The Topo Fli-Lyte 6 is a great all-around road shoe, built light enough for speed work, enough cushion for recovery runs, stability for gym work, and, as always, the roomy toe box for comfort.
See all our reviews of Topo here!
Appearance:
The last iteration of Fli-Lytes came in a monochrome black upper in both women’s and men’s, as well as a simple gray/orange or all white. The 6’s – though not available just yet on their website – looks to be following suit with the monochrome + white midsole. And I, for one, am here for it. It’s easy to match, easy to clean, and looks sleek, modern, and classic.
Construction & Fit:
I have been running in Topos, and specifically the Fli-Lytes, consistently for a few iterations, including the 5s for a good 2+ years and invariably, I have to go up a full size over other brands. Normally a 9 in every other brand, but a size 10 every time in Topo. I’d recommend trying these on a store and/or checking out their generous return policy for online ordering to be sure to get your own Goldilocks sizing.
The laces are flat and plenty long for any sort of variation of lacing you prefer. The eyelets are reinforced as expected and as you can see, remains consistent with the monochrome look.
The heel has some height to it! For those who like to wear ankle or no-show socks, this is something to consider but it has a very comfortable cushion and provides flexibility but also support.
Specs:
This is the most breathable upper I’ve experienced. Made from recycled materials, it’s incredibly comfortable, particularly so given the naturally roomy toe box, but fitted properly so as not to feel sloppy.
The tongue is thin, but supportive: no frills, no complaints.
Midsole:
The ZipFoam midsole has the look of super plush shoe but with only a 23mm/20mm stack height, you’ll still get the feel of a minimal shoe (without wrecking your calves).
The midsole’s shape is still thoughtful as the 5, keep the tapered sides, as well as the exposed midsole in the middle to minimize weight as you’ll see 2 photos down in the outsole section.
Outsole:
The outsole rubber on the Fli-Lytes is soft, giving a nice ride underfoot but I tend to get slightly fewer miles out of a pair as a result. The 4s could be slick on any wet pavement (also think bridges / boardwalks) and the 5s had the improvements in the slight tweaks of patterning and grip that have been continued into the 6s as well to help address this.
I’ll again mention the exposed middle allowing for some weight reduction as well as flexibility in the outsole here without losing stability or durability.
Overall:
These are my favorite road shoes because I believe in running in as minimal as possible, but not more. It seems that 3mm is the sweet spot for me, and I love a roomy toe box, a lightweight upper (breathability also = drainage for those of us in the PNW), and all of this at a $125 price point. We all feel the pain of seeing shoes creeping up near and above the $200 mark and Topo offers at a great shoe at a price we can stomach.
In all honesty, I’ve gone through 3 pairs of the 5s since their debut and look forward to many miles in the 6s. We all hate when we find a shoe we love and the next year’s improved version just doesn’t fit quite right – that’s not the case here. It’s the shoe I’ve loved with a color change and a bug update. I look forward to running in these all summer.
Besides the shoe itself, or if you find yourself in a different Topo model / use case, there’s a lot to love about the company itself. They are committed to DEI. They donate money to the NAACP, Planned Parenthood, and Special Olympics. Their shipping bags are compostable (made from corn!). All but one of their products are vegan (their non-vegan model has a wool component). They require suppliers to adhere to a code of conduct, which includes language around harassment, child labor, and health & safety. These aren’t always things we can look into when making purchases like running shoes, but I appreciate their transparency and commitment to making a good product by a good company.
