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You are here: Home / Gear Reviews / Flash Gear Reviews / Topo Athletic Terraventure Review (Trail Running Shoes)

Topo Athletic Terraventure Review (Trail Running Shoes)

by Roger Caffin on July 13, 2018 Flash Gear Reviews, New Features

Introduction

TerraVenture1

Photo: Topo Athletic

The Topo Athletic Terraventure shoe is advertised as being narrow at the heel but wide at the toe box – this means they do not fit the usual formula for shoe sizing. They only come in one width. Topo Athletic lists these shoes as 4/5 for cushioning, 3/5 for support (1=neutral), and 4/5 for stiffness. They retail for US$110/pair. Topo Athletic sent us two pairs of shoes of size 10.

Here’s a summary of the specs (courtesy Topo Athletic):

topo athletic terraventure specs

First Impressions

Terraventure2

Pair of shoes as delivered.

As delivered the new shoes still had that faint manufacturing smell, so we aired them outside for a bit. They came with some funny foot-shaped paper mache inserts to hold their shape. Some brands just stuff the shoe with wadded up butchers paper, others don’t bother. Since the shoes come in a conventional shoebox, I have to wonder whether the inserts are needed.

The soles felt slightly stiff at first, but this is very common. The lacing was in place, up to the top holes but skipping the second top (blue marks in the above photo). The tongue has a lace loop (green marks) through which you thread the laces: that helps keep the tongue from slipping downwards or sideways. The laces were quite long enough and knotted well.

These are trail running shoes, not street running shoes, so they are a bit heavier in construction around the sole. The sole has large lugs which should be OK in mud. Clay might stick, but clay always sticks. The sole felt stiff in torsion, which is good for edging on steep terrain. The rand (obvious in the first photo) is solid so you can kick things without hurting your toes – things like unseen rocks on the track.

The upper has a thick mesh construction for ventilation. This means that water will flow in if you are crossing rivers (and flow out as you walk them dry on the other side!) It also means that dust can get in, although sand not so much as the holes in the mesh are not too large.

The shoe has an almost flat inner sole under a stock removable footbed. There is a very slight contouring in the region of the arch of the foot, but more at the side than underneath. It seemed that there was a noticeable rise under the ball of my foot, but the sole was flat inside. This impression went away after a day or two.

A big claim Topo Athletic makes is that the shoes have narrow heels and a wide toe box. The heel is not all that noticeable, but there are quite cushy heel-retaining lumps (purple markers in the image above) on both sides at top. They were noticeable at first but they faded from consciousness after a short while. However, they do seem to work, preventing my heel from lifting very far.

The tongue has side gussets to help keep dirt and mud out and is adequate in length (it may even be considered long relative to the average trail running shoe, as there is a generous amount of tongue protruding above the top of the lacing). As mentioned, there is a laces loop 1/2 way up (green markers in the image above), which is usually worth using.

The outer uses a fully bonded construction with thin plastic (probably polyurethane) laminated in places to the mesh fabric for reinforcing or decoration. This is lighter than having separate fabric layers or suede sewn on and unlike leather does not shrink when drying out. Apart from the webbing loops used for the laces, there is no other stitching visible on the surface.

We measured the shoe weight as 319 g (11.3 oz) per shoe for a size US 10. I dare say they could be lighter, but they do have a quite rugged sole.

Sizing

Like so many other brands, the shoe size is given with no indication of width, although Topo Athletic claims that the Terraventure has a wide toe box. Well, they do look wide from above – unlike Italian fashion shoes sometimes described as winkle pickers. A very slight drop of ~3 mm from heel to toe is noted. The middle of the shoe (as opposed to the toe region) is not wide – it is meant to hold your foot in place.

Regarding an inquiry about shoe width that I made to Topo Athletic, they replied that “all of our shoes are a standard D, but more towards an E in the forefoot.” This was not encouraging for me, as I normally take a 4E fitting!

Field Testing

Topo Athletic sent us two pairs, both size 10, so both my wife and I did the testing. The first thing both my wife and I noticed was that the shoes are indeed not a 4E in width. This was a problem. However, the toe box is rather more flexible than average. I found that after swapping from our standard thick wool Darn Tough Vermont Boot Socks to thin (nylon) Gobi Wigwam liners, the fit improved a bit. I then changed the lacing to skip one of the lower hole pairs (red markers above) and this also helped. For width reasons I am not sure I would take these on a week-long walk, but they are fine on day walks.

