Customer Reviews Topo Athletic Traverse

Wow, the Traverse is the perfect hiking shoe for me. I live in Colorado and put a lot of tough miles on rocky trails. I also own the Mtn Racer 3 shoes from Topo but my feet were getting a bit beat up. The Traverse has a rock plate and that makes all the difference. If you are on nice trails the Mtn Racer 3 would be perfect, but for tough trails the Traverse is amazing. I also like the slightly smaller toe box of the Traverse vs the Mtn Racer 3. Still a large toe box but not excessively so

This is the best hiking shoe comfort-wise I've had so far. They are holding up pretty well after about 100 miles. Hopefully, they will last over 500 miles like my La Sportiva's Jackal II GTX. My only minor complaint is that the Kahtoola INSTAgaiter does not fit the gaiter clip, which is too small. Otherwise, perfect shoe.

I'm a big Topo fan for hiking and trail running. I've done a few hikes this year in these and I just don't like them. I usually use Mountain Racers and will definitely be going back. These feel to narrow causing me to roll over the side.

Hands down the best hiking shoe I've ever owned. They strike the perfect balance of stability, traction, support, and toe box comfort. I pair them with Topo gaiters and medium Smartwool socksan unstoppable combo. I size up by half to allow for swelling and longer index toes. The green color? Hideousbut at least it keeps my son from stealing them. Go with black & white if you want to wear them casually. I ruck 40lbs, 34 times a week, over 30+ miles. These shoes hold up.

So happy to find a wide toe box in WIDE. Wish there was a waterproof option in wide. Otherwise, this is a well-made shoe, comfortable for warm weather, and I like the way they look on my feet versus Altra.

This is the third or fourth pair of these shoes I have used. They provide good traction and the uppers are durable except for one area. On the inside upper edge of each shoe, interference from the opposite foot when taking a step on narrow trails leads to destruction of the edging, exposing the inner surfaces of the shoe wall. The photo below is of a new pair after 9 days of hiking. Some abrasion like this is to be expected, but the design of a hiking shoe should anticipate this wear and use a more durable covering for areas like this that are routinely exposed to abrasion and foot strike. I suggest you wear gaiters to protect the shoe edging until Topo puts tougher material on these exposed edges.

Because they run small I contacted y'all and was supposed to get a return label so I could return them for the next size. I've spoken to 2 people and have yet to get a return label

Great fit, roomy turbos and great traction.

I am a physical therapist who often recommends shoes to patients. The topo shoe I reviewed feels well built with a wide toe box. Why would you make the mid foot and hind foot so narrow on a wide toe box shoe. The navicular bone is floating as a result of the reduction in sole material under the medial longitudinal arch.

I have been a 4 year user of regular sized 12.5 TerraVenture 3's. I tried the Traverse last year in regular 12.5. I broke them in for a handful of days at and near home. I went for a 8 mile hike and received blisters on my little toe and near my back heal. Support mentioned that the Traverse's were not as wide in toebox as TerraVenture 3's are and the heal was slightly changed. They mentioned to try wide version of Traverse when they became available. So I tried a new Traverse in 12.5 wide. So far so good - I've broke them in near home and have been on three 4 miles hikes and no issues so far. So looks like I'm keeping these.

Traverse fits both feet perfectly. The arch support from the rock plate is great, yet comfortable. I tried a number of Topo Athletic's products to fine the one that works best for me. I'm on my feet all day and do a lot of walking. The others I've tried are okay and I'll keep them. But the Traverse shoe feels great in all categories so this will be my shoe of choice going forward, after the others wear out. "Sweepstakes".

Purchased the traverse while in Seattle in December - love the fit and roomy toe box. Purchased to replace worn out vasques which wore out in the toe box. These are comfortable and feel great but the inside heel wear will assuredly further deteriorate and I'll be looking for another walking / hiking shoe. NOt sure I would purchase these again, despite the fact, I love the fit. Will continue to wear these until they cause pain or blisters.....it's a shame they look almost new except for the inside heel.

Just got this pair of shoes. So far I love them. Did a short hike in them the day I got them. The product did better than I thought they would, with no issues. I have found i just want to have them on all the time. I would buy them again and will.

