Topo Terraventure Review

Overview of the Topo Terraventure:

The Topo Terraventure is a shoe that has been on my radar for a while now since its release in early 2017. I was excited to put it through my usual tests to see if it performed as well as I had been hearing. After putting a number of runs and miles in the Topo Terraventure I came away very impressed with how comfortable, durable, and well-made the shoe is all in a great value. The Topo Terraventure is a great option as an everyday trail runner for those who prefer a more natural feel (i.e., minimal heel-to-toe drop) yet being protective enough for most everyday trail situations.

Specs:

• Neutral pronation control with just a touch of support from the denser, wider platform
• Weight: 284g / 10.0oz (US men’s 9.0); 250g / 8.8oz (US women’s 8.0)
• Drop: 3mm, 21mm heel/18mm forefoot
• Upper: mesh with multiple welded overlays
• Midsole: full-length EVA of the denser variety
• Outsole: tightly-spaced 6mm lugs in a variety of shapes and sizes + nearly full coverage rubber + rock plate

Presenting the Topo Terraventure. A comfortable, durable, and well-made shoe at a great value.

Now for more details. In this review, we’ll break things down in to four areas:

1. What’s good: the new, differentiating, or simply well designed or built features or aspects of the shoe.
2. What could be improved: tweaks or improvements that could be made to make the shoe better.
3. When to use it: the situations or scenarios where the shoe excels.
4. How it compares: my current go-to shoes and how this shoe compares.
5. Should you purchase? My overall recommendation on whether to purchase this shoe or not.
6. Purchasing Information: where to go to purchase this shoe.

I’ll try to be as succinct as possible. After all, you’ve probably got more running you can do today!

What’s good?

• How everything comes together. This is kind of a goldi-locks shoe I’ve realized. It’s not super plush and cushioned but just cushioned enough. It’s not lightweight but I wouldn’t describe it as too heavy either. It’s responsive enough when you want to pick up the pace yet is comfortable enough for recovery runs. Everything just kind of works in this shoe and I dig that.

Everything comes together well in the Topo Terraventure.

• The fit. Both the heel lock in and midfoot fit are spot on and then the forefoot is wider to allow for toe splay. This makes for a really comfortable fit and a shoe that I look forward to wearing each time I reach for it.

The foot-shaped toe box in the Topo Terraventure makes for happy feet.

• The durability and protection. This shoe is well-made, period. I’ve worn a lot of trail running shoes in the past few years and the durability of the Topo Terraventure is up there with the best of them. Both the upper and the outsole are showing above average durability and this is impressive considering I’m running on dusty, extremely hard-packed trails these days in the middle of summer. The toe bumper is substantial but doesn’t get in the way. The rock plate does a good job of muting the sharp, pointy stuff.

Solid material choices and quality manufacturing lead to a durable shoe in the Topo Terraventure.

• The grip. I’ve not seen an outsole quite like that on the Topo Terraventure before. 6mm lugs might sound aggressive until you see how close together they are arranged. The outsole pattern combined with the nearly full rubber coverage means this shoe performs equally well on both aggressive single track as it does on tamer fire roads and even pavement.

The Topo Terraventure has a uniquely designed outsole that performs well across a variety of terrain.

• With a mostly mesh upper and minimal, welded overlays this shoe breathes well and drains fast. It’s a good choice in warmer climates.
• The value. At $110 I think the shoe is a great value given its versatility and durability.

What could be improved?

• The style. I struggled to find things I disliked about the shoe, and I’m nitpicking here as I actually kind of like the more muted colorway, but it would be cool if the shoe was also offered in some brighter, louder men’s colorways as well. (Note: the women’s colorways are pretty great and have three options as compared to two for the men.)

When to use it?

• Everyday trail runs on mild to moderate terrain. The shoe can handle more technical terrain just fine but I would want just a touch more cushion for steep descents.
• Avoiding mud. The tightly-spaced lugs are great in drier conditions but struggle to shed thicker mud.

Similar shoes to compare with:

• Altra Lone Peak 3.0 (review here): The fits and levels of cushion are really comparable on these two shoes. However, the Topo Terraventure is a little firmer and more responsive for me. Plus, the durability and breathability is superior in the Topo. The Topo wins here.
• Inov-8 Trailroc 270 (review here): About the only thing that is directly comparable between the Trailroc 270 and the Topo Terraventure is the heel-to-toe drop. The Topo Terraventure has a more forgiving fit, levels of cushion, and is more durable for $30 less. Topo wins again.
• Nike Zoom Terra Kiger 3 or 4: Somewhat similar shoes in terms of fit, overall comfort, and weight. However, the Nikes are a bit more responsive when picking up the pace but this comes at a cost of being $15 more. A toss up for me – for everyday runs I could reach for either and be equally happy but will probably stick to the Kigers for trail workout days and shorter races.
• Hoka One One Speed Instinct (review here): I prefer the level of cushion the Hoka offers but I prefer the fit and breathability of the Topo Terraventure. If I’m really wanting to push the pace on a shorter run I’ll reach for the Hokas first otherwise for all other runs the Topo wins.

Should you purchase?

So, the $110 (or even less on sale) question – should you purchase the Topo Terraventure?

In a word, yes. It’s a great do-everything kind of trail shoe that is comfortable, durable, and well-made.

Questions, comments, or feedback on this shoe? Please share! And thanks for reading!

Purchasing Information

If you’re interested in purchasing this shoe, please first check availability at your local, independently owned running specialty store. They need your business and are a great resource for the community.

If that’s not an option, please consider using this link for the men’s shoeor this link for the women’s shoe. Amazon has a great return policy and should you choose to keep the shoes, your purchase will drop a few nickels into the URP account. Thanks!

Thank you for reading.