The shoes were delivered with the laces installed to the top holes and skipping the second top. This left my heels feeling a bit loose. While changing the lacing pattern I threaded the laces through both the top holes as well. I usually do this as it seems to make the shoe grip my foot much better. My wife, however, was happy to leave the top holes unused and just use the second top ones.

A subsidiary problem is that my left foot is slightly bigger than my right foot. Some compromise is often needed. In any event, my big toes were a safe distance from the front of the shoe. After some testing, I am left thinking that the shoes may run slightly under-size. That is, perhaps a 10.5 might have been a better fit.

Fast walking on road, track and bush was no problem. Any perceived stiffness in the sole disappeared after the first hour or two. However, I found it essential to leave the shoes laced quite loosely. Are they an E fitting at the front, or possibly a 2E? Either way, the soft mesh sides proved to be fairly conformable.

Terraventure3 1

On the edge of a sandstone scarp.

Going up and down wet and dry sandstone slabs and boulders and along scarp edges showed very good grip on the sole, and a definite lack of twisting. I quickly became quite confident of their grip. Going downhill on very rough terrain was also reliable, including one time when I was perhaps under less control that I should have been (ahem). The soles did work well. Some other reviews say the shoe is responsive: I have no idea what this means as shoes have never responded to me. I think it is marketing gibberish. Nevertheless, it’s generally accepted in the running community that cushioning and responsiveness are mutually exclusive, i.e., a responsive shoe is the opposite of a cushioned shoe somehow.

As far as I have seen, the removable insoles in most joggers are always some type of closed cell foam (CCF). For example, New Balance insoles usually have a cut surface on the bottom face: you can see the cells, and these often hold a little moisture and rather more fine sand. These Topo insoles have a smooth underside (from moulding), and they do not hold water or sand. This seems like a good idea.

However, there is one gotcha to watch out for. The front of the shoe has a heavy rand, as usual, and this curls over onto the top at the front. But the top edge has a significant protrusion on the inside, and the edge of my big toenail did catch on it at times. If you walk with your toes curled up you might have a problem; if you walk with your toes curled down or with nice thick wool socks you will never notice.

Summary

Very solid, good grippy sole, and really not that expensive. They lack “features” like arch support, pronation control and gel soles, which is excellent. They depart from the conventional shape, so whether they will suit your feet or not I cannot say – that’s up to your feet. They would be worth trying on though. Just be aware that they may not be suitable for those with very wide feet.

Where to Buy

Topo Athletic Terraventure shoes are available at REI. Using these buy links helps support Backpacking Light (more info in the disclosure below).

  • Buy Men’s | Buy Women’s

Disclosure

The manufacturer provided complimentary samples of the products in this review with no obligation required to publish a review. Some links in this review may be affiliate links: if you click on a link and place an order with one of our affiliate merchant partners, Backpacking Light receives a small commission on the sale, at no extra cost to you. These commissions help support our website and create new content – and we’re grateful for your support.

footwear, minimalist footwear, topo athletic, trail running shoes

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Home › Forums › Topo Athletic Terraventure Review (Trail Running Shoes)

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  • Jul 13, 2018 at 9:45 pm #3546674
    Roger Caffin
    Moderator

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    Companion forum thread to: Topo Athletic Terraventure Review (Trail Running Shoes)

    This Topo Athletic Terraventure review features shoes that have narrow heels, a wide toebox, and minimal drop.

    Jul 13, 2018 at 10:07 pm #3546677
    Pedestrian
    BPL Member

    @pedestrian

    I’ve worn two generations of Topo Athletic shoes and like them for running/hiking trails. As noted in the review the Terraventure has a decent sole that works well in a range of conditions: dry, crumbly, loose trails to wet, slick, rocks.

    The only downside I found is that with time the sole wears out resulting in sore feet after long days on rocky terrain. Even when new, the soles don’t provide much protection from rocks and gravel on trails but as I put more miles on the shoes, the soles wore down. This was true with the MT-2 (previous model) and the Terraventure.

