Topo Athletic - MTN Racer Series
Models:
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Reddit Reviews:
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Based on 1 year's data from Mar 17, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
25
14
"I ran the R2R2R in a pair of Racer 3's. Flawless. ... I ran the 100-mile Javelina Jundred in three different pairs (Pursuit 2, older Racer 3's, and a new pair of Racer 3's). Flawless."
"Yea, my feet are sore 2 days later, but no blisters, not going to lose any toenails. ... I'm so glad I moved to these shoes."
"Legs and feet felt great after the run with no hotspots developing anywhere."
28
10
"I’m 280 miles in on my MTN Racer 3 and probably 40% of those miles with a 25-40lb pack/ruck weight. Sharp granite and volcanic trails with death marbles galore. Quite a bit of talus scramble and 3/4 class chose. Pretty sure they’ll make it to 350, maybe 400."
"I get 1200km out of Topo Mountain Racers before the Vibram has lost most of its grip"
"I did do a really rocky, messy 30 K in them and they held up really well for that."
23
3
"Grip felt great springing off rocks, kept grip in sandy sections, and the big lugs were able to keep everything locked down on fast downhill sprint sections."
"As far as grip goes, all three are excellent. ... It's truly amazing how good they are at gripping scree, sand, and unstable terrain."
"Mountain Racer 3 for shorter / technical or muddy runs."
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4
"I can’t do zero drop. ... I don’t like the lack of push off ... I’ve had plantar fasciitis in the past which is not suited for zero drop. ... I use Topo and Altra low heal to toe drop but not zero."
"I like the ultraventure for less technical stuff and the MTN racer for more technical stuff. ... Turns out 4-5 mm of drop was what I needed. Switched about 5 months ago and it seemingly resolved all lingering issues."
"Agree that Topo shoes are a good alternative. I got the Mtn Racer when switching from Altras. ... I switched from zero drop and that was a big help. ... Don’t push too hard. I did and ended up with a 6-month achilles injury before finally switching away from 0 drop."
46
8
"They have a normal heel and midfoot, but the forefoot is very roomy. ... My feet haven't felt so good in years."
"Big wide toe box"
"I have short but wide feet (I call them my hobbit feet) to the point where a pair of On Clouds once made my feet bleed on an easy 10-mile jog by compressing them so severely, and Topos are the only shoes I'll wear"
Disliked most:
1
3
"Topo Mtn Racer and Altra Experience Wild don't have a rock plate. I need that for a very technical 100 miler."
"Just wish the cushioning was a little softer for extremely long rocky trails"
"With thin socks, you definitely feel the textured tpu beads underfoot."
4
14
"I got some hot spots from them on about a 15 mile run after only wearing them a few times. ... My foot spills over the inside of the narrow arch slightly. ... I only use them for training now because of the narrow midfoot."
"the midfoot was way too narrow ... The worst part was the awful midfoot. ... Some "normal" shoes have a wider midfoot."
"I tried topo MTN racer 3. They are wide in the forefoot, but narrow in the arch/midfoot. Can't wear them"
12
12
"the material near my big toe and pinky toe were ripping at the creases after only 125 miles."
"Both my Topos ripped open in under 400-miles this year. ... One of the Topos didn’t even last 200"
"the top of the shoes by the tongue was completely worn through, so that the plastic-y interior material was coming through ... both were split next to the tongue"
1
2
"they hold SO MUCH WATER. ... They are not waterproof, but they don’t drain very well. ... I wish they drained better."
"the upper holding a ton of water"
4
14
"For flat feet, stay away from Topo - they have super high arch support that caused me major issues even with just low arches."
"I tried the Topo Mtn Racer 3 too and struggling with plantar fasciitis, it didn't do the job for me, felt very painful."
"I also got PF from dabbling in topos after being an Altra user for years. ... the arch just doesn't work for me."
49thDipper 0.3Non goretex trail runners Topo are my jam. Big wide toe box. Altra is my second choice
AbominableSnowman69 1.0I can imagine that the MTN Racers would be a good ultra shoe, I do own them but I've never ran an ultra, full disclaimer. But they are a wide and stable shoe with plenty of cushion, but not so much that they lack any ground feeling. The vibram is super versatile too and they are surprisingly fine on less technical segments of trail or even the odd road link up.
Topo Athletic MTN Racer - 5mm drop, foot shaped with a huge toebox, vibram, mid-high stack, not the lightest but very durable and versatile. They also have 3 and 0mm drop shoes in the lineup. Otherwise would look at Inov8, Scarpa, Salomon. Scarpa Ribelle Run or similar could be good although I haven't tried them. Or Salomon Thundercross. If you get on with zero drop then Inov8, maybe Altra.
AccidentalTourista 0.3Topo for the win. Altras wear out way to fast
AceKetchup11 0.3I’ve worn Altras and Topos. My wife has some Hokas. It really depends on what fits your feet.
AceTracer 1.0I’ve gotten 500+ miles on several Topo models, though I hear Norda 001 last even longer.
Worth noting that the MTN Racer is not waterproof (and shouldn't be)
AdeptNebula 1.0Same here. The fit is very similar between the two.
AggravatingStage8906 1.0Have 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.
Topo does the wide toe box. My Ultraventures have a 5mm drop, Terraventures have a 3mm drop and there is also the mtnracer model as well (haven't tried that one yet).
AlpineInquirer 0.3One 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?
Already-asleep 0.3The 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.
AlveolarFricatives 1.0Topo Terraventures and Mtn Racers are also great trail shoes with a wide toe box. Low drop but not zero drop, so an easier transition from Brooks. And Topos last way longer than Altras in my experience. Was only getting 400 miles on Altras and I get close to 600 miles on Topos.
Weird! I have flat feet and Topos don’t bother me at all. I’ve definitely experienced that high arch feeling in other shoes, but never Topos (and I have 6 different models of them!)
I have both the Topo Vista and the Mtn Racers and don't find one any more or less grippy on trails than the other. Both have good traction. Is there something about your experience with the Vista that makes you doubtful? Based on what you've written here I'd go with the Vista and have the Mtn Racers available in case you want to switch out.
Nah I’m with you and so is every trail runner I know. My blue Topo Mtn Racers have 500 miles on them and still look great. I’ve had light colored trail shoes that looked like garbage after 2 runs
Yeah I did get some heel blisters in the Mtn Racers when I stupidly ran a 100M in them without doing heel lock lacing first. Once I did the heel lock they’ve been great for me, no more blisters