Topo Athletic ST-6 Review: Like There’s Nothing There

Introduction to the Topo Athletic ST-6

JOHN: One of my favorite non-running documentaries is Pumping Iron with legends Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno. There’s some great trash talk, strange and hilarious Arnold quotes, and all around, it’s a compelling sports doc about bodybuilding! When I got hurt earlier in the year, I watched it for motivation, and it definitely helped me start wanting to be a part of gym culture and overall get healthier. Growing up, I looked like McLovin in Superbad, and the gym really scared me because I thought I’d get bullied.

I’m totally an accidental gym guy. I ran so many ultras that I reached a point where I was exhausted and weak. I am 45 years old and need to lift weights and cross-train to prevent injury and maintain my ability to run long distances. Before I became really serious about the gym, I used old, worn-out running shoes.

I’ve been fortunate here at Believe In The Run, having the opportunity to use the Topo Athletic ST-5 and the Altra Solstice XT3. I really saw the light that having a good, versatile gym shoe to do workouts and light treadmill runs is extremely beneficial. Especially now that I’m healthy again, I run most weeks — usually two races a weekend or one long one that spans Saturday and Sunday. During the week, I only do 3-6 miles a day, along with weights, PT, core, swimming, and cross-training, so I’m fresh for the weekend. It’s incredibly time-consuming to get this stuff in during the week, so having a versatile gym shoe definitely helps.

I love the Topo Athletic ST-6 because it’s light, easy to travel with, and works great for a variety of workouts.
I used this shoe coming off the PB&J 50k and Marine Corps Marathon weekend since I was good and beat up and needing to get myself right in the gym. Let’s see how it did.

BRADY: I, too, share a love for Pumping Iron. The 24/7 commercial gym where I work out plays the documentary on a constant loop. Really. No matter where you are in the world, or what time it is while you are reading this, there is a gym in Baltimore showing clips of a California governor making fun of the Incredible Hulk for grunting too much.

While John and I both appreciate the influential documentary, our experience with lifting weights has been slightly different. Just under a decade ago, while John was running multiple ultras a year, I was competing in powerlifting competitions, and the idea of running an ultramarathon would have seemed laughable.

In 2025, when images of unsalted chicken breasts and “mass gainer” shakes are a distant memory for me, I firmly believe that runners should incorporate regular resistance training. While the question of what footwear to lift in doesn’t have a “one-size-fits-all” answer, Sally McRae, in her interview on The Drop, asserts that runners should be able to balance under load in their running shoes. That means doing single-leg exercises, such as split squats. Now, I wouldn’t recommend doing so in a Nike Alphafly, but how does the Topo Athletic ST-6 stack up as a “do-it-all” trainer?

What we like about the Topo Athletic ST-6

JOHN: The upper is better than the ST-5. It feels like a sock, wide and extremely comfortable. The ZipFoam, as minimal as it is, has some pop to it and feels good for running, walking, and a wide variety of workouts. I wear a US M11.5, and it fits my foot perfectly. It was extremely comfortable during the hours I spent at the gym.

I also love the look and color of the ST-6. It’s plain and functional, with a sharp look that matches pretty much any outfit, which is great for me because I don’t give much thought to my gym attire. I also feel that the price of the ST-6 makes it a great deal. It keeps miles off the shoes you have in rotation for faster runs, etc., and does everything you need at the gym.

Minimal, good-looking, inexpensive, and bolsters shoe rotations — all around, the ST-6 is a benefit!

BRADY: I didn’t have the chance to try the Topo Athletic ST-5, but this summer I logged more miles in the Topo Athletic Phantom 3 than any other shoe in my rotation, and it’s clear the Topo Athletic ST-6 is almost like the Phantom 3’s little brother. I have similar gray colorways in both shoes, and both have similar outsoles and a ZipFoam midsole. If you’ve worn a Topo Athletic road shoe before, this shares the same characteristics that you are used to. The toebox is wide enough for a natural splay, and it has some arch support that makes the shoe feel incredibly comfortable. Given the shape of my foot, it feels like I’m wearing a slipper.

The Topo Athletic ST-6 is marketed toward “natural running enthusiasts and gym-goers,” which puts me squarely in its target audience. That said, I usually prefer a bit more stack height or even a slight drop in my running shoes, so I spent some time considering how I’d truly test this pair. Comfort-wise, the ST-6 excels — it’s incredibly lightweight at just under 7 ounces, and its minimalist design makes it easy to wear casually (which I’ve done). Still, while it works well for everyday use, it feels more like a gym/lifestyle shoe than a dedicated running shoe to me.