    But a lot better built than Altra shoes.

     

     

     

     

    Jul 13, 2018 at 11:09 pm #3546682
    Roger Caffin
    Moderator

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    Soles are a funny thing. I can wear my outer and inner soles right down without any problems. My wife finds that once the inner soles especially start to wear down, she has foot problems. Since we take the same size shoes (length and width), that means that after she has worn a pair for 6 months and had to move on, I can wear the same pair for another 6 – 12 months – which is kinda economical.

    Cheers

    Jul 13, 2018 at 11:58 pm #3546684
    Pedestrian
    BPL Member

    @pedestrian

    I’m cheap that way about shoes too – I put a lot of trail miles every week consistently (30-40) and don’t replace shoes more than every 9-10 months. For comparison I’m currently on a pair of Brooks Caldera (last year’s model). The Caldera has significantly more cushioning than the Terraventure while it has a 3-4 mm heel to toe drop. I find it more comfortable for longer hikes/runs especially on rough terrain.

    The Caldera is a lot like the older Brooks Cascadia (5, 6, 7) before Brooks messed up (for me) that model. The Caldera has a lower heel to toe drop than the current Cascadia and a wider toe box.

     

    Jul 14, 2018 at 12:26 am #3546688
    Roger Caffin
    Moderator

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    I (we, actually) dispute that bit about being ‘cheap’. My wife does not hesitate to pass on a pair once her feet start to hurt. I continue to wear them because for me they remain fully functional (and they are still good shoes).

    In fact, for both of us, having comfortable feet is far more important than saving a few $. Mistreat your feet long enough and you can be permanently crippled. Suffering is not part of our diet.

    Cheers

    Jul 16, 2018 at 5:05 am #3546960
    Martin Norris
    BPL Member

    @onward

    I have wide but not silly wide feet (like 4EE!) and found them very comfortable. Used them in Scotland and all that ankle deep cold water constantly being refreshed was not nice, but some sealskin socks soon fixed that! 3mm drop does take a little getting used to if you are transitioning from ‘normal’ shoes and climbing steep hills. Don’t dry them on a hot hotel room radiator in Edinburgh…they shrink (yep…I now have a pair that don’t fit). All in all an okay shoe, but still looking for my Holy Grail or hiking shoes!

    Jul 16, 2018 at 6:04 am #3546963
    Roger Caffin
    Moderator

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    Ah, the trouble with drying your shoes is that 15 minutes after you start walking tomorrow, they (and your socks) will again be soaking wet.

    Cheers

    Jul 16, 2018 at 11:02 am #3546966
    Colin Briggs
    BPL Member

    @colinpbriggs

    Locale: Melbourne Australia

    I just did two weeks in Norway with this shoes brother, the HydroVenture. Looks to be the same shoe only with a waterproof upper. Great grip on rocks. Comfortable even with my wide feet. Very waterproof so far. Did a lot of snow and shallow rivers with dry feet.

    My only complaint with them is where the sole is bonded to the upper along each side. This has started to separate on both sides of both shoes. This happened during two routes we followed that had hours of boulder hopping. I don’t think they like the constant direction changes. So I’m not sure how long they will last.

    Jul 16, 2018 at 11:04 am #3546967
    Roger Caffin
    Moderator

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    Hi Colin

    Photos would be great if possible.

    Cheers

    Jul 16, 2018 at 11:13 am #3546968
    Alex H
    BPL Member

    @abhitt

    Locale: southern appalachians or desert SW

    I have been using the Terraventures this year and have found them pretty good.  Not as grippy as the La Sportiva TX3s but pretty good and when wet and going down hill the thin insole likes to slide to the front and bunch up, will try to find a better insole.

    Jul 16, 2018 at 10:29 pm #3547063
    Colin Briggs
    BPL Member

    @colinpbriggs

    Locale: Melbourne Australia

    Hi Roger,

    Some pictures of the problem are below.

