If Altra and Hoka got together, their little dirt shoe baby would be Topo Athletic.
Both companies make great shoes, but each has a downside that keeps them from being the universal trail shoe champion.
Hoka has plenty of cushion and a great, stable base, but their toebox is notoriously tight. Altra has the best upper and widest toebox on the market, but the zero-drop platform doesn’t work for everyone.
Enter Topo.
Last year, my buddy — a features editor at Recoil Magazine — asked me for a trail shoe buyers guide.
These are the best stories to write, because I literally get paid to go running. And the fact that Jared got to test four or five pairs of shoes was an extra bonus.
The shoe roundups are great because they make me look past my typical favorites (I’ll unapologetically love you forever, Altra) and put my feet in shoes I might not ordinarily try.
The Endurist 