Great news: Topo Athletic didn’t mess up the Ultraventure 5

Introduction to the Topo Athletic Ultraventure 5

SAM: We had a good thing going, the Topo Athletic Ultraventure and me. For as long as I can remember (well, since I’ve been reviewing shoes), Topo would send us a new Ultraventure in the fall, the week before I had a race scheduled. I’d take it out of the box race morning, lace up, and go run a 50k. Now, everyone reading this (smart, cool, makes good choices) knows this is anathema. You don’t race in untested shoes. Well, I’m writing this (dumb, overconfident, often eats questionable leftovers), and have a habit of shrugging off good advice, as both my mother and my wife will attest to.

The first time, I was too excited about the shoe. The second, I figured it was just a coincidence, and what was the worst that could happen anyway? The good news for me, both times, is that the Topo Athletic Ultraventure proved a damn good shoe, and I’ve never had my feet feel better over long miles than they have in either the Ultraventure 3 or the Ultraventure 4. The Ultraventure 3 was so good that it’s still one of my all-time favorite shoes. Check my bio at the end of this review; it’s still there. It was my perfect Venn diagram of comfort, performance, and fit. The Ultraventure 4 was even more comfortable, despite a few minor quibbles. It’s a special kind of shoe that can pull off two models in a row of race-out-of-the-box shoes.

But this time around, I got the Topo Athletic Ultraventure 5 at the beginning of summer. My nearest race is a few months away, so the cycle has broken. I won’t race this shoe out of the box, but I will review it and enjoy it.

In true Topo style, there’s not a ton that’s changed between versions four and five of the Ultraventure. We have a redesign that includes a new midsole shape, a new material in the upper that’s closer to what we saw in the Topo Athletic Vista and the Pursuit 3, there’s more padding in the heel collar and tongue, and Topo has decided to adopt a universal gaiter system, I’m sure to the delight of thru-hikers worldwide.

JOHN: So here’s the thing, I’ve reviewed lots of Topo Athletic shoes from trail to road to the gym, but I’ve never reviewed the Ultraventure. Also, there’s some added pressure because this is my mom’s favorite shoe — it’s basically a family member. My mom is super jealous that I got the new pair and get to review it. I’m not going to give it a pass, though; it’s going to go through the grinder as I do with all other reviews.

I’m using it at Holy Cowan’s Gap 50k in Pennsylvania, where the trails don’t mess around. It’s been raining there for about a week, and it’s going to be waterlogged. There will be rocks you’d expect in PA, soul-destroying climbs, technical downhills, just name it and it’s out there.

So I’m going to risk it on this review, using a shoe I’ve never worn before on a rough course, I’m talking about potentially pissing off my mom. Let’s get right to it and see how the Ultraventure did out there.

RENEE: The Topo Ultraventure 5 arrived at my house while I was backpacking. I didn’t run for eight days in a row, the longest non-running strike I’ve had for four years. I was desperate to run. When I arrived home, this shoe looked amazing. Really, any shoe would have looked and felt amazing. I guess I forgot how necessary running is to my daily life. Hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, and sleeping on the ground were great and all, but nothing fills my cup like running.

Needless to say, my week of running in the Ultraventure went great, but I need to be transparent: my legs were fresh, and my body was ready to run. I ran in this shoe wearing rose-colored glasses. I still had the previous version, so I dug it out to see if the midsole of version five felt like an update or if I was a bit biased after resuming my normal weekly running routine.

MELISSA: Topo Athletic has been quietly but confidently entering the chat over the last several years. Unlike many newer brands that seem to need a few generations to really find their footing, Topo came in strong from the start. I was an immediate fan of the Pursuit, which reminded me a lot of an old-school Altra Lone Peak days before the shoe evolved into something different. As a longtime Lone Peak girlie, that was high praise.

The Ultraventure 5 feels like a natural extension of what Topo does well: comfort, durability, and versatility. This is a shoe built for runners who prioritize getting through long miles feeling good over shaving seconds off a Strava segment. It’s not flashy, it’s not aggressive, and it doesn’t try to be something it’s not. Instead, it delivers a smooth, comfortable ride that works across a variety of terrain.

