Topo Athletic Vista Review: Takin’ It To The Max (Finally)

Introduction to the Topo Athletic Vista

TAYLOR: Max stack shoes for the trail aren’t nearly as shocking as they once were. At the same time, they feel a bit like being in a Jurassic Park petting zoo. It’s like walking a consistent tightrope walk between elation and disaster.

We’ve learned and adapted over the years to the point of knowing some down-pat principles to make this thing work, even though it still feels somewhat unnatural. Those characteristics, such as a wider platform, allow for genuine performance even as our idea of “max stack” increases. This is why it’s surprising that we’ve waited this long for the shoe we are chatting about today, the Topo Athletic Vista.

This is the brand’s first true max stack shoe for the trails — one with features that will make you wonder if it’s actually any of their other trail offerings. The Vista has the Megagrip outsole, Zipfoam, an engineered mesh upper, FKT insole, and classic anatomical toe box. You see, that’s where Topo Athletic is simple and masterful at the same time. Small tweaks here and there can offer a familiar yet unique experience.

So, what’s drawing anyone into this potential pyramid scheme? Cush, baby! All day, nonstop comfort. As previously mentioned, this category is a tough one to crack. So, let’s see how that Topo Athletic Vista “stacks up.”

SAM: At a certain point in writing shoe reviews, I feel we, as reviewers, tend to run out of ways to describe soft midsoles. To be totally honest, we run out of ways to describe most things. Each review is partially a lettered minefield wherein the mines are overused phrases that we’ve employed more recently (comparatively) than other similarly overused phrases.

This isn’t to say we run out of things to say about shoes. I weirdly never get tired of opining over something like a new Vibram outsole configuration (as you’ll see below). It’s just that some parts of a shoe — notably soft and squishy midsoles — have only so many words you can use in English to describe them.

There’s “soft,” of course, and it’s approachable but awkward friend, “squishy,” as mentioned above. Then there’s “cushion,” which we’ve taken to shortening to “cush.” You’ll see that one a lot in this review. Then we have to start getting creative. We’ll talk about the midsole being a “slab,” or a “hunk,” or a “chunk,” or a “stack,” and add modifiers before like “thick,” or “fat,” or “deep.” And it’s about then I run out of descriptors. Also, they start to get pretty suggestive after a while.

This all matters because when we talk about the Topo Athletic Vista, we’ll spend most of our time trying to emphasize the centrality of the thick, soft hunk (check, check, check) of Topo’s proprietary Zipfoam that makes up most of this shoe. I’ll probably have to repeat some words. It’s a lot of foam. It’s also very nice to run in.

What we like about the Topo Athletic Vista

TAYLOR: Even though, on paper, the Topo Athletic Vista is strikingly similar to both the Ultraventure 4 and the MTN Racer 4, it does provide quite a different experience.

This Zipfoam midsole will be a significant draw. Not only is this the highest stack Topo Athletic shoe, but the Vista also has the softest formulation of Zipfoam to date. It’s straight up fluffy. Plush. Soft. How else could I describe it? There aren’t many trail shoes, even others in this same category, that share a similar softness. You get noticeable notes of responsiveness in the ride because of this Zipfoam composition and the moderately aggressive forefoot rocker. Both the Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide and Hoka Mafate X are in that realm, but they both have a mix of foams for steadying the recipe.

That’s where the broad anatomical shape takes over for the Topo Athletic Vista. Even though there isn’t a stiff rim, stability plate, or another layer of firmer foam, this ride is still quite stable. It feels like a natural type of stability, similar to the Topo Athletic Pursuit 2 or MTN Racer 4, because the platform is so wide and foot-shaped. Of course, this package will be a little more flexible because of the softer foam underfoot.

I really think the addition of the FKT beaded TPU insole is such a game changer, too. It feels like such a simple addition, but it is not one to be slept on. I believe it boosts performance through more energy return, comfort because it’s an extra few millimeters underfoot, and overall longevity of a shoe by taking some of the energy that would normally be put straight into the midsole. From an experiential standpoint, this is a highly appraised component.

