Topo Athletic Pursuit 3 is a solid zero drop cruiser, but it’s lost some edge

Introduction to the Topo Athletic Pursuit 3

SAM: I thought I hated running for the longest time. I hated it when I went to a running camp as an elementary schooler with my mom, her friend, and her friend’s daughter (for whom I was developing a crush… hence why I went to a running camp when there was Sonic and Knuckles to play). I hated it through high school lacrosse and college ultimate frisbee, and I hated it when having a kid right before the pandemic (with my wife and all-time crush) forced me to abandon rock climbing.

And then, with literally nothing better to do in the midst of lockdown, I took a pair of Altra Lone Peaks I had purchased for hiking in Italy on a stroller run and realized that, in wide, zero-drop shoes, my toes no longer felt like they were being beaten savagely when I ran. It was incredible.

The Lone Peak 4.5 was the first shoe that opened running up for me, the first time I was really wowed by a running shoe, but it wasn’t until I got my feet into a pair of the Topo Athletic Ultraventure 3 that I found a shoe I adored. From that shoe on, there wasn’t a Topo trail shoe that I didn’t love. Even if they caused me a few issues here and there, the fit — wider in the toes, slim through the midfoot and heel — kept me happy.

So I’m always thrilled when I get a new Topo Athletic shoe to review. The Pursuit 3 was no different. It promised to follow up on what was maybe the best zero-drop trail shoe I’d ever run in, with more foam, a better upper, and that glitz of anything shiny and new. And although I spent most of this intro talking about shoes that are decidedly not the Pursuit 3, the rest of this thing will definitely be mostly Pursuit 3 content. Enjoy.

What we like about the Topo Athletic Pursuit 3

SAM: The Topo Athletic Pursuit 3 is what you get when you take the success of the Pursuit series and the success of Topo’s max-cushion Vista and mix it all together in a new shoe cauldron. The result is standard Topo, in all the ways we’ve come to expect.

This new mesh, which is very similar to what’s found in the Vista, is just great. It’s much more attractive than what Topo has used in the past, and it’s more durable while still allowing for plenty of flex and breathability. It features a pretty tight weave, but with plenty of breathable holes. It flexes well with your foot. While it doesn’t need a break-in period, it gets better with time.

Tying that upper together is a great tongue, which is thin and held in place by Topo’s characteristic dual lace stays. It has a stiffer exterior shell, so you have all the features of a thinner tongue without any chance of lace bite. This is another holdover from the Vista, and it’s a good one.

Since its release, the Pursuit is one of only a few Topo offerings that have consistently had Topo’s (quite excellent) FKT insole tucked inside. It’s difficult to overstate how much this adds to the shoe, both in underfoot comfort and in helping reduce extra slipping and sliding inside the shoe. In the Pursuit 3 this adds to the already very stable and consistent ride underfoot.

The other element the Pursuit has featured in every iteration has been Topo’s gnarly Vibram Megagrip outsole. It still crushes here. No complaints.

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

SAM: In all truthfulness, there isn’t anything specifically wrong with the Topo Pursuit 3. And yet, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed in it. This has been a theme for me this year with Topo’s releases: they’re trending roomier and wider. They’re friendlier, more stable, less nimble, and more secure. It’s almost like Topo is going through an Altrafication.

In this shoe, there’s enough room in the upper that I never felt totally secure over the midsole. This is unfortunate because there’s a lot of foam here, and this ZipFoam formulation feels firm for the amount of stack (even though it’s the same as the last versions). I like this durometer, but I want less foam to have to manage, especially if I’m going to struggle a little to keep my foot set on top of it.

Final thoughts on the Topo Athletic Pursuit 3

SAM: The Topo Athletic Pursuit 3 is a pretty solid shoe overall. The components are all top-notch, the fit is comfortable and roomy, and the performance is pretty good if you’re looking for a zero-drop everyday cruiser for dirt and rock. That is, this is a pretty solid shoe if you consider it on its own, not as the third in a line of what have been the most consistently impressive zero-drop shoes made by any shoe company.

Because that’s what the Pursuit 1 and 2 were: zero-drop mavericks that could handle anything and everything and do it with aplomb. They feel speedy and protective, but very comfortable. The Pursuit 3 is, well, not quite that. I feel like this shoe is part of a theme that’s been developing since the Topo Athletic Vista came out, and I can’t put my finger on exactly what’s going on. Topo has made some of my all-time favorite trail shoes. Shoes that fit and perform better than anything I’d seen before. The Pursuit 3 feels a little stale. The fit is a little too roomy, the foam a little too bulky, and the whole package feels just a bit like that other zero-drop shoe company.

None of this makes for a bad shoe. As I said above, the Pursuit 3 is a solid shoe that most anyone would be happy with. It just doesn’t feel entirely like the Topo I fell for.

You can pick up the Topo Athletic Pursuit 3 for $155 from Running Warehouse (featuring free 2-day shipping and 90-day returns) by using the buttons below.