Customer Reviews Topo Athletic Fli-Lyte 5

I have rheumatoid arthritis & have bunion on one of my feet which makes my shoe 1 size bigger. Out of all the shoes I tried this one is a perfect fit, has a wide toe box, I even bought an extra pair.Very cushiony and light on your feet, it"s my only shoe for every day. So happy I found these!!

I wear these everywhere. I use to buy Altras for the foot shaped toe box until I found these. I like that you can get them with a small drop. Plus the soles last much longer than Altras. I have run a 5 miler and some 5ks in them as well. They hold up great and are super comfortable.

Ran in the FL 2 a long time ago. Switched to Altra Escalante for 1.5, 2, 2.5. They ruined the 3, so I switched to the FL 5. Very light and minimalist shoe. The 3mm helps with more up tempo runs. Usually keep the shoe in the 2-5 mile range, longer than that and I go with a higher stack shoe that I have. The lug at the forefoot is great for traction, as some have pointed out in other reviews. I'm trying to decide on buying another and most likely will. Price point is perfect.

I've been running exclusively in TOPO for about 10 years. Started with TOPO trail shoes for training and racing. Bought many different TOPO road shoes. Mostly good but not great. The Flylyte 5 has nailed it for cushioning, stability, weight and road feel. PLEASE don't change it or try to IMPROVE it. Tom & Russ just market Flylyte 5 and get more people to try it. It will sell itself. The new heel design seems good. Big improvement over the usual TOPO heel and in the right direction after the move to the very low heel in the ST4.

The simplicity of this shoe is what I find so appealing about it. Nothing gimmicky or trendy. Lets your feet do the work. That said, ample cushion for such a low stack height. Feather light. Super stable. It's become a go-to shoe for me on dry trails actually. I don't really run pavement or concrete but I loved the shoe so much on gravel roads that I started wearing it more and more on trails and now I'm starting to even wear it on steep, technical routes. Wore it on a fifteen mile mountain single track route in the snow the other day and it just ate it up. Never slipped once on hard packed snow at Buffalo Creek. It obviously isn't designed as a trail shoe but for those of us that like light, flexy, and minimal, it functions amazingly well in that capacity. If I need lugs or want gaiters, I switch to the Runventure. Topo is awesome!! Can't recommend them enough. Similar to Altra but with top-notch build quality.

I am not a runner but like a good pair of running shoes for my daily 2 mile walks and just wearing around town. The Fly-Lite 5s are my first pair of Topos after wearing Altras for many years (their quality has deteriorated since a sale of the company). I am loving my Fly Lites 5s - light, not stiff but have support both above and below the foot. Well made. My only (minor) complaint is only coming in 2 colors. My feet are not wide but I strongly favor a wider toe box. It's so much more natural and comfortable. I also tried on the Topo Cyclone 2 and Phantom 3. I loved the overall feel of the Cyclone but the top was a bit thin for my use (felt more like a distance running shoe maybe?) but there's a lot to like about it, including a very sharp appearance and color. The Phantom 3 felt a little stiff in the foot sole to me and the arch felt a bit off the shape of my foot. Again, probably designed for more than suburban hard surface walking. Overall, I'm really impressed with Topo and can tell this is the first of many pairs I'll own. I love shoes, own many pairs, and am fussy. So when I find a brand I like, I become a repeat customer.

After trying a variety of shoes when transitioning from my last pair that are no longer made, I found topos to be the perfect fit for everything from short road sprints and stadiums, to long distance road running, to trail running. They're lightweight with a VERY roomy toe box, but my foot is secure even on downhill mountain trials. The Fli-Lyte 5 are no exception to their line and I use these for road running as well as track training. They're comfy, and look great too.

I've really enjoyed my last pair of Fli-Lite - shows relatively minimal wear after lots of use, but the footbeds have wear spots I can feel. I watched the video on the next gen and I'm always suspicious of words like "total redesign" which is generally corporate speak for "we found a way to make the product cheaper and increase margins." Such was my first impression when I got the new pair. The area below the ankle bone is a deeper cut V and absent the more solid material that was on the last gen. I noted that this area (sides) also bows out while walking- somewhat alarming. But I gave them a chance and I'd say they are every bit as good as my last pair. The ventilation is very good, and they are quite comfortable. As always, the roomy toe bed is perfect for my wider feet.