Recently, I commented on the potential of Topo Athletic’s famous Vibram Megagrip outsole design lacking luster. Well, this one doesn’t. It is also a Vibram Megagrip rubber that is visually similar to previous shoes; however, these lugs are slightly smaller in size and depth and are a little sharper around the edges. I felt they were adequate to puncture much of the earth for good grip, and even performed quite well in wet conditions. Nearly 25% of the outsole is exposed foam, but I had zero issues with that affecting grip or durability. The Topo Athletic Vista’s Vibram outsole checks all my boxes for a general trail runner.

I feel like my brain is in connect-the-dots mode right now, but I will slide to the upper. A midweight engineered mesh was used. The woven pattern will ensure moderate levels of breathability, impressive durability, and enough structure to balance the shoe’s bottom half.

The heel and tongue construction follows suit with moderate cushioning and structure. Because the midsole is so soft, everything works together. A lot of times, I worry about a disconnect between the upper and midsole in a shoe like this. Topo Athletic did a great job creating all-around balance with the Vista.

As for fit, the Topo Athletic Vista is like a hotel with rooms to spare! It offers a spacious fit on all axes for pretty much all feet. I found this shoe to be both wide and to have vertical volume as well. I have a wide/average forefoot, and there was plenty of room, even too much room at times.

Honestly, this would be a phenomenal hiker. That’s not a knock on the Topo Athletic Vista’s capacity to run, either. It simply checks a lot of the boxes people are looking for in a hiking shoe. There are oodles of people who use the Altra Olympus as such. The Vista just offers a little bit of drop, more stability, and a more durable package.

SAM: Man, Taylor landed at least two more soft foam descriptors that I hadn’t even thought about in the previous section. There’s a reason he’s the best at this. I’ll get to that squishy stack of foam in just a bit, but let’s start with the upper.

The woven engineered mesh upper on the Topo Athletic Vista is similar to what they featured in the Pursuit 2. It’s not exactly plush, but it’s soft and friendly, and the woven mesh ends up being remarkably durable. On the Vista, open holes for breathability are worn into the woven design, and they work surprisingly well. I wore this shoe on a couple of very hot runs and never once thought about how hot my feet were. These holes are arranged really well on top of the shoe to maximize airflow, but they never picked up dust or debris.

The fit of the Vista is reminiscent of the Topo Athletic Ultraventure 4. It trends wider than some other Topo offerings, and certainly avoids the slight pinching in the ball of the foot that could pop up on shoes like the Mtn Racer 3. As Taylor said above, this is a roomy, almost casual fit. However, in true Topo Athletic fashion, the roomy fit doesn’t compromise performance.

The Vista has a reliable lockdown that holds the fat stack of foam securely to your feet. The tongue has the perfect amount of padding and sports a double set of lace loops to really hold that sucker in place. I found that those loops also served to hold the laces in an ideal position to minimize slipping and pinching.

Inside the shoe, you can find Topo’s FKT insole, and I don’t think I can stress enough how good this feels on top of (Top o’?) that hefty slab of Zipfoam (we’re getting there, I promise). It’s so comfortable and adds an extra touch of responsiveness.

At 38mm total stack in the heel, the cushy pile of Zipfoam underfoot in the Topo Athletic Vista is truly the star of the show. It’s the softest formulation of Zipfoam yet, and really showcases the versatility of the material. This is a fully, unabashedly, max stack shoe, and it’s one of the few that feels like it was truly made for trail use.

It feels springy and almost bouncy underfoot but never do you feel truly at risk of ankle rolls or instability. The softness of the foam seems almost to adapt to variations in the terrain underfoot. It bears the brunt of those changes so that they don’t get transferred into your legs. I did find that the foam and FKT insole settled in after about 15-20 miles, which made the shoe all the more capable and stable.

