Topo Athletic Terraventure 4 Review

Another roomy toe box trail running shoe today, with our Topo Terraventure 4 review. The Topo Terraventure 4 is an everyday trail running shoe designed to be versatile enough for some rough ground, where you need a more flexible and nimble feeling shoe, but also have enough underfoot protection for firmer tracks and trails and even a few miles of tarmac on the way to and from your local trail.

The Topo Terraventure was the first Topo trail shoe to have the right mix of cushioning and grip to work well on UK trails and has been a steady seller at Northern Runner ever since.

Like all Topo shoes the Terraventure 4 has a snug fitting heel is snug through the forefoot and then opens out into a broad rounded toe box. The toe box of the Terraventure 4 has slightly more volume than the previous version which gives your toes more uninhibited space to spread into. Topo shoes are designed to work with your feet rather than replace your feet. They all have a low heel to forefoot drop (5mm, 3mm or Zero Drop) to allow you to land on your midfoot and therefore load the foot so it can spread on impact. This spreading stretches out the planta fascia which is like a large elastic band on the base of your foot. The planta fascia then recoils and spring you into your next step. How much foot function is promoted in the shoes depends on the heel to forefoot drop, the stiffness of the shoes, dampening effect of the cushioning and whether they have a rocker or curved shape to the midsole. The Terraventure 4 is 3mm from heel to forefoot and although it is flexible it isn’t so flexible that it doesn’t supply some stiffness at push off. This reduces how much the foot is required to work so wouldn’t normally be the type of shoe that you would have to gradually increase the distance you cover in the shoes. Unless you haven’t used shoes with a low drop (6mm or lower) previously.

The upper is made from a close woven mesh in the forefoot. This doesn’t absorb much moisture and dies quickly. While also being durable enough to cope with abrasion from the trails. At the rear of the upper the mesh is more open to improve drainage and breathability. The heel and cuff are nicely padded as is the tongue. The tongue is gusseted to help prevent debri from getting into the shoes and has two loops that the laces thread through to prevent it from moving around while running.

The laces thread through tapes that are secured at the base of the shoes and when pulled tight help to pull the upper in over the foot. There is an additional lace hole should you need to make the heel fit snugger. You could also butterfly lace the shoes.

The toe bumper is nice and firm with a little bit of flex. Ideal for protecting your toes while out on the trails.

The stack height is 25mm in the heel and 22mm in the forefoot. The midsole foam is Topo’s Zip Foam which is a durable, cushioned EVA. It provides a cushioned ride without taking away the feel for that ground that is required to negotiate rougher more broken trails. Below the midsole foam is a rockplate. This is a thin piece of plastic that is designed to prevent thorns or sharp rocks from piercing the shoe and sticking into your foot. Rock plates used to make the forefoot of trail shoes quite stiff making is more difficult to negotiate rougher trails but, they are now so flexible that you aren’t really aware that the shoe has a rockplate.

The outsole is made from Vibram mega grip. This is a sticker rubber designed to grip well on wet and dry surfaces. It’s used by a lot of trail shoe manufacturers and has a secure and reliable level of grip. The lugs are 6mm’s long which is a very versatile length for UK trails. They are configured in such a way that they ride well on hard packed trails and have enough surface area in contact with the trail that they don’t feel unstable or have a reduced level of grip. Yet they are long enough and have sharp enough edges to bit into softer trails. Don’t get me wrong the lugs don’t work as well as an 8-10mm pointed stud like you find on a dedicated cross country or fell shoe but, what they do provide is enough traction for you to get around your local trail in the wet or the dry. This is the same outsole that Topo uses on the Pursuit (their zero drop trail running shoe https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/topo-athletic-pursuit-review/ ) and the MTN Racer 3 (5mm heel to forefoot, stiffer with a higher stack height https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/topo-athletic-mtn-racer-3-review/ ). This is because it works well on a variety of terrains.

Due to the balance between cushioning and flexibility the Terraventure has become a popular walking she as well as a trail running shoe. Unlike a lot of other running shoes they aren’t so softly cushioned that you feel like you are bouncing down the road. Instead your feet can function inside the shoes which helps improve posture and as your feet are spreading and functioning in the shoes is reduces swelling when you out walking all day or for multiple days.

There is a d ring at the base of the laces and channels on the heel cup to enable you to fit the Topo gaiters should you wish to. These are designed to further reduce the chance of debri getting into the shoes and to seal the gap between the shoes and your running tights to make your feet and ankles a bit warmer.