Walking would go with a little taller heel but just a couple of mm

Great shoe

I'm mostly a road runner and have garage full of TOPOs. I almost hate to throw them away. I run 6 days a week and have been running for 50 years. Found TOPO at the 2014 Boston Marathon when a lonely Tom Post was sitting by himself with his treadmill during the health fair. I admit I often wait for some of your sales but the older version feel good to my feet. I'll keep running in your shoes until you screw them up.

These FL5 are super comfortable and suportive. My new favorite. I did order 1/2 smaller than usual size and they fit perfect.

These are feather light but still provide great cushioning. They feel like wearing clouds on my feet. Love, love, love the Fly-Lyte 5!

Great for my wide feet. Been wearing Topos for many years. Absolute favorite running, walking, life shoes

I switched to Topo after my previous brand quality and consistency started to decline. I found running in these shoes to eliminate injuries due to the minimal drop. They are well made. I have gone through 4 pairs of these and I can confidently say, "I haven't found a better shoe our there that offers a minimal drop, doesn't have an obscene stack height, and offers a wide toe box." Perfection!

but I've already had the gray and the black. Would be great if some new colors were introduced! Hint hint

Love these running shoes. Zero Drop & spongy type cushioning and NOT thick foam bouncy cushioning. You can actually feel the pavement or treadmill in these sneakers which I love. Formerly wore Altra Torin 5 and had no issue w/ the tongue but the Torin 6 and beyond terrible and uses the double foam cushioning. Local store recommended TOPO & I almost declined because I like blue sneakers but accepted the black. Now I love them so much I don't care about the color. But yes please add Blue & don't change them.

These are my favorite Topo shoes for stuff other than Hiking. After wearing them mainly in the gym and running, I went ahead and ordered a second pair for everyday wear. I think they do the best for me in the gym. I have tried almost all the road shoes from Topo and the Fli- Lyte 5 is the most stable. I think they have a slightly wider base. They have less cushion making you feel very connected with the ground. This is great for an everything shoe. For outdoor running they could use a little more cushion, but since I only do 3 miles or less it's not as important as the other benefits they have compared with other Topos. The mesh is super breathable. You can see through the mesh. At the same time it seems durable, time will tell. Love these Shoes!! #sweepstakes

Running approximately 15 miles weekly.

Footbed and midsole are really comfortable. I have a narrow, low volume foot and the volume of this shoe was just a bit too much for me.

Update on my prior review after 250 miles: These are holding up well. In my first review I said I used them for 3-5 mile runs only and not longer.... however, my update is that I've used these on a few 10 milers and I can say that they do really well for a 23/20 stack. I've even found myself speeding up at mile 5. I'm about ready for another pair of these. I think the main success is the fit. Wide toe box but just right. Great at a solid tie down without breaking my foot.

I got injured a month before my marathon. Made the decision to wear these shoes vs a more cushioned shoe for the race. Felt like I could've PR'd if I was willing to push my injury. I chose not to but I did feel great after the run and I think the shoes helped me get through pain free.

Topo shoes were recommended to me by a foot specialist I listened to on a podcast. I was dealing with Morton's Neuroma for 5 months following a gym overuse injury. These shoes ,with the wide toe box, and minimal drop helped almost immediately, and I am essentially pain free after a month or so of switching from On/Clouds to these. Great style, and they appear durable so far. Will continue buying these (it would be nice if you added more color options.)

The shoes are amazing and run in them all the time.

This is an update on my 5 star review from 3 months ago. The UF5 is the best road shoe TOPO has produced so far. Great wear resistance. Ordered 3 more pairs. "I've been running exclusively in TOPO for about 10 years. Started with TOPO trail shoes for training and racing. Bought many different TOPO road shoes. Mostly good but not great. The Flylyte 5 has nailed it for cushioning, stability, weight and road feel. PLEASE don't change it or try to IMPROVE it. Tony & Russ just market Flylyte 5 and get more people to try it. It will sell itself. The new heel design seems good. Big improvement over the usual TOPO heel and in the right direction after the move to the very low heel in the ST4."