What we like about the Topo Athletic Ultraventure 5

SAM: The good news, to spoil everything in advance, is that the Topo Athletic Ultraventure 5 remains the Ultraventure we know and love, despite the little updates. As with both the Topo Vista and the Pursuit 3, this new, thick, single-layer upper is just great. It’s durable, protective, comfortable, and somehow still plenty breathable. In the colorway I received, the overlays and toe guard have a cool, shifting two-tone hue, not too unlike those fancy paint jobs we saw on cars inspired by The Fast and the Furious, when that was all the rage.

Under that upper, there’s gobs of padding in the tongue and heel. Topo went for comfort above all with the Ultraventure 5, and man, this upper and all its corresponding padding are comfortable. The tongue on this is similarly pulled from the Vista, and I’m a big fan of how it sits against your foot, and the dual lace stays keep it in place. I had a solid enough lockdown that I didn’t feel wobbly when the trails got twisty, and enough space that this served as a really solid road-to-trail shoe.

While we got a new midsole design and shape here, this is the same ZipFoam we know and love. I think it might be a touch softer in the Ultraventure 5 versus the Ultraventure 4, but both are soft enough that it’s not worth splitting hairs over. The last here is again very similar to the Vista and the Pursuit 3 (seeing A pattern yet?). It feels wider to me throughout the length of the shoe, certainly compared to the Ultraventure 3, and even a little compared to the Ultraventure 4. This platform makes for a more accommodating fit than some of the more aggressive Topo shoes, like the Terraventure.

We have that same lower-profile Vibram XS Trek Evo outsole we saw on the last two models here. I still think it punches above its weight, but it’s also really manageable on pavement, boosting this shoe’s road appeal even more.

JOHN: This shoe slips on easily and offers a good amount of comfort. It feels pillowy around my feet but not too overdone. It’s comfortable where it needs to be and not built up in areas where it isn’t needed. There’s a lot of room for your toes to splay, also, but your foot is still locked in, even on rugged terrain. Also, I didn’t feel anything underfoot, such as sharp rocks or sticks; it’s very protective. When I kicked rocks, the toe guard kept me safe, and let me tell you, I kicked a lot of rocks out there.

Initially, I was concerned with the lug pattern for using this shoe at Holy Cowan’s Gap, but I didn’t slide around or get in trouble. It worked very well.

I was very impressed with how well this performs in wet, sloppy conditions. I encountered a lot of mud, and the lugs worked well. My feet were constantly wet, and the shoe drained well and also just didn’t feel bad running in while soaked for the duration of the 50k. Honestly, I feel like I could have gone much further than 50k, and my feet would still have felt fine. In terms of spending a lot of time in this shoe, it’s excellent.

When this shoe is black and green, the colorway is nice, but in the sun, the shoe transforms into a Merfolk-like Magic: The Gathering-looking colorway. I was just going to put this in the next category, but the more I think about it, and I asked others to make sure they were seeing what I was seeing, and I wasn’t suffering from old eyes or residual acid flashback or something, but the color of this shoe is like candy paint on cars back in the day. I think it’s innovative. I’ve seen other shoes do it, but I do think it looks cool. Definitely more fun than some of the boring stuff shoe companies roll out.

Note to Mom: I have never done hallucinogenic drugs. I just talk like this to sound edgy and cool and maintain street cred, I promise.

Note from Mom: I want color-changing shoes!

RENEE: Looking back at my recent shoe reviews, I’ve complained about the midfoot and heel holds in a few shoes. Many trail shoes don’t have a women-specific fit, and with a low-volume foot and narrow heel, I don’t always get good security in them. Not in a Topo, though. Fairly consistently through the years, Topo shoes fit my heel and midfoot great, and the Ultraventure did not disappoint. Speaking of fit, the shoe is comfortable overall.