BROWSE TOPO ATHLETIC TERRAVENTURE 4

Topo suggests that the Terraventure 4 is best used for shorter trail runs under 10 miles in distance. We would suggest that this depends on how light you are on your feet and the terrain you are running on. If you are on hard packed tracks and trails then you might find that a little bit more cushioning would be more comfortable. If however, you are on more of a mix of trails with some softer terrain then the Terraventure 4 is likely to do the job for you. I have run two and a half hours plus in them on a mixture of hard packed tracks, muddy paths down by the river and farmers fields and just forgot they were on my feet.

Topo shoes are similar length to Altra, Brooks, Saucony, Nnormal if you use Hoka, New Balance, La Sportiva, Karhu or Inov-8 then I would suggest trying half a size smaller to get a similar length.

In summary the Topo Terraventure 4 is a light, versatile trail shoe ideal for UK trail conditions. They have a broad rounded toe box to allow your feet the rom to function and have a good level of underfoot protection while still allowing some ground feel.

Looking for Terraventure 4 Waterproof?

The Topo Terraventure 4 is also available in a waterproof version that is warmer and drier. Ideal for winter use: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/topo-athletic-terraventure-4-wp-review/

Other Considerations

Inov-8 TrailFly Speed: A very similar shoe. More flexible than the Terraventure 4 with not as much volume in the forefoot. More underfoot feel makes them feel nimbler. The grips isn’t as good on soft ground and they don’t feel as comfortable on the tarmac. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/inov-8-trailfly-speed-review/

Scarpa Golden Gate 2: A thicker midsole and a rocker gives these a very different feel. They are smoother on firmer tracks and trails. Not as nimble on the more broken trails. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/scarpa-golden-gate-atr-2-review/

New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro v8: A softer ride but not too soft. They are available in three width Men’s and two width Women’s to accommodate wider feet but have a more pointed toe box so they don’t promote foot function in the same way. More comfortable on tarmac but, lack the traction on softer trails. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/new-balance-hierro-v8-review-fresh-foam-x/

VJ MAXx 2: A similar shoe. Similar level of ground feel. Not as broad or roomy in the toe box. Has more bounce in the midsole. Not quite the same traction on softer trails. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/vj-sport-maxx2-review/

Topo MTN Racer 3: A more cushioned and stiffer shoe. Designed for longer distances where your feet might appreciate the support towards the end of the day. What you lose is the flexibility and ground feel which makes them less nimble on more broken ground. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/topo-athletic-mtn-racer-3-review/

Altra Lone Peak 8: Zero drop broad rounded toe box. Similar level of flexibility. The foot is free to function in the Lone Peak and so it stimulates more foot function. The traction isn’t as good on softer tracks and trails. Is Available in a wider/higher volume version in both men’s and women’s. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/altra-lone-peak-8-review/

Topo Pursuit: A zero drop but, with a 28mm stack height makes this less flexible than the Terraventure 4. The slightly stiffer shoe gives more support when out running for longer. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/topo-athletic-pursuit-review/

Brooks Caldera 7: A softer and more cushioned shoe but with an outsole that offers a good level of traction on a variety of terrain. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/brooks-caldera-7-review/

NNormal Tomir: A firmer stiffer shoe that breaks in after 50 miles or so. Traction is good on a variety of terrain but, not versatile enough to feel nice on tarmac. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/nnormal-tomir-review/

Karhu Ikoni Trail: A lot softer with the Karhu Fulcrum. Has the feel of a road shoe which makes it less nimble on broken trails but comfortable on tarmac and hard packed tracks. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/karhu-ikoni-trail-review/

Hoka Speedgoat 5: The Speedgoat relies on the soft midsole absorbing some of the lumps and bumps on the trails a bit like a mountain bike tyre. So, you don’t dance nimbly over the trails but just keep going and let the shoe deal with what’s on the ground. A very different feel. The cushioning and rocker makes them smooth on hard packed tracks and tarmac. Available in two width men’s and two width women’s. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/hoka-speedgoat-5-gtx-review/

La Sportiva Akasha II: 6mm heel to forefoot drop with a 6mm lug. These offer a similar level of traction on soft trails to the Terraventure 4. There isn’t the same volume in the toe box but, the big toe line is straight, so you get a good toe off. The lugs ride fine on tarmac and harder packed trails. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/la-sportiva-akasha-ii-review/