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Road Running Shoes • January 24, 2025

Topo Athletic Cyclone 3 Review: High Wind Warning

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What You Need To Know

Weight

6.9 oz. (195 g) for a US M9 / 5.5 oz. (155 g) for a US W7

Stack Height / Drop

28 mm in heel, 23 mm in forefoot (5 mm drop)

Best For

Uptempo workouts, strides, short-distance races

Key Features

Pebax midsole, zonal outsole coverage, lightweight upper, Ortholite insoles

On The Run
Shines at speedy paces Absurdly breathable Too roomy on standard feet
Price / Availability

Available February 2025 for $150

The Score

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10 out of 15
Form 3 out of 5
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Fit 3 out of 5
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Function 4 out of 5
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Introduction to the Topo Athletic Cyclone 3

SAM: If you have read any reviews I’ve been on, you know that I love etymology. Researching the names of shoes to figure out how they relate to the shoe is something that brings me great joy. So, let’s learn about Cyclones! Did you know that all tropical storms with wind speeds faster than 39 mph are classified as cyclones? Only once reaching 74 mph do they gain the moniker of typhoon, hurricane, or tropical cyclone based on their place of origin. How interesting. In terms of the Topo Athletic Cyclone 3, I think this relates based on how much I like the shoe. Will the Topo Athletic Cyclone 3 reach 39 mph and earn its namesake? Or will it drop below and leave me in a tropical depression?

WIDE-FOOT JARRETT: We like to say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and Topo really took that to heart with the Cyclone 3. The Cyclone 2 was a great uptempo trainer for faster and shorter distances. It was (in my opinion) the best shoe Topo had put out to date and worked so well for how simple it was. I was curious how they would up the ante with the next version, and let’s just say the ante hasn’t really changed.

The new Cyclone 3’s full Pebax midsole and outsole rubber placement remain unchanged. The upper and heel collar are also very similar, but the tongue is slightly different in that it wraps around the ankle more, and Topo says the midfoot has been reinforced with the stitching.

While the review is going to be pretty similar to the last one, the Topo Cyclone 3 is still an awesome shoe, and you should continue reading to see why.

CARYN: Topo was a brand I was introduced to upon joining Believe in the Run a couple of years ago. I won’t wax poetically about my toe spacers here (seriously, try them), but I’m down for any shoe that gives your toes enough space to spread out and do their thing. I’m no wide-foot Jarrett, but my feet certainly aren’t slender — and they appreciate the consideration.

The Topo Atmos was a great surprise review for me last year — as Topo’s higher-cushion daily trainer, it provides a soft, comfortable ride that can easily absorb high marathon training mileage. A couple of other Topo options I’ve reviewed have fallen a bit short in terms of performance, but not every shoe can be a home run. I was excited to receive the Cyclone 3 on my doorstep this winter – but will it be a swing and a miss? Let’s check it out.

What we like about the Topo Athletic Cyclone 3

SAM: The Topo Athletic Cyclone 3 is a lightweight “speed trainer” meant for uptempo days and racing. The name of the game with this shoe is ground feel. It’s almost a throwback trainer in the way it is built, with a 28 mm heel and a 23 mm forefoot separating your feet from the ground. On top of the Pebax-powered midsole, there is a 5 mm Ortholite footbed, and that’s it. The Topo Athletic Cyclone 3 does not have a lot of protection.

With that said, I found that this shoe very effective when running at higher paces. I used it for a run that featured multiple pickups, and as soon as I got moving, this shoe shined. It made me feel like I was running in spikes on the track, with just enough cushion to keep me comfortable but more than enough dynamic “bite” to keep my stride going. I actually found myself running faster than I expected, and I will admit that was a pleasant surprise with this shoe. For the single thing it is meant for, running fast over shorter distances, I would say that the Topo Athletic Cyclone 3 performs admirably.

WIDE-FOOT JARRETT: The upper is a very thin and lightweight mesh. It’s so see-through that you can easily make out the color or read any logos that are on your socks, so choose your accessories accordingly if running with friends. While my toes feel frozen at the beginning of my runs, it’s also winter and stupid cold. I can see the upper being great and cool during the warmer months. The new tongue feels better as it wraps more around the ankle as opposed to the previous one which was raised in the middle. The heel collar is still padded and comfortable.

Topo is known for its wide toe box, and it shines in the Cyclone 3. My toes and forefoot are very happy with the space and I also don’t feel like I’m sliding around in the shoe. For my wider feet, the midfoot is a bit tighter, which I will go into more detail in the next section.