    I normally don’t use waterproof runners as my feet sweat so much. We knew we would be in snow for a while so I got a pair of the HydroVenture and a pair of the Terraventure (not used yet). I’m pretty disappointed that the upper has deteriorated so quickly. My wife did the same trip in a pair of Keens. They look no worse for it. I would buy a pair of the Keens, but of course they no longer make that model :(

    It really pisses me off that the manufacturers ALL constantly change models. Once I find a runner that works I usually buy four pairs to delay the inevitable search when they are all worn out.

    I have a pair of Altra Superior 3.5 in the mail at the moment. They are wide around the toes and normal in the heel and mid like my feet. Hopefully they will last longer!

    Jul 16, 2018 at 10:41 pm #3547066
    Roger Caffin
    Moderator

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    Looks very poor.
    Is it just the thin plastic trim which has disintegrated, or is the body fabric also delaminating from the sole? The former is poor, but the latter is a disaster.

    Cheers

    Jul 16, 2018 at 11:07 pm #3547073
    Colin Briggs
    BPL Member

    @colinpbriggs

    Locale: Melbourne Australia

    Its a combination. On all of the joins the plastic trim has disintegrated. On the worst join the fabric has separated from the sole down to about 5mm.

    Its the sort of wear and tear I would expect after a couple of hundred km on the AAWT. Actually that’s not true, the pair of New Balance runners I used last year on the AAWT looked better after 700km than these do after 50km.

    Jul 17, 2018 at 7:33 am #3547126
    Roger Caffin
    Moderator

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    I don’t make joggers, but I do wear a lot of them.
    I have to say that the broken trim looks extremely thin and poorly conceived. I am really not surprised at what happened. Just BAD.

    No experience with the HydroVentures, but the TerraVentures (SO FAR) have not shown any signs of that. As for NB shoes – they last me for ages.

    Cheers

    Jul 19, 2018 at 10:44 am #3547421
    john hansford
    BPL Member

    @johnh1

    I have just completed a walk across Switzerland wearing these shoes. I went from Lichtenstein to Lake Geneva climbing 14 Swiss passes on the way, to clock up  225 miles and 60,000 feet of ascent in 12.5 days of walking, camping all the way.

    These shoes were fantastic. The terrain varied from roads to rock, gravel, loose shale and hard snow. Some climbs and descents were were quite steep, with the highest pass over 9,000 feet, from a valley base of 5,000 feet. At the end of the trip the shoes are showing very little signs of wear.

    My feet must fit the profile of this shoe very well. I usually suffer from little toe blisters where the little toe rubs under the next toe. With this shoe, my feet could spread just that little bit more, and no problems. I had no hot spots or blisters whatsoever, and in the evening at camp I just eased the laces a little and never needed to take them off all day until bedtime.

    For comparison, my previous favourite shoe was the Brooks Cascadia 9, and I got through 3 pairs of these trail hiking. Even with these I often needed tape on my toes. The Terraventure is about a quarter to a half size larger than these. I’m wearing Injinji toe socks at the moment to try and prevent my toe blisters, and with the Terraventure I needed thin liner socks as well. I probably have a narrow heel, and certainly need extra room for my toes to spread, and these worked perfectly.

    I have never hiked in low drop shoes before, and didn’t notice the lower 3mm drop at all. I have had plantar fasciitis in both feet in the past, so swapped the insoles for Wellbeing Pro 2, which has a bit of foam under the heel and forefoot, and had no heel problems either.  Indeed I looked forward to any road sections because the shoes were so comfortable, and I was then able to get into a good rhythm and enjoy the view out in the open.

    I first read about Terraventure here on a different thread (as an alternative to the Altra Lone Peak 3), which just shows yet again what a great resource this site is.

     

    Jul 19, 2018 at 11:26 am #3547423
    Roger Caffin
    Moderator

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    Hi John

    The Alpine Pass Route? We did that a few years ago, and it was as good as it was promised. I forget what joggers we wore – probably NB.

    Cheers

    Jul 19, 2018 at 11:34 am #3547424
    john hansford
    BPL Member

    @johnh1

    The old Alpine Pass Route goes onto bits of the newer Via Alpina now. So you can go onto higher traverses still following the long distance red and white markers. Or  stay in the valleys, pick and mix. Fantastic route.

    Jul 19, 2018 at 11:40 am #3547425
    Roger Caffin
    Moderator

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    Um. We went over the top and stayed out of the valleys.

    Cheers

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