In review after review of Topo’s trail lineup, we offered every variation possible of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” regarding the Vibram Megagrip outsole Topo employed on their technical shoes. Well, it wasn’t broken, but Topo went and fixed it anyway. This new configuration with slightly shallower lugs performs just as well as the one we kept saying didn’t need changes. In fact, its performance is probably considerably better since there was so much more shoe this outsole needed to keep connected with the trail. Topo outdid itself here.

What we don’t like about the Topo Athletic Vista

TAYLOR: The Topo Athletic Vista is a shoe that either really works for you or it doesn’t. Much of that will be wrapped up in the fit. As mentioned, this upper has a lot of volume, so if you have a slimmer foot, you will be able to swim laps in this thing. I was able to cinch up comfortably for a lot of terrain. My main issues came on steep downhills and sidehills that allowed my foot to slide around. It’s not a surprise at all. Just facts.

Another fairly obvious point is that the Topo Athletic Vista lacks some nimbleness. Don’t get me wrong; it’s not a Nike Zegama 2, Craft Xplor Hybrid, or New Balance Hierro v9 in this sense. It is much more proficient on bumpier terrain than those.

It’s a result of the wider, heftier, and softer package. All play a little bit of a role. Even though the forefoot width is almost identical to the Brooks Caldera 8, Speedland GS:PDX, and Merrell MTL Adapt, the Vista isn’t quite as confident on more techy stuff because of the density of the foam. The flex, roomy upper, and stature create a little bit of weirdness in that arena.

Don’t get me wrong, at the right pace, the Vista could pretty much go anywhere. Just know it’s simply not as mechanically stable or protective as some of the other high/max stack options.

SAM: Taylor is right about the Topo Athletic Vista lending its soft and forgiving comfort best to specific types of feet. While I didn’t have the same problems he did with my feet sliding around, this roomy shoe sometimes takes a little extra work to get your feet set, especially (at least for me) in the heels. I had a couple of runs where my heels felt loose until I stopped to adjust the lacing. They didn’t feel like they were shifting around; instead, it was more that my heel wasn’t as secure in the heel cup as it could be.

I also think the Vista needs just a touch more structure in the foam in the lateral midfoot. I had some situational supination while running and standing on uneven terrain. Because the shape of the midsole cuts in on the outside of your foot, it takes less effort to compress than the rest of the shoe. Fortunately, this didn’t result in any kind of ankle rolling, but I did feel like my feet were starting to roll outward on canted terrain.

Final thoughts on the Topo Athletic Vista

TAYLOR: This is getting too hard… It used to be easy to choose from the limited high-stack competitors that were comfortable and trail-ready. The Topo Athletic Vista is an easy add to that list.

From a comfort standpoint, it might just be leading the charge. Its big attractions are a plush underfoot feel, roomy anatomical fit, Vibram Megagrip outsole, and a little bit of heel/toe drop. All allow for the Vista to be a proficient trail running option that just gets better with LSD (long slow distance).

If you have a more narrow foot, be sure to try these on before purchasing, as a too roomy fit is my only real hesitation.

I think this is a great option for everything stacking daily miles to the longest ultras out there.

SAM: Or, Taylor, is it getting too soft (wink wink)? If companies are going to keep releasing shoes like this one, we’re going to run out of durometer-related superlatives. The Topo Athletic Vista achieves what I thought was mostly a pipe dream: a max stack trail shoe that can manage on all types of trail. It’s outrageously comfortable and still manages plenty of performance. I probably wouldn’t take it ripping down really technical runs, and it’s not supposed to be a shoe that can do that (although it could do it if you absolutely needed it to).

The Vista is great fun. It’s all cush, stability, and performance, just like we’ve always dreamed. Jump on this one if you like squishy slabs of foam and a grip that won’t quit.

You can pick up the Topo Athletic Vista for $170 from Running Warehouse (featuring free shipping and 90-day returns) by using the buttons below.