A full Pebax midsole is the star of the Cyclone 3. While it’s unchanged from the previous version, it provides a very nice and pure running feel. Topo markets the shoe towards distances under half marathon, and I agree. The Pebax provides a lightweight ride (my US M10.5 is still 7.4 oz.) but isn’t very soft. I get more ground feel while running, which is a nice change of pace from all the max-cushioned monstrosities recently. While running, I’m reminded of simpler days when it was just one midsole foam and not triple-density foams smashed together with multiple plates and shanks for a Frankenstein shoe with premium prices.

The all-white colorway is so clean with the orange-to-red logo gradient. Topo definitely has challenges with the design because of its wider toe box look, and they crushed it with this one.

CARYN: While aesthetics aren’t the most important thing, they are also a massively important thing. I’ve certainly made comments in the past about Topo’s designs not exactly being the most appealing, but this all-white colorway with a pop of neon was beautiful right out of the box.

I tend to like Topo’s fit, with the anatomic-shaped toe box that offers enough space for your toes to function. This fit was a little on the large side for me, which did cause my foot to move around a bit on the run. If you have a higher volume foot, I’m sure the fit would be just fine. The upper itself is a very breathable mesh, which would be great in the summer but leaves a lot to be desired in the current mid-Atlantic tundra. The upper also has very little actual structure, which is just something to keep in mind when considering stability (read: it’s not).

At 28 mm in the heel, the Cyclone 3 harkens back to the olden (golden?) days of lower-stack shoes. I enjoy shoes with a little bit of ground contact, so this didn’t totally bother me, but if you’re a super mega cush lover, this ain’t it. The Cyclone, in my opinion, also felt best at uptempo paces. The full Pebax midsole felt great underfoot as my pace increased, but the shoe felt sloppy at easier paces. Finally, this shoe is LIGHT (5.5 oz for a US W7). It felt like it was barely there. If you’re someone who enjoys 5k/10k style workouts (sociopaths), this really seems like it would be a great option, despite the absence of a carbon plate.

What we don’t like about the Topo Athletic Cyclone 3

SAM: If you read my thoughts on the Topo Athletic Cyclone 2 or on the Topo Athletic Aura, you know that I do not like the fit of Topo shoes. I find the aggressive arch support and flared forefoot extremely uncomfortable and bothersome at slower paces. During the 10 miles I wore this shoe, I thought constantly about turning around until I started the pickups.

At very fast paces, this shoe works. At an easy or moderate pace, it becomes extremely uncomfortable. I would argue that this shoe is solely meant for workouts where you can change out of a different shoe that you warmed up in before using this shoe for the repeats and fast work. If you have the ability to afford that, great! A shoe rotation is very helpful. If you’re looking for a do-it-all shoe, I would look elsewhere.

Another thing I could not stand about this shoe is the insole/upper fit. The best way I could describe it is slippery. To complete the fast and lightweight vibe of this shoe, I wore lightweight Bandit racing socks, but my foot slipped all over the place while I was running. If you are to pick up a pair, be careful with what socks you wear unless you want to end the run with some gnarly blisters.

I also want to discuss Topo’s claim that this shoe can be used for racing up to the half marathon. I would take that with a grain of salt. At this point in time, running shoes and the way our feet have adapted to them have taken most of us away from the point where we can even complete a marathon or half marathon in a shoe with this little cushion. From what I can find, the Nike Streak last broke the women’s world record for the marathon in 2003. The men’s record was broken by the Adidas Adios in 2014. That’s 22 and 11 years ago, respectively. Sorry, minimalists, it’s all over.

WIDE-FOOT JARRETT: The toe box is awesome for people with a wider forefoot; however, the midfoot skews towards a more standard width. I notice it’s a bit tighter than I would like in my wide shoes, but it’s not a big problem since I’m not pulling this out for long runs.

I would also give a fair warning to those who want a softer ride: this ain’t it.

CARYN: Seventh inning stretch! I’ve sung the praises of Topo’s toebox a few times now, but the fit of the Cyclone 3 left a bit to be desired given how much extra space was in my typical US W8.5 — it’s giving ground out to third base. The extra room definitely caused me to stop multiple times on the run to adjust and try to lock down the fit. Despite not being a max cushion girlie, this shoe borders on minimal, even for me. As Sam noted above, Topo advertises the Cyclone 3 as a shoe that could be worn for anything up to and including a half marathon, and I’m going to call foul on that one. I personally wouldn’t use this shoe for much more than a 6-8 mile workout, which isn’t super applicable to my training.

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Final thoughts on the Topo Athletic Cyclone 3

SAM The Topo Athletic Cyclone 3 has left me in a slight tropical depression. It’s a fast shoe, don’t get me wrong. But I do not see myself using it for anything off of the track, and I couldn’t imagine attempting a half marathon in it. If you’re looking for a lightweight trainer without a plate to use solely for repeats, this is a good choice, but if you’re looking for a do-it-all shoe for daily training and workouts, this is not it.

