Altra is one of my favorite shoe brands. All of their shoes have what I believe should be standard on every shoe.
A zero heel-to-toe drop and a wide toe box.
Well, using good’ol Google a couple months ago, I came across this brand called Topo. And they shoot for similar goals with their shoes. After running in their ST-6 shoes, I don’t understand how I just found out about them!
Fit & Finish
For a brand that I never heard of, I assumed it was because Topo’s shoes were subpar. Man was I wrong!
The ST-6 upper material? Amazing! Midsole? Fantastic! Laces? Great!
And the biggest factor: the overall fit and feel? Phenomenal!
If a shoe was an orchestra, and all of its different parts were the instruments, they would sound remarkable.
Running in Them
Holding and examining a running shoe is one thing, but putting sole-to-ground is the real test. And guess what? These don’t miss a beat!
The ST-6s have a minimal midsole. Aka, there’s not a lot between your foot and the road. Because of this you have amazing feedback from the bottoms of your feet the entire time.
So, if you hit a slippery area, you’ll know. Or if there’s a crack or depression in the concrete, you should be able to feel it. Allowing you to adjust in real-time to prevent a potential slip, twist, or some other kind of injury.
They’re definitely road shoes though. Running on gravel or a trail isn’t really comfortable with the thin midsole design. The outer sole tread isn’t designed and shaped for great traction in sandy environments either.
Other than that, my only honest concern is how soft the midsole is compared to most running shoes. It doesn’t affect the experience running in them, but I wonder how they’ll hold up over time when they have over 200 miles on the odometer.
Still Surprised
Every time I put the ST-6s on, I’m shocked by how well rounded they are. As advertised, the heel and first half of the shoes are locked in.
My foot is secure and snug, and then mid-foot the shoes open up to allow for the wide toe box. It’s this great balance of security and freedom that shoes like these create.
To do this the upper material has to be stretchy, durable, and breathable all at the same time. (Durability being the hard part of the puzzle to implement anytime you want something light and thin.) Something Topo has figured out.
It’s not a super pretty shoe like other, larger shoe brands, but it doesn’t need to be.
And the laces are perfectly adequate. Topo didn’t cheap out on these, nor did they go all out for no reason. They hold their shape and avoid cutting off circulation on the top of your foot like other shoes I’ve had.
Heck, even the tongue of the shoe is well done. It’s thin yet padded. I wouldn’t change a thing if I could.
The Recap
Dang Topo! You shocked my world with the ST-6s. And I can’t wait to see what you do with the ST-7s!
Topo seems like Altra, before Altra was as common as they are today. The quality is there, the shoes are capable, and the prices are more than competitive too. (They’re priced lower than comparable shoes like the Escalante 3s.)
If you haven’t heard of Topo either, or you haven’t tried their ST-6s, I would highly recommend you pick up a pair. They’re an impressive shoe and make for an extremely practical daily runner.