Customer Reviews Topo Athletic Trailventure 2 WP

I bought these because they were comfortable and most importantly lightweight. Unfortunately, they are not durable. I have worn these on only 4 hiking trips(most recently Mt Whitney)....maybe put 80 miles on them at the most. The tread on both boots in the same spot has either fallen off or is falling off. I don't think these are built well enough for serious hiking endeavors. In fairness to TOPO these problems may have been addressed in these WP versions, my review Is for the non WP version.

Pros: They fit great, with a nice wide toe box and cushy ride. Waterproofing works great (at first). Cons: Very aggressive toe spring that adds up to soreness on long hikes. After only about 40 miles of hiking the sole came unglued from the upper at the bend in the ball of my foot so water now seeps in.

I got these Trailventures for my new winter boot. I love how lightweight and roomy they are, HOWEVER there is water seeping in between the mid and upper. I would exchange them but I fear I will receive another leaky pair so I'll try sealing them with shoe goo. Also, the ankle support is not the most comfy. I mostly wanted the mid to keep out snow so that issue doesn't bother me much. I upgraded the laces too since the stock ones came undone easily. The lacing system is cumbersome. I think they will serve my needs but there is a lot of room for improvement.

Anytime I hiking, with or without a pack I use them. The fit is great! However, the sole delaminated pretty quickly because of a design flaw which is the strange channel that separates a tiny strip of rubber sole on the inside front from the rest of the sole. Clearly it's going to fail with any use, which mine did.

I bought two pairs of the Trailventure 2 WP. SUMMARY: Great grip, light weight, very comfortable (except for toe strike). Aside from two issues related to the toe area, these are an almost perfect shoe. The toe issue would prevent me from buying them again unless purchased from a store with a liberal return policy. THE GOOD: The tread has a fantastic grip , and the shoe is VERY comfortable on flats areas and uphills. The midtop, waterproof feature made this my preferred winter hiking shoe - until the toe strike issue noted below became evident. THE BAD: 1) Delamination of Toe Cover - My first pair delaminated at the top of the rubber toe cover within the first two hikes. Lickily, I also had a slight blister problem in the heel (using Leuko tape solved that, so not a big concern). 2) Toe Strike on Downhills - I decided to give the shoe a second try because I really did like the shoe. The first two hikes with the second pair had extreme downhill sections and toe strike became a serious issue. I normally wear a size 11 and picked a size 11 TOPO - the person fitting me at the store measured both of my feet (between 10.5 and 11) and said that Topos can have a toe strike issue, and said to consider sizing up. But after trying on the shoe, walking on the incline at the store, and factoring in the heel blister issue with the previous shoe, the concern was that another 1/2 size up would exaggerate the blister issue so we stayed with an 11. I did reach out to Topo (they have a return policy that states if you try the shoe and don't like it, you can return within 30 days). I was within the 30 day window but because I did not buy from their website - they simply offered a 20% off coupon - a nice gesture but honestly, you can find the shoe on sale from more than 20% off on occasion. This is a great shoe if you can get the sizing right, but the fit issues are just too risky for me to try a third pair. As it stands, I spent almost $200 on a hiking shoe that I really can't use for hiking.

The Trailventure 2 WP is a light weight, mid-height waterproof show with fantastic grip. With the large toe box, it is comfortable right out of the box. Unfortunately, there seem to be fit and manufacturing issues. I purchased two pairs - I won't wear either for hiking anymore, so they basically constitute one of the more expensive "gear mistakes" I have made. You may not have the same issues. If the shoe fits you well and doesn't have the quality control issues noted below, I imagine you will be very happy. My first pair had delamination at the toe box after 3 short hikes (I also experienced a blister in the heel). I returned the defective shoe and got a second pair. After taking the second pair on more extensive hikes, I experienced toe strike so badly that a toenail was black and blue. The fact I tried the shoe twice indicates how much I wanted to like the shoe. I also have a friend whom I recommend buy the shoe, and he also experienced toe strike and some discomfort at the ankle. The toe strike seems to be a known issue. Consider these two examples: 1) When I purchased the second shoe the person urged me to "size up", but after discussing the heel blister from the first shoe and re-measuring BOTH feet, we decided I was in the correct size. 2) My friend was told to size up and DID size up but still had the toe strike issues and plans not to use the shoe anymore. For the second shoe, the seller would not accept a return. Because I was within the 30-day return window Topo lists on their website I contacted Topo and requested an exchange for a larger size. Because I did not purchase from their website, they would not exchange the shoe. This shoe has so much potential but a very finicky fit and some QC concerns. If you can buy the shoe where the seller has a liberal return policy, you might want to consider a purchase. For me, I can't justify risking purchasing a half size larger based on my experiences.

