Men's | Road
Product Overview
In the new Fli-Lyte 3, we eliminated almost all printed overlays to make it lighter and more breathable using a new engineered mesh upper to secure the foot over the platform. The addition of our 5mm anti-microbial Ortholite® footbed gives the shoe a softer ride without sacrificing midsole response. A 23mm X 20mm stack height offers cushioning without losing flexibility and ground feel for a more natural running experience.
Specs
- Best For:Road Running
- Stack Height:23mm (heel) // 20mm (forefoot)
- Heel to Toe Drop:3MM
- Weight:8.4 oz (M9)
Why We Love It
Roomy Toe Box
Anatomical toe box allows toes to spread naturally and comfortably.
Lightweight Breathable Materials
For a '2nd Skin' fit and feel.
Ortholite Footbed
Comfortable, anti-compression footbed with anti-microbial properties.
Ratings & Reviews
Ratings Snapshot
Average Customer Ratings
Great daily trainer
by Peter
I have about 50 miles on mine and so far I like them a lot.
Pros:
-The anatomical fit is very comfortable
-Cushioning is fine for my 3-5 mile runs on mostly pavement
-Low drop works well for me (but does take a couple runs to get used to)
-Upper feels pretty substantial for a lightweight shoe
-Traction is good on wet pavement
-Customer service seems great. I exchanged my first pair for 1/2 size larger after a test run, and the whole process was very easy.
Cons:
-My heels don't feel completely locked down, but this has become less of an issue as the shoes break in. I think there's just a little too much padding in the heel.
-I wish there were a few more rubber pods on the bottom. The exposed foam in the toe area and the ones behind the midfoot seem to be wearing quickly on mine.
-The lacing system is not easy to tighten since the eyelets are so tight. This is also getting better with time.
Great shoe, durable and comfortable.
by Carl
Great shoe. I wore the 2’s or way longer than I should have and they rally took the beating. Bought them after a “real” runner recommended them and I do like the wide toe box and low drop. The heel feels very secure and no issues with them right out of the box. It’s helped my form and strengthened my Achilles. My vertical actually got better and my legs are more resilient for ruck marching (military).
An unsuccessful update.
by Ross L
First of all let me say I love the Topo brand. I am the proud owner of a pair of Runventure 2s, and I wore my Fli-lyte 2's into the ground. That being said, the FL3 just misses the mark for me.
Similar to most people, I felt there were some sizing issues. However, my main two problems are that 1) the overall volume of the shoe seems to have increased greatly: my foot feels a bit lost in the shoe, and slips forward a lot, causing rubbing on the toes even on slight downhills. 2) the insole just does not work for me. the shoe feels neither cushioned nor responsive, and just a little flat.
I think there was an honest attempt at improvement here, but it just didn't work. Even the bulkier heel collar just seems out of place for what the shoe should be. My FL2 could handle everything: uptempo, long miles, intervals, even trails. This shoe seems a bit of a Frankenstein in comparison.
Here's hoping for a killer FL4!!
Model 3 is an improvement!
by William
Not a runner but a long distance competitive walker. This version of the Fly-lyre is an improvement over the 2. While the heel is a little different, I personally was not affected by any affect on sizing. The toe box is more comfortable with the modified fabric upper. I use this shoe for medium distance (10-20K) races on mostly paved and compact gravel. Good protection without the bulky feel of a heavy sole. Good flexibility. Lightweight yet good support. An improvement.
Old guy getting back into running
by Anthony
I used to be an avid runner and gave it up because - life. So I'm getting back into it and needed some good shoes and these were the pair at the run/walk shop that actually fit my wide, square feet. I'm a forefoot striker and these were the only pair (out of the 5-6 I tried) that didn't have some funky support structure in the sole. They really fit the bill: near zero drop, wide toe box, and enough cushion without being too squishy.
I've put ~60 miles on them so far and I have to say I like them a lot. Fantastic shoes.
After running 150 miles, I prefer them to the Altra Torin 3.5s.
by Paul
I have now run about 150 miles in these shoes. Good shoe. Great heel, good padding, comfortable, light-weight. I would also qualify all this by saying these shoes are for running and not because I have foot or joint problems. Running shoes. When choosing a running shoe obscure things become important. The weight. The size of the toe box so your toes don't rub and blister. The amount of drop and stability so it doesn't tweak your joints when running long distances (over 8).
I would say again, if you have a large, wide foot (I am size 15 D), and want a zero or low drop running shoe with little or no stability built into it - these shoes are your only choice anymore as near as I can tell and I have looked. Altra ruined the toe box, Hoka wide shoes have too much stability (angled insole) and everyone else has at least 5mm of drop (more commonly 10 or 12mm).
The Only Good Neutral Stability, Low Drop, Wide Toe Box Brand in a Size 15.
by Paul
Good shoe. I notice the review by the PT. She says she recommends Topos before making the jump to other brands? Assuming these are running shoes, what other brands are those? Altra was sold and the new owners eliminated the "foot shaped toe box" even though they still advertise it. Hoka wide sizes have too much stability even in their "neutral" shoe and everything else has at least 8 mm of drop often 10 or 12.
I had been running in the Altra Torin 3.5. When I ordered the Torin 4.0 and felt what they did to the toe box I was bummed. Looking for new neutral stability, low or no drop shoes with a roomy toe box I tried Sacuony, AICIS, Hoka, Brooks, etc. If you need a low drop, wide toe box running shoe in a size 15, your ONLY choice is Topo. On a comparison the old Altra toe box was roomier but the heel padding was poor. The Topos have a better overall fit in the heel and midsole. I like the but have only run about 60 miles in them. By far my best option (size 15).
