Topo Athletic - Runventure 4

I highly recommend Topo Trail runners. I have wide feet and they are fantastic. I use them for all of my running now, road and trail. My current pair is the Runventure 4's and theyre fantastic. vibram sole and lightweight. roomy toe box. They are definitely worth checking out

+1 for anything Topo. Wide toe box and zero drop. They’re my go to for road and trail now

I highly recommend Topo Trail runners. I have wide feet and they are fantastic. I use them for all of my running now, road and trail. My current pair is the Runventure 4's and theyre fantastic. vibram sole and lightweight. roomy toe box. They are definitely worth checking out

Maybe give Inov8 Trailfly Zero a shot, too. I am currently, coming from Xero Scrambler Low and Topo Runventure 4. Wide toebox, I prefer the build (outsole, foam, fit) to my Topos.

I did it in Altra Superiors, and have done hundreds more miles in King Mountains. Then I got mad at Altra for discontinuing those, and I switched to Topo Runventures. You'll be fine

Non goretex trail runners Topo are my jam. Big wide toe box. Altra is my second choice

I’ve worn Altras and Topos. My wife has some Hokas. It really depends on what fits your feet.

I’ve gotten 500+ miles on several Topo models, though I hear Norda 001 last even longer.

Have you looked at the Topo lineup of shoes? Same wide toe box, same 0mm drop options. I have a bunch of them. Some zero drop, some 3 and 5mm drops. The only thing I don't like about Topos is that I hate ortho-lite insoles so I swap in super feet insoles instead. But that is probably an issue in most trail shoes since they try to go lightweight.

One more YES for Lone Peak. Are you used to shoes with a bigger toe box? If so, they'll be great and you should be fine on rocky terrain. I find the Topo more smurf-like than the Lone Peaks. Too marshmallow-ey for my taste. I think the switch to 0 drop is minimal. I wouldn't over think it, but you'll know.

I went from Topo to Altra. The Topos were too squishy for me - like walking on marshmallows and not appropriate for anything off trail. The foot doctors against zero drop seem misguided to me. Zero drop definitely improved achilles issues for me and also shin and knee discomfort. Why would you put the foot in an unnatural position?

The ones that fit you. The problem with shoe/pack recommendations is that everyone's fit needs are different. By all means, try the Altras and the Topos! But I suggest trying as many shoes on as you can, preferably from a retailer with a great return policy so you can wear them around your house. Of course it's pretty well impossible to mimic the conditions of actual hiking while keeping the shoes returnable, especially for several days or weeks in a row. I personally have a really hard foot to fit. I have narrow, low volume feet and I tend to get some degree of heel slippage in pretty much any type of "athletic" shoe ( I always lace with a heel-lock). So I usually have to try on several pairs and am the most annoying person at the store. I personally find European brands like La Sportiva, Salomon, or Scarpa to be the safest bet - but I rarely ever see those brands recommended compared to Altra or Topo.

I second the Topos. I can run perfectly fine while barefoot but the second you give me padding, I need at least a small amount of drop or my Achilles acts up. I use Topos for road and trail running as well as backpacking on very rocky/rooty terrain, up to 20 miles a day. The Vibram soles are wonderfully grippy and outlast the rest of the shoe which has a solid lifespan. I use the Terraventure model for trails and backpacking. Trail runners are the standard now for most hiking as opposed to boots, and quite a lot of AT thru hikers, etc use Topos (or Altras if they can do zero drop).