Got the Teaverse and was shocked how narrow in the toe box they were. Painfully crammed my toes together. Sent back for a wide version which I have never had in a shoe. Been wearing Hoka and Altra and thought I'd give these a try. We'll see...

I used the Traverse to train for and complete the Tahoe Rim Trail. Held up well to multiple weekends of 30+ miles hiking. Bought a new pair this spring.

I would otherwise consider this to be a perfect shoe minus the giant limb/rock grabber on the heel. I have tripped a few times because the loop on the heel has snagged on something. Worse than a belt loop on a door handle! I snipped mine off before I tripped on off of something.

I used 2 pairs on the AT in 24. (Two Traverse, 1 Terraventure 4, and 3 non-Topos in total) I absolutely loved the Traverse for the rock plate and the closed cell foam insole that don't absorb water and is very durable. The inside heel wore through but for me it wasn't an issue, but I always double sock and never get blisters since I started that. The traverse is tighter than the Terraventure but more durable. Traction was night and day better compared to Altra and some others (Continental soles are the best imo). I had one major flaw I ran into with both pairs of my Traverse, and other hikers had the same issue as me. The heel would sort of collapse. It would shift outwards and be very visibly noticeable. I first noticed it on another hiker and thought he must have a nasty pronating problem. Then it happens to me and I am a heavy supinator! It happens to me on only one and first the left, then the right on the next pair. Once it collapsed, it started making my ankle sore because it was forcing my supinating step to be forced inwards completely opposite on my step. I discussed it with many hikers and most complained of the same issue. I really hope they address that because I would wear them exclusively. Everything else worked great for me. One pair happened fairly quick and the other lasted a bit longer. No shoe on the AT made it more than 400 miles for me but it's rough trail and I'm 6'0 185-195lbs.

Due to an accident one foot is permanently swollen larger than the other. The Traverse fit perfectly with enough room for the larger foot but not too sloppy for the narrow foot. Comfortable right out of the box. Despite the advanced OEM insole, I opted for an after-market insole with better arch support. The Sole brand wide model is the only insole I found that fits the expanded Traverse toe box with very minor trimming. Very satisfied overall.

Wore these to hike across Oregon on the PCT. The traction, breathability, and protection were fantastic. My issue was that the toebox wasn't as wide as I needed. The combination of that and the well-built toe guard destroyed my little toe. Swapped back to Altras and was relieved. A bit disappointed in how quickly the shoe liner got holes in itmaybe after a week on trail. I see there is now a Wide option, but only in one generic gray color (Visual appeal is definitely not Topo's strength.)

backpacking, rugged shoe, grips well

The only issue I have for trail running in the high desert is fine sand entering the shoe.s. A coat of waterproof spray helps a little. I would definitely not trade the fit or longevity for this issue.

Shoes are tight probably because of liner

While these are well finished and quite attractive, I did not give them a chance. They are too tall, narrow and tippy. For me they are unstable. By unstable, I mean the shoes resistance to allowing your ankle to being rolled. Once the shoe has tilted 20 degrees and I put weight on it there is nothing to stop it from completely rolling over. This could just be a personal issue for me and not an issue for other purchasers of the shoe. Many years ago I destroyed my right ankle and it is still a serious point of vulnerability for me. An ankle Air-Cast allowed me to hike again but it was really annoying to wear. Eventually I discovered that Topo has some shoes that are low, wide and extremely resistant to being rolled. I can't induce their Ultrafly 4 road shoe to roll no matter how hard I try. I assumed that roll resistance was built into the entire line but it's not. The fit has been snugged up a bit. Height and width were reduced but it's still a roomy fit and true to size. Well finished and quite attractive. They also make your feet look a little smaller than they really are, (as opposed to other Topo products that make your feet look larger than they are). Sending them back to try something else.

If you're looking for an in depth review of these shoes I suggest checking out Believe In The Run. They write an excellent description of the pros and cons and who these shoes are for. As for fit, these have the typical Topo wide toe box but the standard model is too narrow for me in the waist. Fortunately the wide fitting shoe opens this area without widening the toe to a point of sloppiness. The overall fit is secure with just the right amount of cushioning and ground feel. A mega grip outsole with no exposed foam provides great traction. The TPU bead insole is similar to that found in some INOV8 shoes which I've been using for years because it just doesn't collapse or wear out. Can't beat the 30 day satisfaction guarantee. Great shoe.