Topo Athletic Pursuit Review
This week we have a brand new trail shoe line-up at Top Athletic, in our Topo Athletic Pursuit review. The Topo Pursuit is a well cushioned, grippy, neutral trail shoe that is zero drop. It goes up against the Altra Lone Peak and the Inov-8 TrailFly G 270.
The midsole is 28mm thick and made from Topo’s durable and responsive Zip Foam. This gives a smooth but responsive ride. It’s more cushioned with more underfoot protection than the Altra Lone Peak 7 although this does make it stiffer. This gives the wearer of the Pursuit more support for their feet but, reduces foot function. Which is the best option between the Lone Peak and the Pursuit will depend on how natural and protective you want the ride of your shoes to be. The zip foam midsole is on the firmer side of soft. This is because if the midsole is too soft your foot doesn’t know that it has touched the floor. So, even though the shape of the toe box encourages your feet to spread they won’t. So, you will lose the natural spring, cushioning and stability from your feet. The firmness of the zip foam is similar to the feel of the midsole of the Inov-8 TrailFly G 270. However, the Pursuit has twice as much midsole. This takes away some of the feel for the trail but, makes the ride feel a lot plusher and makes the Topo Pursuit a lot more versatile in terms of the breadth of terrain it is comfortable on.
Topo shoes are designed with a broad rounded toe box and low drop. The Topo Pursuit is no exception. This is to allow you to land on your midfoot loading the foot so that it can spread on impact. This gives you natural shock absorption, stability and spring from your feet. This means that your feet get stronger the more you run and the forces associated with running are spread out between your feet, ankles, knees, hips and lower back. Shoes with a high heel to forefoot drop and a narrow more pointed toe box prevent the feet and lower legs from functioning as much. So, all the force is sent to the knees and hips. Which can cause wear and tear on the joints.
The amount of volume and width in Topo Athletic shoes does vary depending on the length of time the shoes are designed to be used for and the terrain that they are designed to be used on. The Topo Athletic Pursuit is quite snug through the midfoot. The upper is made of a light mesh with internal tapes that are attached to the base of the shoe and to the laces. These tapes pull the upper in around the foot to give a secure fit. The toe box is free and roomy. Designed to allow room for your toes to spread and function. The Topo Pursuit is designed to work well on more broken ground as well as being cushioned enough for some firmer trails. The upper is therefore designed to hold your foot onto the midsole. This is so that your foot doesn’t move around inside the shoes when contouring, running on rough, broken ground or descending. The upper has much less width and volume than the Ultraventure 3 which is designed to be used for long distances on firmer, smoother tracks an trails.
The outsole is made from Vibram’s Megagrip. This gives a good level of traction on wet and dry surfaces. The lugs are 5mm long and well spaced out. This isn’t long enough to get you round a British Cross Country course on a wet day but, is versatile to get you through most muddy trails while still being able to ride smoothly on tarmac and firm tracks and trails. This outsole has been tested on Topo Athletic MTN Racer versions 1, 2 and 3. As the MTN Racer has become one of the most popular trails shoes on the market due to it’s versatility and grip. There is no reason to think that the Topo Athletic Pursuit won’t become as popular for those trail runners looking for a versatile grippy trail shoe with a zero drop.
The men’s UK8 weigh’s 306g and the women’s UK5 255g. However, like all zero drop shoes they work so effectively with your feet that they feel much lighter than other shoes when you are running in them.
The heel cup and tongue have a nice level of padding that makes the Pursuit feel comfortable and the kind of shoe you could spend a lot of time in. The tongue is kept in place by two loops that the laces thread through to prevent it from slipping to one side or the other. The tongue is gusseted to reduce the chance of getting debri inside the shoes. The toe bumper offers a good level of protection but isn’t hard or unpliable.
The Topo Athletic Pursuit has the attachments so you can fit Topo’s gaiters to the shoes should you wish to. Gaiters are designed to reduce the chance of getting debris in the shoes. They are particularly useful if your routes include sections on sand or gritty tracks. They also cover up the laces and seal the gap between the shoes and you’re legging or running tights. This can make the shoes warmer and during very wet, muddy winter stops you having to clean the shoes as often. You just need to rinse the mud of the gaiters.
Notes from Northern Runner Newcastle Shop Manager Craig (Main Test Dummy!)
As many shop customers will know, I’m more comfortable in a zero drop shoe, so I was really excited about a Topo Athletic shoe that would fit well in my low drop rotation.
1. Topo’s standard fit is something I’ve always loved and I find I can run a good distance straight from the box. They feel like I’ve already broken them in! My feet function as they should, so I can concentrate on the surroundings and enjoy my run without thinking about uncomfortable feet. A roomy toe box and a more fitted heel holds my foot so well it’s like I haven’t got anything on my feet.
2. They are genuinely lightweight and don’t give me that heavy foot feel when I’ve been in them for a while.
3. The upper is light and non-restricting allowing natural foot motion.
4. The Vibram Megagrip is very impressive. I’ve ran on road and rocky terrain and due to the current weather in the North East of England which has consisted of lots of rain, snow and ice this would normally be quite slippery. I didn’t have any issues with these shoes (a 5mm well-spaced out lug). I had the confidence to just run without thinking I was going to slide. The lugs are a great length, which means they were fantastic on claggy mud.
5. The main difference in these shoes was the way they hold my feet on the sole. There are contours that my foot just sits comfortably in (again like you’ve worn them for months). My foot functions correctly and my big toe feels stronger, giving me a better toe off.
6. It has the feeling of a rocker but doesn’t feel forced. My posture is still good and I’m picking up my feet but it feels natural.
7. The cushioning is good, not as much as the Ultraventure, but still enough for ultramarathon distance to me. I could still pick up the pace. Nothing felt sloppy and un-energetic.
8. As with all Topo Athletic trail shoes they have the extra lace hole to add a lace lock to give them a snugger feel and to make sure they won’t come off in thick mud.
In Summary the Topo Athletic Pursuit is a very grippy, well cushioned and versatile zero drop trail shoe that promotes a more natural running posture and has a roomy rounded toe box that gives the feet the space to spread. We anticipate the Pursuit to take off in popularity in 2024!
Other Considerations
Altra Lone Peak 7: The difference between the Altra Lone Peak 7 and the Topo Pursuit is the fit, underfoot protection and the stiffness. The Topo Pursuit is much snugger around the heel and the midfoot. It doesn’t have quite the same volume in the forefoot but, is close. The Lone Peak’s looser fit allows for more foot function but, the snugger fit of the Pursuit helps the foot through the gait cycle and coupled with the stiffer sole gives some propulsion. The Lone Peak 7 offers a more natural ride. The Lone Peak has more underfoot feel which makes you a bit nimbler in the shoes. In comparison the Topo Pursuit feels a little plusher and will be more comfortable on tarmac, for a few miles to the trails, for most runners. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/altra-lone-peak-7-review-2/
Inov-8 Trailfly G 270: The Trailfly G270 doesn’t have a much space in the toe box as the Pursuit. It has more feel for the ground but, lacks the plush smooth ride on firmer tracks and trails and although the grip is descent it’s not quite on par with the Topo Pursuit. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/inov-8-terraultra-g-270-graphene-review-cushioned-ultramarathon-running-shoes/
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