WIDE-FOOT JARRETT: The Topo Cyclone 3 is a fantastic no-frills uptempo shoe. It’s lightweight and feels nimble on foot. The full Pebax midsole provides a nice ride, although people who want more cushion may not be too excited about this one. I’m a big fan of the Topo spacious toebox, but the midfoot could use some more room for my wider foot. It’s by no means a dealbreaker for me, though. While you should probably get the previous version on sale if you can, the Cyclone 3 is definitely a good buy at $150.

CARYN: Clearly, I’ve moved on to baseball season (RIP to my Ravens), but the Topo Cyclone 3 was not quite the grand slam I was looking for. I had high hopes for this shoe based on my love of the Atmos, but the lackluster fit and very specific use case for the Cyclone left me feeling like I struck out at the bottom of the ninth. There are so many options out there with fantastic fits that can shine over any type of mileage and across a variety of paces that it’s hard to justify buying something so specific. So, at least for Spring Training, I’ll be sticking to some of my tried and true picks from 2024.

You can pick up the Topo Athletic Cyclone 3 for $150 in February 2025 from Running Warehouse (featuring free shipping and 90-day returns) by using the buttons below.

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  1. Kent Shultz says:

    I have raced three half marathons in the Cyclone 2. The first one was five months into my midlife running journey, and while my finishing time wasn’t blistering at 1:45:28, it was beyond what I thought myself capable of, and I was proud of my effort. I suffered no injury or lasting soreness after the race. I am 170lbs, 39 years old, and did not run regularly for the great majority of my adult life.

    I say this not to brag, but to let readers know that it is not a superhuman feat to run 13.1 miles in a 28mm shoe. I think the key is to run the majority of your miles/kms in a shoe with modest stack height, something that has become rare in 2025. As Sam pointed out, the shoe market has changed enormously from 20 years ago. But to suggest that it is inadvisable or impossible for most runners to race a half marathon in a shoe like the Cyclone 3 is nonsense. True, it won’t beat the Vaporfly. So what? People race for all kinds of reasons other than setting records. For me, building durable feet, knees, and connective tissue after years of sedentary living is a worthy aim. The Cyclones have been a blast to run in, both in training and on half marathon race day.

    This Cyclone 3 colorway is fire. Hope to pick it up soon. Thanks for the review!

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Authors

jarrett 1
Jarrett Weisberg
Wide Foot Lead Reviewer
  • Strava
  • Instagram

Wide Foot Jarrett likes talking about wide shoes. Did you know he wears wide shoes? You should probably know he wears wide shoes. Besides running, Jarrett is a lover of coffee, donuts, pizza, and tacos. Basically, Jarrett is the ultimate race-cation travel companion because he will be on food duty while you’re busy panicking about whether you want to try and break your PR. Will also sleep on the floor. He’ll also answer any question in his DMs.

All-time favorite shoes: New Balance Vazee Prism v2, New Balance FuelCell SC Trainer, Asics Metaspeed Sky.

More from Jarrett
Shoe Size

10.5 2E

Fav. Distance

Beer Mile

PRs
  • 3:29

    Marathon
  • 1:41

    Half-Marathon
  • 42:30

    10k
  • 19:31

    5K
sam sheldon3
Sam Sheldon
Baltimore Road Reviewer
  • Strava

Sam tried every other sport before settling on running as a senior in high school. He’s never looked back. He can be found doing workouts in Patterson Park, talking shop with the Faster Bastards, or hitting long runs on the NCR trail. When not running, Sam is a teacher in the Baltimore City Public School District. His other loves are cooking, coffee, breweries, books, basketball, and alliteration. 

All-time favorite shoes: Saucony Endorphin Speed 2, Nike Vaporfly Next%, Asics Novablast 3

More from Sam
Shoe Size

9.5

Fav. Distance

Mile

PRs
  • 2:54

    Marathon
  • 1:10

    Half Marathon
  • 14:58

    5K
  • 4:21

    Mile
Caryn Just
Road Reviewer
  • Instagram

Caryn is a recovering ball sports athlete and native Baltimorean who used to cry before the timed mile in gym class. Discovered running somewhat reluctantly when her pants stopped fitting in college, now a big fan of the marathon– go figure! Pediatric ICU nurse and avid UVA sports fan. Can usually be found with her chocolate lab, Gus, looking for a good cup of coffee.

More from Caryn
Shoe Size

9

Fav. Distance

26.2

PRs
  • 2:52

    Marathon
  • 1:21

    Half Marathon
  • 18:45

    5K
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