Topo Athletic Ultrafly 4 Review
Are you looking for a lower drop running shoe that provides some unobtrusive mild stability? Well, our Topo Athletic Ultrafly 4 review is here! Topo Athletic is one of our best selling brands in our Newcastle store and online shop. Topo Athletic running shoes like the Ultrafly 4 are designed to allow the foot to function inside the shoe. As such, all their shoes have a broad and rounded toe box so that your feet have the room to spread out on impact. This means that your feet can cushion and stabilise you, as well as spring you into your next step. This more foot shaped, wider toe box is used by a few other brands like Altra and Icebug, as it not only allows room for your feet to function but gives the shoes a very comfortable ‘slipper like’ feel. In comparison to Altra, Topo running shoes have a snugger fit through the midfoot and a snugger, more supportive heel counter. They offer shoes from zero to 5mm drop. A lower drop shoe encourages a more midfoot strike, which loads the foot correctly for impact inside that roomy toe box.
The Topo Ultrafly 4 is probably Topo’s most popular daily training shoe. The 4th edition continues on from what can only be described as the ‘classic’ Topo design. A firm customer favourite for those that want both comfort and function.
As always, what you get with the Ultrafly 4 is a great anatomical fitting shoe. Essentially foot shaped, (it’s your feet going inside after all!) which really makes you wonder why all running shoes aren’t this shape. It’s natural. I find if I run in a foot shaped shoe my feet can function properly, they feel less stress and I enjoy my running more. In turn I’ll stay out longer. Shoes narrow at the heel and wider in the toe box–it’s a no brainer to me!
The Ultrafly 4 holds your foot snuggly, but not too tight. A pleasant moulded foam heel collar cuff cushions and protects the heel and Achilles tendon. The midfoot section holds the foot well (there’s an extra lacing hole at the top to put in a lace lock if needed). As in all Topo running shoes, the toe box is allowing the big toe to remain straight and the other toes to splay out, to give better balance and a push off with more power.
Experienced bunions? The straight big toe reduces the stress on the joint, which helps prevent bunions developing.
The upper in the Ultrafly 4 was very comfortable engineered mesh throughout the review, with no overlays (better for people with bunions) allowing full unrestricted movement. This is made mostly from recycled materials, reducing the carbon footprint.
The drop remains at 5mm heel to toe. Stack height wise you have 28mm in the heel and 23mm in the forefoot. This allows for a natural midfoot strike. This shoe is perfect for people wanting to perhaps transition into zero drop shoes (e.g. Topo Magnifly 4/the whole Altra running shoe range) as it allows the Achilles and calf to flex more than they do in a high drop (8mm plus) shoe, with a pointed toe box. This allows your feet and lower legs to get used to the extra function without getting over loaded. Likewise, if you run mostly in a zero drop shoe, I find doing a couple of days a week running in a 5mm drop ‘rests’ my calves whilst still allowing a natural gait and midfoot strike. This reduces the chance of getting tight calves caused by the accumulation of running miles.
The cushioning is an updated Zip Foam, which is an improvement over the old EVA midsoles. The Zip Foam gives plenty of energy return. Your foot, because of the natural shape of the shoe, will experience more of the body’s natural cushioning as the foot goes through its range of motion. The foot feels very supported due to the shape of the sole and insole. It holds the foot whilst still allowing the foot to flex at the arch. The midsole is firm compared to the current trend for very softly cushioned shoes. This is so that the foot ‘knows’ it has hit the floor and gets the message to spread on impact and function naturally. It also increases the stability and durability of the midsole.
There is a strong TPU heel counter at the base of the heel cup and a short medial post that sits in the bottom half of the midsole. This coupled with the broad base of the Ultrafly 4 give enough pronation support for the Ultrafly 4 to be used by a mild pronator. However, the support only comes into play if required and does not affect foot function as your arch can compress and re-shape inside the shoes as it would in a neutral shoe of this shape. This means that the Ultrafly 4 can also be used by a neutral runner who wants a shoe with a more stable ride.
The Topo Ultrafly 4 weighs in at 218g for a women’s UK5 and 272g for a men’s UK8. This is light for a durable everyday training shoe. We have many customers that will get a pair for running and a pair for walking as they are a very comfortable and stable shoe. During our review, although the shoe is designed for putting the miles in rather than running fast, that didn’t mean that it was difficult to pick up the pace in the Ultrafly 4. The firm midsole and the function that you get from your feet means that you can quite happily throw a few pick ups into your run home from work or knock out a quick fartlek.
The outsole of the Ultrafly 4 is the same as the Ultrafly 3 and in our experience is great for road (dry and wet) and gravel paths and even short dry grass.
In Summary if you are loving your Topo Ultrafly 3, you’ll love the Ultrafly 4 just as much. The Zip Foam midsole gives a little bit more bounce without taking away from the original feel. If you are looking for a stable neutral shoe of mild support shoe that offers your feet, the shape to function then we would suggest trying the Topo Ultrafly 4’s.
Other Considerations (Updated 2024)
Brooks Adrenaline GTS 23: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/brooks-adrenaline-gts-23-review/
New Balance 860v13: A more traditional approach to pronation support. Available in three widths. https://www.northernrunner.com/new-balance-m13/860-t101
Altra Provision: Altra shoes have a similar foot shaped toe box. The Provision is a little narrower than the Topo Ultrafly 4. It offers a slightly softer ride and is zero drop. The Altra Provision is more flexible which allows more foot function to offers less anti-pronation support. https://www.northernrunner.com/altra-m86/provision-t142
Karhu Ikoni Ortix: Karhu shoes offer a similar firm and responsive ride. The Ikoni is a 6mm heel to forefoot drop with Karhu’s fulcrum propulsion system in the midsole. This offers a smooth ride: https://www.northernrunner.com/karhu-m89#t245:sort4
Hoka Arahi 7: A more pointed toe box but available in two widths. The Hoka Arahi offers a softer ride. The rocker in the midsole helps increase cadence and encourage a more natural upright running style. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/hoka-arahi-7-review/
Comments are closed here.