Customer Reviews Topo Athletic Specter 2

I love the original Specter shoe and was so excited for the release of the Specter 2! It does not disappoint! They are so comfortable!

Enjoy the roomie toe box. Second run today and they felt pretty good. I always need a small adjustment period, but already liking them a lot.

I wish the shoe pads could be thicker. I'm not sure if these are meant for warm weather because my feet were freezing in 35 degree weather. You need to have sox that have wide feet area like the shoes. I buy the shoes for the wide toe only because I have neorapathy and most sox hurt my feet and I don't want my toes crushed.

I've only bought Topos for a few years now. They've helped my feet recover from years of punishment in heels and crappy Nikes etc. I didn't realize when I got these they had the crappy foam bottom, which looks cheap in person and easily gets tears if something catches it. I made that mistake with the cycle shoe having it also. That's on me, but two pairs with these bottoms now? Please discontinue the foam and stick to the regular bottoms, which are so so much better. The rainbow is pretty. Tbh the Atmos has been the best shoe imo. I'm super active.

Still getting used to these, which are an upgrade from the last version. I like the cushioning, although they seem a little soft on the outside of the heel. I've just been walking so far, so not sure how it will feel while running.

I've worn Altras for yearsbut the last pair was too tight across the top of my big toe. After several miles, it was too sore to run! I found these Topos and hoped for the best. Love the roomy toe box and extra cushion for long runs! My feet supinate and these shoes seem to make them turn outward a bit more than I would like putting more pressure on my pinky toes. Otherwise, I'm very happy with them. #sweepstakes

Absolutely love these shoes, BUT I'm a little disappointed that I have less than 300 miles on them and the bottom treads are almost completely worn off, especially around the heels. Recommend but it sure gets salty replacing running shoes every three months

Great for everyday wear, errands. & Walking . I have plantar fascitis & these seem to help so far. I wish the insoles had bit more cushion. I can use my orthotics when needed thankfully.

The shoe is very nice. The only problem is the design in the back of the foot. The sole extends out quite a bit. It's not attractive & I've found I must be very careful going down stairs with these shoes. I go down side way so that the extended back doesn't trip me up.

I love the idea of this shoe. The cushion, small drop and wide toe box are the reasons why I bought it. But I have a thin foot and while running it slides forward pushing my big toe to bump the end of the shoe. Tightening the laces helps, but it causes my toes to go to sleep snd I end up stopping to loosen the laces. The shoe fits perfectly and I have plenty of room in the toe until I start running. I'm so disappointed. Maybe another half size larger would help?

The toes are roomy with zero pressure on my feet. The cushion under my soles is great taking pressure off my feet..

Could use a wider toe box. Cannot wear socks with this shoe.

This was going to be my marathon shoe, but sadly, at 150 miles, the rubber is completely worn through in spots on the sole and I'm not confident in them holding up through the marathon next week. I had 4 pairs of the Specter 1 and absolutely loved them. Please go back to this design/material! They were more comfortable and more durable.

I reeeallly love the Cyclone 3's but have been frustrated with the abysmal durability (I barely got 150 miles out of my last pair before the upper tore and completely separated from the sole) so I thought I'd try these as something more durable for daily training. My first few runs in this shoe were great! Fast, lightweight and fun! But unfortunately as the miles stacked on I started developing unusual soreness in my ankle (posterior tib) that gradually got worse with each run and has since dissipated after switching back to my old shoes. I think the high-stacked pebax makes this shoe just a little too unstable. Also why the giant heel/whale tail in the back of the shoe? I'm not sure the reasoning for that but even as a forefoot runner I found it rather odd at times and made the shoe feel more clunky and unnatural. I know Topo's onto the super high stacked shoe trend now but would really love to see some more moderately stacked options like the Magniflys or Cyclones.

I use this model for tempo runs and racing. I loved the 1st version, but the new ones just look like they are made of cheap Styrofoam and they catch/stick on the ground. I'm so disappointed in the change.

