Topo Athletic Ultrafly 5 Review: Fly, Like the Nickelodeon Blimp

What You Need To Know

Introduction to the Topo Athletic Ultrafly 5

KALEB: Hey… so, real talk — I’m not sure any of us wanted to review this shoe. It’s nothing against Topo Athletic; they’ve honestly been making bangers for years now, and we’ve enjoyed just about everything they send our way. But, like, how do I put this kindly? This thing is a neon-orange, goofy-square-shaped, 10-ounce, stability-catering daily trainer. So, um, the hype wasn’t exactly through the roof.

On top of that, I’m not even a runner with stability needs, so I went into my test miles with a heart full of skepticism… to the point where I didn’t even log miles in this for a while because I was afraid it was going to injure me somehow (I get paranoid towards the back end of any competitive season). But eventually, I worked up the courage. Every shoe deserves its fair chance at being reviewed, and it’s our job to get those reviews done. So, I logged the miles…

And gosh darn it, Topo Athletic, you did it again. You went and made another good one.

What we like about the Topo Athletic Ultrafly 5

KALEB: Everything I say in this review should be taken with the following grain of salt: I’m not a stability runner, so my biomechanics aren’t going to really “trigger” the stability tech in a shoe like this (i.e. my foot doesn’t roll inward enough to be able to comment on the effectiveness of a medial post). However, the flip side of this is that I can comment on how intrusive I found that stability tech to be as a “regular” runner. I’m happy to report that, despite my concerns, the Ultrafly 5 does a great job at just being a shoe. I didn’t feel anything digging into any parts of my foot it shouldn’t; I didn’t feel like my runs were being intruded upon by insistent stability tech; I was just running.

Topo Athletic’s Zipfoam is a midsole material that is equal parts unremarkable and enjoyable. It’s not soft, it’s not firm, it just is. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not dead or bricky, it’s just the kind of foam that gets the job done in comfort with enough energy return to keep cruising. Despite the Ultrafly’s weight, I was able to run a range of paces without issue. Would I use this shoe for anything other than easy runs? Absolutely not. If I had only this shoe, could I make it work for workouts? Sure.

What I’m really saying is the shoe isn’t a brick. It’s not going to inhibit your running in any way, even if it doesn’t necessarily add any pep to your step. I suppose stability runners are used to this equation.

I was a little concerned with how honking wide the Ultrafly’s toe box is, but I had no problems getting a secure and comfortable lockdown. Topo’s lacing system helps keep the tongue comfortably in place and the top of your foot in plenty of comfort. Underneath everything, the Ultrafly 5’s outsole rubber is extremely durable and will provide fine grip on dry surfaces. Between the comfortable upper and equally indestructible Zipfoam and outsole rubber, this is a shoe that has the potential to last you a very long time.

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

KALEB: You shouldn’t be allowed to call your bright orange, 10 oz. stability shoe the Ultrafly. “Fly” can’t really be applied in any possible use, whether denoting speed or style and the only thing this shoe has in “ultra” quantities is “ultra-dumb-looking” (that’s a stretch of a joke even for me, which should drive home how weird this thing is). Seriously, I have a string of Strava activities dedicated to making fun of how goofy this shoe looks. Let me lay some of the highlights on you:

• “Doofus-lookin’, wide toe box type, orange creamsicle flavored, highlighter-rivaling schwompers”
• “Chonkified, clementine-type, Fanta-lookin, flipper-flop-shaped shoes”
• “Goshdarn Strava-colored, radioactive-cheeseball-lookin’, retina-damaging, airplane-hailing, turn-signal-type swim flippers”
• “Frickin’ emergency flares”

It is square, and it is orange. The only other objects that better fit that description are those individually wrapped Velveeta cheese squares everyone put in their ham sandwiches as kids before finding out they’re not real cheese and getting grossed out (sorry if that’s hard news for anyone).

Looks aside, this shoe functions just fine as a daily trainer, as long as you’re okay with it being a bit hefty (9.9 oz isn’t terrible, but we’re spoiled these days) and not uber-soft… which is, in fact, a turn-off for many runners. It’s not a bad thing to be a little firm, especially in a stability shoe, but people love their max cushion these days, so I give you fair warning.

One last note: In general, Topo Athletic’s road outsole isn’t great on wet surfaces. It’s not “break your entire body like Nike trail outsole” bad, but don’t go flying around corners in the rain with this (or any other) Topo Athletic shoe on. Stability features can only do so much to save you.

Final thoughts on the Topo Athletic Ultrafly 5

KALEB: Despite my hyperbolic insults, I rather enjoyed running in the Ultrafly 5. It’s exactly what Topo Athletic markets it as — a comfortable, stable daily trainer that can soak up miles on miles. If you’ve got a super-wide forefoot and want a little more support than a brand like Altra will provide, Topo may have cooked up just the shoe for you. However, if you’re looking for something super bouncy and exciting, or if you have a super narrow foot, the Ultrafly 5 likely won’t check your boxes. Everyone’s needs are different, and that goes for shoes as much as anything else in life.

You can pick up the Topo Athletic Ultrafly 5 for $140 from Running Warehouse (featuring free shipping and 90-day returns) by using the buttons below.