As a reminder, I ran in the Ultraventure after an eight-day break in running, so any shoe would have felt awesome underfoot. Just a disclaimer to help explain why I had a great underfoot experience in this shoe. The shoe has good flex at the midfoot and forefoot, thanks to its forgiving midsole and exposed midsole sections.

The Vibram lugs are minimal, so the shoe works great on gravel on moderate trail, and it’s nimble and feels much lighter than the actual weight. Really, the shoe runs like the previous version to me. The updated midsole is meant to feel softer, and I thought it felt great, just not necessarily that much different from the previous version.

MELISSA: The first thing I noticed was the upper. It’s on the thicker side compared to many shoes today, but it feels durable and well-made. Even during warmer runs, breathability was better than expected, and the overall construction gives the shoe a premium feel.

Underfoot, this shoe really shines. The combination of the plush insole and soft ZipFoam midsole creates a ride that feels incredibly forgiving. If you’re heading out for an all-day adventure, a training run that accidentally goes longer, or an ultra where comfort matters, this shoe absolutely belongs on your shortlist.

What impressed me most was how versatile the ride felt. Despite its trail-friendly design, the Ultraventure 5 handled pavement surprisingly well. Road sections didn’t feel awkward, and on moderate trails, it felt smooth and protected. It’s the kind of shoe you can leave your driveway with, hit a mix of roads, dirt paths, and trails, and never think twice.

The Vibram outsole provides dependable traction for most situations, and the cushioning helps with long descents and harder-packed surfaces. For runners tackling mixed terrain ultras, adventure runs, or long training days, there’s a lot to like here.

What we don’t like about the Topo Athletic Ultraventure 5

SAM: My biggest problem with the Ultraventure 5 is that it, along with the Vista and the Pursuit 3, feels like they’re just ever so slightly losing sight of that perfect fit that caused me to go head over heels for the Ultraventure 3. This new last is wider through the length of the shoe. This is good, because we’re not dealing with that weird rubbing behind the ball of your big toe that plagued a very Topo models once they crept up in miles, but it does feel like the Altra-fication of what made Topo so remarkable initially. This shoe feels wide, it looks wide, and I have a hard time keeping my foot totally set in the footbed, because there’s so much room to slide around.

The tongue is also weirdly short. Not problematically short, just short enough to be annoying when you’re tying it.

JOHN: I don’t use gaiters, so I wasn’t really into the universal gaiter system, but as I was writing this, I got a gaiter to review. First one ever, I wish I’d had it available for Holy Cowan’s Gap, but such is life. It’s like that episode of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when a jetpack from a previous episode could have been really handy in the current episode.

That’s not really anything, but the bigger issue I had is that, for me, this shoe feels kind of clunky to run in on runnable sections of trail. I feel like this shoe excels in the rough stuff, but when it’s time to make up time back on the easy stuff, it doesn’t feel great. The ride feels clunky to me and just not smooth.

RENEE: There’s roomy toe boxes, and then there’s sloppy toe boxes, and the Ultraventure is somewhere in the middle, leaning toward sloppy. I like a roomy toe box, but on trails or anything remotely technical, I don’t like my forefoot shifting. I know that’s Topo’s thing, and a lot of runners need/want that toe box shape. For me, it’s just too much room, especially given how great my mid-foot and heel hold are in these shoes. I actually had the opposite issue as John: I thought the shoe felt good on runnable terrain, but the toe box shape makes navigating technical areas less than ideal.

I dug out my Ultraventure 4 from my shoe vault to see how the midsoles compared, and I couldn’t tell the difference. While the stack height is apparently the same, I felt like version five had a bit more stack under the forefoot, a pro or con depending on how much protection/cushion you like.

In a world of “gravel” shoes, the hybrid/road-to-trail shoe game is now competitive. An advertised softer midsole helps to bring the Ultraventure to the competition, but it might not be enough. Runners who need room in the forefoot will be happy, but I’m not sure the shoe will attract new runners who are looking for a road-to-trail gravel-specific shoe.

MELISSA: My biggest criticism is also somewhat by design: this isn’t a fast shoe.

