shoe with this level of arch support is beyond me. But if you're looking for something to help with your transition to barefoot while keeping your Achilles happy for the ride this ain't it.