The ST-6 is the kind of shoe you wear for a pre-work stairclimber session at the gym, then pair with chinos afterward for an easy business-casual look. So, I put it to the test by bringing it as my one shoe on a long weekend bachelor trip. I wore it out to dinner with slacks and a button-down, and then put it on the next day to play sports. Now, this isn’t the direction you thought I’d go with this review, I know, but I wore this shoe for four hours of indoor soccer and basketball that was far too intense for a bunch of 30-year-olds, and it held up beautifully. This is absolutely not what the shoe is built for, but I’m impressed at how the outsole and upper have held up.

Would I use it as my main daily trainer? For my running style? Probably not. But, I could see this as the gateway for someone to start running in completely “barefoot” shoes from Xero or Vivobarefoot. The arch support is delightful, and having that little bit of ZipFoam underfoot is really nice.

What we don’t like about the Topo Athletic ST-6

JOHN: This shoe is kind of limited to the gym. I don’t think that’s fully a negative, though. It’s relatively inexpensive and the perfect shoe to just keep in your locker or gym cubby; however, if you take it on the road, you will feel even small rocks. I wouldn’t go so far as to say this is an indoor running shoe only, but it’s best suited for treadmill and indoor track use. However, if you need to run outside, it’s serviceable.

BRADY: I’ll sum up my biggest qualm with the Topo Athletic ST-6 with a question: What is this shoe best at? Topo Athletic qualifies that it is for “daily running, gym & training,” which I don’t necessarily disagree with. However, when I put my consumer hat on, I want to know exactly why I should choose this shoe over other options in the $120 price range.

The ST-6 is a foot-shaped, zero-drop trainer with only 14 mm of stack height, placing it in a category almost by itself. For $20 more, the only other direct competitor you would consider would be the Altra Solstice XT 3, but that shoe is marketed as a gym shoe and boasts an additional 9mm of stack height. For an extra $60, you could grab the Notace Yama T1, which shares essentially the same stack height, but it is targeted towards trail runners.

I might be getting into the weeds here, but the Topo Athletic ST-6 feels like a shoe that could easily fly under the radar unless you’re deeply loyal to the brand. Within the wide toebox running community, opinions vary — some runners reject any shoe with stack height, while others embrace carbon plates and heel-to-toe drops as long as their toes stay blister-free. The ST-6 sits somewhere in between. It’s not extreme in either direction, and while it’s another well-fitting option from Topo Athletic, I suspect only a small niche of runners will be actively looking for a shoe like this.

Final thoughts on the Topo Athletic ST-6

JOHN: This is a similar shoe to the ST-5 but has a much better upper. I feel that this shoe is an improvement, but the tough part of reviewing it is that it’s an all-around great shoe that a gym person who lives, eats, and sleeps there would love. However, the average runner may feel that it lacks functionality.

I’m constantly on the go, being a busy dad who runs a lot of races, so during the week, being mainly at the gym, the ST-6 works great for me.

Basically, if you don’t like the gym to begin with, you probably won’t like this shoe, but I encourage you to give it a try! Don’t run yourself into the ground and get injured like I did. Get the ST-6, go to the gym, eat some protein, and hulk out! I highly encourage you to step outside your running comfort zone if you are stuck in that bubble and start working out at the gym. Holistically, you will get healthier, look better, and meet a whole new group of friends who you can convince to run ultras with you!

BRADY: Call me old-fashioned, but I like to have my shoes do one job and one job only. I lift in lifting shoes, run in running shoes, and live in lifestyle shoes. As athleisure continues to take over, the lines are getting blurrier and blurrier, but throwing aside my biases, I actually really like this shoe. This is my third pair of Topo Athletic shoes I have owned, and I just think they consistently hit the nail on the head for fit. It won’t be the shoe for everyone, and that’s okay.

The Topo Athletic ST-6 is a versatile shoe that excels in several specific areas. Do you wear foot-shaped running shoes and cross-train with a stairclimber often? This is a great shoe for you. Do you train with weighted plyometrics to supplement your weekly mileage? Look no further. Are you a Topo Athletic loyalist looking to add a low-stack option to your shoe rotation? I think you catch my drift.

You can pick up the Topo Athletic ST-6 for $120 in Spring 2026 from Running Warehouse (featuring free shipping and 90-day returns) by using the buttons below.