Topo Athletic MTN Racer 4 shoe review: an absolute shoo-in for wide-footed trail runners

First impressions

The appearance of this shoe isn’t necessarily for everyone; the extra-large toebox gives them a slightly goofy – even clownish – look, if you stare at it for too long. However, I’m the owner of a pair of wide Bozo-style feet, so for me, this generous provision of space across the ball of the foot was a very welcome sight, and it’s not something you see in many of the best trail running shoes, where ‘performance-fit’ is often code for ‘will crush your toes like a vice’.

Simply looking at these shoes, I immediately knew I wouldn’t have to squeeze my poor pinkies into some restrictive chassis, like one of Cinderella’s ugly sisters trying to impress a prince. Consequently, I was confident the MTN Racer 4s would be pretty comfortable trail running shoe. But would the hold and fit be firm enough for the shoe to deliver?

Although this is the fourth generation of this family of footwear, the MTN Racer 4s are the first off-road runners from Topo Athletic I’ve had a chance to genuinely trail test. I have trialed Topo road running shoes a couple of times before, over quite short distances at outdoor industry events, and I was impressed with the look and feel of those models (which were also wide in the forefoot), so I was looking forward to hitting the dirt in the MTN Racers and properly putting them through their paces.

Design

The generously proportioned toebox is the signature feature of the Topo Athletic brand, so let’s start there. The MTN Racer 4s are actually available in a ‘wide’ option, but even the standard version is much more broad across the ball of the foot than the vast majority of running shoes, which is ideal for any with wide feet or bunions, and also works really well for runners who like to splay their toes to increase trail feel. It certainly increases comfort levels over longer runs, when feet often swell.

But, while having enough room to spread your toes and stay comfortable is a massive bonus, you don’t want your feet to be sliding around in the shoe, as this can lead to a loss of control and confidence on technical trails, and result in blisters and hotspots. To prevent this, the rest of the upper on the MTN Racer 4s is designed to achieve a nice firm fit, with a snug midsection and a supportive heel cup. There is also a pair of cord hoops on the tongue for the laces to pass through – Topo call this feature the ‘double-tongue stay’ and it’s intended to keep the tongue where it’s supposed to be (nice and central).

Materials

The emphasis of these shoes is on breathability and drainage, rather than waterproofing (as it should be on most trail running shoes in my opinion), and the upper is primarily constructed from an unspecified but tough-looking synthetic mesh material.

This mesh is supported by a small TPU-type frame, which supplies a little more rigidity around the heel, along the lace system and across the toes. (Sadly, there’s no mention of any recycled content having been used). The toe cap is very minimalist, but the heel cup is a bit more substantial, and cockpit sits quite deep, with a tab protruding from the rear to support and protect the Achillies.

Topo’s designers favor neutrality, but the MTN Racer 4 does have a modest drop of 5mm, supplying extra cushioning to the heel, while the profile of the bottom of the shoe reveals a rocker shape to promote good cadence and forward movement.

There is no surround rand on the MTN Racer 4s, and no rockplate, but the midsole is around 1-inch (3cm) thick, so not only does it supply suspension, it also delivers a degree of protection to the side and bottom of your foot. The ZipFoam used in the midsole of the new 4s offers more springiness than EVA employed in previous editions of the MTN Racer.

Also new is the specially shaped FKT Insole (worth $25 / £20 per pair if you buy them separately) which come included on the inside of each shoe. This insert is made with beaded, closed-cell (so water-resistant) foam, which adds extra cushioning and improves comfort levels.

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The MegaGrip outsole, made by tread specialists Vibram, features well-spaced out lugs that are at least 5mm deep, and provide excellent traction and speed control without being overly aggressive.

The tongue is fully integrated to the upper, to prevent the ingress of grit and other trail debris. There’s also a ‘zipfoam’ Velcro hook on the outside of the heel, and a corresponding plastic hoop at the bottom of the lace system, for affixing any design of gaiter, so you can wear them in dusty or sandy conditions, on trails with tangle hazards and/or aggressive flora and fauna and through winter when running in snow. All of these are features that speak to the versatility and year-round useability of the shoe.

On the trails

Along with some wider excursions, I have mostly been running on my local trails while testing the MTN Racer 4s, taking them on a variety of terrain – technical woodland trails, hillside paths, coastal cliff-edge tracks and a mixture of pebble and sand beaches – and wearing them for short and longer runs. Offering an incredibly comfortable ride, combined with good levels of control, I have found them to be a very versatile shoe, perfect for training and competing.

Have I mentioned that these shoes have an extra wide toebox? Well, they do, and I love it. This is partly because of the sorry, misshapen state of my much-abused and knobbly feet, which make running in more restrictive shoes very painful, but it’s also because I love it when my toes can splay while I trot, especially on longer run, something I think adds not only to comfort levels, but also improves stability, balance and trail feel. I really felt these shoes gave me plenty of confidence on technical trails and sketchy descents.

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The MTN Racer 4s feel almost like barefoot running shoes in terms of their next-to-neutral profile and the way they let your toes spread. But, at the same time, the funky ZipFoam stuff used the midsole provides responsive suspension, and the generous (by Topo’s standards) 5mm drop means there is ample underheel cushioning in these shoes.

Also, the hold you can achieve around the heel and across the arched section of the foot is nice and tight, so your flappers don’t swim around inside the shoe, and you can stay in control.

The mostly mesh upper makes this shoe nice and breathable, and it drains and dries quickly if you take it through stream crossings or go through wet terrain. The water-resistant foam insole is exceptionally comfortable, and it doesn’t absorb any water, so stays light and quiet (there’s nothing more annoying than a loudly squishing shoe).

The integrated tongue works well to prevent grit, gravel and other trail debris from entering the chassis of the shoe and causing discomfort, irritation and potentially injury, and the double-tongue stay means the cushioned part of the tongue stays in position during longer runs.

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As mentioned, there’s no rockplate in the shank, and there is a lot of flexibility in the MTN Racer 4s, both in a tortional sense and along the length of the shoe. This makes for a comfortable ride, but also means you need to run with a tactile appreciation of the terrain you’re scampering across, lest you twist an ankle.

The lugs are well spaced out, so they don’t collect mud when conditions are gloopy, and the designs means they’re extremely grippy on all sorts of terrain without being too aggressive, so they’re very comfortable (to the point of being unnoticeable) even when you are running on hard-packed or sealed surfaces.

Considering the depth of the midsole and the size of the lugs, I found I got a surprising amount of feedback from the trail, which I enjoy.

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