I have slightly wider feet, and very fat toes that form a flat and linear 20 degree line from the tip of the big toe to the pinky toe, with a high arch. The trailventure2 wp has a roomy toe box, however the outer edge of the toe box curves inward too soon, so there is a chance of jamming the pinky toe if my feet move forward in the boot. I guess the boots are designed for feet that have more curvature at the toes, but at least the toes are roomier than some keen boots. The main problem is that the boot is too narrow at the mid foot, especially at the arch where the midsole drastically curves inward (concave) so that the arch becomes free-floating. The tightness at the middle of the foot is a bit uncomfortable and it's difficult to slip the feet into the boots. Maybe the tongue gusset is to short. I tried to insert insoles for high arches, but their extra thickness at the arch makes the boots even tighter at the arch. There was a slight popping sound from the crease in the upper material above the toes from lifting the feet with the US 9.5 when walking faster than average speed. With 9.0, there was no sound but the width was too narrow. There was also rubbing noise between my custom high arch insert and the event fabric. But not as loud as Altra all-wthr event fabric which is horrendously noisy against polyester socks. In summary, it was adequate for my toes, but I would like to have less curvature at the toe box to prevent the pinky from jamming forward. It was too narrow at the mid foot. Free floating arch, with no support, and not enough space for custom high arch insoles due to narrowness.

The toe box squeezed my feet the instant I put them on.

Not durable - hole in upper on day 2 of use. These will not stand up to any kind of hiking use. Love the topo trail runners but these are a miss. Had to go back to the old standby salomon x ultras.

The Trailventure boots delaminated on the third day of a seven day backpacking trip in Yellowstone. I had purchased the boots new several years ago but due to health conditions had less than 200 miles on them. The boots appeared to be in pristine condition when I started this trip. Athletic tape and super glue got me through the trip.

Toe box corners are torn within 5 months. I have owned two pairs, took the first pair back at 6 months when both shoes had tears at the corners of the toe box. Store exchanged them and I got a new pair, same this is happening at 5 months. I love the fit of these shoes but the quality is poor and the price point is way to high for the end quality. Very disappointed. Please step up the quality and workmanship on your shoes...

Even though emphatically assured otherwise, these have the same poor ventilation as other Gore-Tex boots. The retailer said that Topo told them that special structural features provided extra ventilation so that they breathed just as well as non-waterproofed boots. Also, they fit a half size smaller than my other Topo shoes, which are not waterproof: it appears that the outers were not made any larger to compensate for the extra space taken-up by by the Gore-Tex liner.

I was so excited about getting these boots. They are my third pair of Topo footwear. I tried them indoors and they felt great. Unfortunately I only did the first hike aftet the return period had expired . That was a huge mistake. It was a rocky hike and several times I hit stones with the toe - there is no protection from that impact. I returned home with two big toes that were red and later turned black and both nail have now loosened from the toe. I wish I had looked more carefully at this boot before committing to them.

This past weekend I did an overnight hike on Mt Hood. The rain was extremely heavy at 5000' elevation even by Oregon standards. I wore the Trailventure 2 WP for the first time and my feet were soaked after a few miles of hiking. After close inspection of the eVent sock, I noticed a sewing stitch line on each side of the tongue gusset running down the full length of the tongue. Both my Asolo and Zamberlan boots do not have ANY stitch lines in the GTX bootie that would disrupt the waterproofness and always keep my feet dry. This is not how the Trailventure 2 WP are made.

Not waterproof, upper mesh wears down quickly, toe tip from the sole loose after a few days