I use Atmos for running, and wanted to switch things up for power walking so I bought these for that purpose. I've owned several previous pairs of the version 1 Specter and they worked well, fit well, but wore out pretty quickly. These Specter 2 are cushioned nicely, but the outer edge of the toe box doesn't curve outward enough and it rubbed painfully on both pinkie toes. I did a 5.5 mile walk with them and don't want to risk blisters by putting any more miles on them hoping that they'll break in a bit. Bought these in the same size as I get the Atmos, and it feels like they are the correct size, the toe box is just a bit too narrow. Returning them for something else.

I saw a few negative comments on the redesign of the Specter elsewhere but wanted to try them anyway as my old Specters are wearing out. As others have mentioned, the toe box is not quite as roomy, but that part is okay with me as it was a little too sloshy in my original Specters. I realize these are running shoes but I use them for walking. What is a problem for me is that when I take a step and land heel first, I tend to strike toward the outside of the shoe. On these, the back corner collapses down, which makes me feel very unstable. Sadly, these are going back.

I struggle with sesamoiditis and the original specters are the only shoe I could tolerate with one critical flaw, they were a bit too narrow and too stiff. I was so excited when new model came out and ordered them immediately. At first, I thought the changes were perfect, but after a handful of wears, I realized these shoes swung too far in the other direction. These soles are way too soft and squishy for my hypermobile feet. And the heel flare is too aggressive for walking for my likin. I realized this shortly after the return window, now, practically brand-new topos are sitting collecting dust.

I just discovered Topo in June this year and bought the Specter. I'm a teacher with hallux rigidus (toe arthritis) and a bunion. I am NOT a runner. Since another well-known shoe company decreased their toebox size, I was sent here by my runner sister and was VERY pleased with the spacious toebox and aggressive rocker on the OG Specter. Flash forward to October, and I was excited to see the Specter 2 but reluctant with the mixed reviews. Today I wore them to stand in line for about 2 hours and came home in pain. The upper stitching around the laces is so tight above the toebox (literally at the MTP line for my fellow foot sufferers). No lace adjustment made a difference. It is also nearly a half size shorter in the front end, where my big toes were touching the tips. There are double lace holes at the ankle for the tighter heel fit (some other models don't have this) but one of the shoelaces came frayed in the middle. - side-note: again, I'm not a runner, and had to google if the pebax styrofoam was a joke because it looks and feels like someone just cut a shoe shape out of compact packaging styrofoam. Upon researching, this seems to be the new trend in lightweight running shoes but I wonder about the longevity as someone who gets stepped on at work (teacher). The heel tail of the Specter 2 seems longer than the OG specter and the outer padding seems distributed differently, but it feels unfair to compare that when my OGs have over 200 mi on them. Overall, a lighter but more compact version of the original. I wish they'd just re-release the original with more colorways. Topo is not losing me as a customer over this, but I'll be looking at repurchasing the original Specters before they discontinue them.

The Specter 1 was probably my all time fave road shoe - nice squish without sacrificing response. So I bought the Specter 2. They arrived today. First of all, the sole is a styrofoam cooler, which I expect to last about as long. But I won't have to worry about that because they have an ENORMOUS heel extension, which is going to trip me up and kill me within the first full week of running. They're comfy, so I'll keep them, but why in earth did they murder such a solid shoe? If I somehow survive, I'll just go back to the Ghost Max for long/easy runs until Topo remixes a more reasonable heel shape.

I planned to use them mainly for races.... mainly! Today I had a 12 miles progressive run to which I use them... well, the bottom sole on the right foot got loose ... nothing more annoying than to have a sole dragging as you are trying to stay on pace. VERY disappointing with this shoes. I'm sure I don't even have 75 miles on them.

Let me start by saying I LOVED THE Specter 1. I had bought at least 5 pairs over the years. But whatever they did to "enhance" the new model completely changed the ride of the shoe and caused me horrible knee pain. And now I've switched brands. :(

I bought these shoes halfway through marathon training. My Altras had close to 500 miles in them. I wanted to like them. They felt good, but after less than 150 miles my ankles were screaming and one knee was throbbing. Never again! And they cost as much as my favorite Altra model. I have photos of the mileage on my Nike app and the shoes.