Customer Reviews Topo Athletic MTN Racer 3

I absolutely love the Ultraventures but switched to the Mountain Racers to try and reduce ankle rolls (repeated injuries). I love the lower to the ground feel but I cannot wear them for anything longer than a 50k and even that is pushing it. The cushioning on the Mountain Racers just doesn't last. I love the grip and the traction like no other. Shines over the UV's in that regard. There needs to be a Mountain Racer / Ultraventure baby/hybrid I think. I still wear both shoes but rotate depending on need.

First the good - because I liked these enough to wear them for a challenging 100. They are nice and cushioned and have great grip. I wore the Topo Terraventures for my 1st 100 and they were AMAZING, but not enough cushion for that distance, so I used these on my most recent one. And like all Topos, great toe box. The parts I DIDN'T enjoy as much. Even tightening them up, I felt my feet slosh around. If I tighten them too much, I mostly just feel the lace cutting into me but not much more secure, so I don't feel comfortable really pushing anything technical. With that, I got blisters on the right toward the inside part of the ball of both of my feet. I've never had issues with blisters in any shoes. Also, the shoe wore down really quickly on the inside of the ankle and on the heels. Someone else posted a picture. This happened after around 200 miles, which is odd because my Terraventures lasted to around 500 miles. I likely could have pushed them further but didn't want to risk it. All in all, a solid and comfortable shoe. Just wish it fit a little better for what should be a technical shoe. Need the cushion of these with the more secure fit of the Terraventures and these would be perfect!

Love how the shoe is built to really hold your foot in place, very comfortable. Very excited to get out on the trails as my last shoes were killing my feet. The only thing holding back a five is the color, it's the aqua/green is bold and bright online, but more pale and blue in hand.

I love the support and the grip. I have a wide forefoot and narrow ankles. My feet don't feel cramped and I also don't feel like my feet are sliding around in the shoe. They are mostly very comfortable except that the back of the shoe digs into my heels, especially on steep downhills. So much so that fabric has been worn down in that area.

I bought Topos for the heel-to-toe drop and they have eliminated my foot and knee pain that my Altras caused. I simply can't wear zero drop. Typically, I use these shoes for trail running and walking. The trail is fairly flat, with gradual elevation, but not much elevation gain. It is gravelly in places, lots of scree in places, dusty, full of vegetation and often muddy. I love the traction these shoes provide; it's perfect for what I'm doing. I'm running anywhere from 3 to 5 miles at a time, usually 5 a week. The insole took one run to get used to, as it felt different (but not in a bad way) from my other running shoes. It is so comfortable now. Even when I'm walking, I really enjoy the cushioning level of these shoes. They feel great! The only problem I'm experiencing is the bunion on my left foot starts to hurt after about an hour. But I'm not usually wearing the shoes that long, so it's not a major issue. Next pair, I'll probably get the wide width. I bought a size 10 in this pair. My left foot measures 9-3/8" long and 3-7/8" wide. My right foot is slightly longer and narrower (9-3/4", 3-3/4") and the right foot feels fine, never develops any pain. I wish Topo had a more detailed size chart with shoe width measurements in inches . . . It would have been nice to know if I needed a wide size or not from the start. Oh well. Overall, I'm super happy with these shoes. It's such a relief to be rid of the foot and knee pain and to have secure footing on the trail.

I love these shoes for comfort and tell everyone about them but after a couple months the fabric on the heel / Achilles area is ripping and poking into me which is unfortunate as it's never happened in other brands of trail runners

The fabric around my ankles completely ripped apart. Foam is showing all around my ankles now. The grip is still great, but they don't look cute anymore with the foam showing all over

Love the fit, weight, and color (bought the teal). Have struggled through so many shoes and toe boxes looking for my Camino de Santiago shoe. Fabric has not held up well (no major rocks, mostly 6+ miles every other day yet still this much wear.

I am a huge Topo fan and have several pairs of the MTN Racer 2s for trail running. I like the extra room in the toe box in this version, but it feels a little too much. Everything in this version just feels a little too much. I am persevering with the 3s in the hope that they will settle in but really wish we could have the previous version back. Overall though, a well made trail runner which is grippy, supportive and stable.

Had to switch from Ultradventures because they changed them to road shoes/trail and got the Mountain Racers and ripped in 2 months. Very disappointed. I have worn Topos for years and never had this problem. I hope it was a fluke because I love Topos. Going to try another style and hopefully they won't rip apart.

These shoes gave me pain in my left foot in the first 2 hours of wearing them. The foam felt uneven on that side too, which probably caused the pain. I want to add that I had never had pain near my toes before. Also, the curved tip of the shoe makes the shoe feel like it's tipping you backwards, hence creating a negative drop which is terrible and uncomfortable. It's the second pair of topo that I order and have to return because of how uncomfortable they are. All their models have the issue with the upturned tip of the shoe/negative drop, so I wouldn't bother with this brand! Also, the materials of the shoe felt super cheap for the price you're paying.

Saved up money for expensive shoes that are falling apart after 6 weeks of minimal use. Customer Service told me that's not a warranty issue and to try taping them. Could not be more disappointed.