The plush cushioning comes at the expense of responsiveness. When you want to pick up the pace, it can feel a bit sluggish compared to lighter, more performance-forward trail options. That’s not necessarily a flaw because I don’t think that’s the type of runner Topo is targeting with the Ultraventure.

I’d also hesitate to take it into highly technical terrain. The cushioning and broader platform give it an advantage on moderate trails, but when trails become steeper, rockier, or highly technical, I’d personally reach for something a little more nimble.

Final thoughts on the Topo Athletic Ultraventure 5

SAM: You’ll notice I kept bringing up Topo’s Vista and Pursuit 3 when talking about the Ultraventure 5. This is because these are three very similar shoes that sport different midsole durometers, stack heights, and outsoles, but that use the same ingredients and the same last to make what are ultimately three very good shoes, each with its own specific purpose.

The Ultraventure has become, within that range, the shoe of supreme comfort for long miles over rough terrain. There are few shoes that manage the kind of comfort the Ultraventure 5 can as the miles pile on. Maybe I wish it hewed a little closer to the technical acumen of the Ultraventure 3, but two iterations later, this shoe hasn’t shifted in how well it delivers to its purpose.

JOHN: For anyone who needs to hear this, you are not your parents. You are not your Mom, your Dad, nor are you your khakis. Some stuff works well for some, but not for others.

For me, this shoe works best on tough courses with long cutoffs — ones where you don’t need to run extremely fast. Long training runs, fatass ultras, things like Holy Cowan’s Gap 50k, where you’re just trying to survive. But if you’re going for time goals and more aggressive performances, I would opt for a lighter, speedier option.

The Ultraventure does a heck of a lot right, though. I have no issues with the majority of the shoe, but I feel like it falls into the prevent-defense safe category, which is definitely a fit for many people, but may feel boring to others. Fit, stability, grip, comfort are all solid but it’s just a survival shoe I can’t run fast in it. With that said, it’s totally worth a rotation spot for longer, slower runs on medium to hard trails, but I wouldn’t run with this on easier, faster runs or anything you want to push pace on, because you may get dropped or not be able to maintain goal pace.

I had a great time running in the Ultraventure 5. It’s fun, and my feet feel great after the race, and they probably shouldn’t because they were wet the whole time, kicking rocks and doing steep uphill and downhill with no issues at all! I feel like I probably deserve a blister (at least one). I just wish it felt easier to run in. Mom, I hope you aren’t mad at me. I believe this shoe is in B-grade territory. The only reason I can’t give it an A-grade is that it’s a trail shoe, and at times it doesn’t feel like a running shoe.

RENEE: I had a good running experience in the Ultraventure 5. If you liked version four, you’ll like this one. While I can’t tell the difference in the midsole, runners heavier than me (and faster and stronger) might notice the difference. The shoe is heavier than the previous version, so there must be something different I can’t see or feel. The most apparent asset of the Ultraventure is the Topo-specific fit.

For anyone needing a narrow heel and midfoot hold while getting a spacious toebox, this is your shoe. The MTN Racer 4 is a lot of shoe for me, especially on moderate terrain. On anything moderate or when I need a more nimble ride, I’d go with the Ultraventure. Otherwise, if you need the Topo fit but more protection and more aggressive lugs, the MTN Racer is a better choice.

MELISSA: The Ultraventure 5 is a great example of a shoe that knows exactly what it wants to be.

It’s comfortable, durable, protective, and incredibly versatile. It performs well on roads and moderate trails, and feels built to carry you comfortably through hours and hours of running. While it wouldn’t be my choice for a mountain race or faster effort, it’s exactly what I’d reach for when the goal is to keep moving all day comfortably.

If you’re looking for a do-it-all trail shoe that prioritizes comfort, or you’re an ultrarunner who values keeping your feet happy deep into a race, the Ultraventure 5 is an easy recommendation.

You can pick up the Topo Athletic Ultraventure 5 for $155 in July 2026 from Running Warehouse (featuring free shipping and 90-day returns) by using the buttons below.