I’ve been an avid Topo fan for many years now. Through road races in my Fli-Lytes – many iterations and colorways! – and many trail ultras and adventures with the Vista, they just fit exceptionally well and the durability holds up over the miles and the hours and the time on feet. Whether it’s in scree or in Costco, they’re the ones I reach for. Topo recently came out with a new road shoe: the Ultrafly 6, and with a bit more cushion, a slightly higher stack height, a hair heavier, I was excited to add them to the rotation on my recent runcation.
See all our reviews of Topo here!
I love that I can wear a pair of Topos out of the box and know they’ll perform without any “breaking in” and the Ultrafly provided just that. I could instantly tell they had a bit more stability and a little more hug than my Fli-Lytes. The mesh upper is similar – breathable with the anatomical toe box, as is my favorite feature of a Topo, but didn’t feel tight or sloppy.
The drop is a 5mm, so adding this into a rotation to give the calves a breather while logging base miles, recovery runs, or some additional weekly volume has been feeling quite nice. Topo’s ZipFoam™ midsole is subtly springy and I have done a few 5K races in the Ultraflys recently – of course this is no comparison to a supershoe, but I notably I didn’t feel weighted down or overly cushioned. Recently added is additional rubber coverage on the outsole to improve durability and traction, as well as improving stability.
As always, I recommend sizing up in a Topo, as I am consistently a full size higher than in other brands. If possible, try these on a store and/or check out their generous return policy for online ordering to be sure to get your own Goldilocks sizing. A lot of other reviewers will say they fit true to size and I just do not find this to be the case for me.
Overall, I have really been enjoying adding these to the other Topos I keep by the door for my various running iterations. I am genuinely a fan of the brand and their products and appreciate their commitment to runner anatomy, comfort, and goals.
Sustainability and Commitments:
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.