Lighter version of ultrafly?
by Eric
With Topo fli-lyte 2, the shoes were responsive and fit well. Some had issues with the upper, but I personally didn't experience issues. When the reps mentioned the upper update for version 3, I was excited. Unfortunately, didn't work well for me.
The shoe fits kind of short. In the [Fli-Lyte] 2s and magnifly 2s I am a size 9, but this I should consider a half size up. The tongue and heel collar are very thick to the point where they remind me of the ultrafly. Where the [Fli-Lyte] 2s were more of a performance trainer/race day shoe, this is more minimal type trainer? The cushioning in my pair died at about 120 miles. Before the cushioning died, the shoes felt more soft in response than firm. Between this and the magnifly 2, buy the magnifly. It's more responsive and will easily last 300 miles.
*Topo note: Great feedback! While the platform is the exact same as the Fli-Lyte 2 (same drop, stack height, design, etc) the Fli-Lyte 3 includes a new Ortholite footbed. This may lead to the shoe feeling softer and less firm for some people when compared to the Fli-Lyte 2.
Good shoe - poor insole!
by Kate
I'm a PT and have been recommending Topos for quite some time due to the low drops and ample toe box, but this is my first pair of my own.
Pros
- Sufficient cushion without getting marshmallow-y
- Moderate toe box width - is an easier transition for those who would like a more foot-shaped design without making the big jump to other brands with really big toe boxes
Cons
- Insole is too thick and poorly fitted for the shoe, making the shoe feel much smaller than it is and causing pressure along the fat pad of the heel in particular. I trimmed mine all the way around a couple of millimeters for a better fit.
- The upper is very thick/heavy with way too much padding around the heel. Just makes for a whole lot of shoe and is hot, even here in the northeast.
- Long break-in. It took me at least 75 miles before they felt broken in. I think some of that is because of the thick upper.
Overall, a good shoe. Definitely swap out the insole to improve the fit before trading up a size.
Get rid of the toe scoop
by Jim
Good running shoe that ticks a lot of boxes but hard to overcome the aggressive scoop towards the toes which is a bit intrusive and holds the toes in a dorsiflexion. If Topo could address this across their shoes I think they would hit it out of the park.
Love my Topos, but issues with Fli-Lyte 3
by Pug
I've been running in the Topo Fli-Lyte 3 since its release. I love topos, however this version of the Fli-Lyte has a few issues. 1) the shape of toe box is more square then round. my toes rub against the inside of the shoe. 2) the ortholite insoles are too thick and too big/wide, which curls up on the sides of the shoe. This results in my big toes rubbing against the insoles causing blisters. The collar of the shoe is too padded and sometimes uncomfortable. My pair is starting to wear and fray along the collar. All of these issues never happened with the Fli-Lyte 1, 2 or any other topos that I've run in. I hope Topo can resolve these issues or will we have to wait for the Fli-Lyte 4.
Great Midsole
by BRS
A very impressive shoe. I thought this was only going to be for shorter runs but the midsole is fantastic and find myself using it for longer runs too. I really enjoy the feel of the midsole and find it to be very soft, but still allowing for good feel. The upper is very nice and breathable. I haven't found many faults with this shoe and always look forward to putting it on. I'm not associated with Topo in any way.
FL-3 are impressive to me.
by Aaron
The FL-3 are a pleasant update to the FL-2. There was nothing wrong with the FL-2, but I’m happy with the newer features. All in all, both shoes are very, very similar. The minor updates to the EVA cushioning make them feel like I could run a bit longer in them. And with them being so light, I feel like I could run a bit faster in them. The socklike upper is amazing! It’s so breathable I don’t think my feet have sweat in them yet. I think the new Ortholite insole helps with that as well. The toe box does feel a smidge wider, and a hair shorter. Would I advise a larger size? Only if you have longer toes. I bought mine true to size, and have felt great in them. The heel counter is plush and broke in a little after 100 miles, and I think they are pretty great now.
I am a TOPO Athletic ambassador.
A good shoe with a few problems
by Jeffrey Sambo
I had three pairs of the Fli-Lyte 2's, and really loved them. The size is off on the new model, as I always wore 10.5 in the 2's but had to return my first pair to get size 11 with this new model. The new insole is also really bad, and the underside and edges feels like sand paper, giving me a massive blister on my first run. I swapped the insoles out for my old ones from my Fly-Lyte 2's and it was much better. There's also extra cushioning around the Achilles tendon that hasn't bothered me yet, but feels uncomfortable. Overall with the bigger size and different inserts it's a great shoe so far.
Awesome Shoe!
by Scott
Right now I'm using this as my runner on short road runs and around town. Really love the comfort, fit and breathability on this shoe. It is very lightweight and wearing it all day doesn't leave my feet fatigued at all. I usually wear a size 10 and this one was not different. Highly recommend!
Durability!!!!!!!!!
by J. Cook
I put about 15 miles on a pair of Fli-Lyte 2 shoes and the black portion of the sole at the heal is separating. Looking at the situation, it appears that the sole material is just too soft and I hope that this problem is solved with the Fli-Lyte 3, if not I would not recommend the shoe. I like the fit of the shoe and it is comfortable to run in, but it does not appear to be durable.
Too Short
by AzMtnMan
To start with, this is my 7th pair of Topo shoes. I'm a big fan and have logged hundreds of miles in my Topo trail running shoes. These were my 3rd pair of Topo road shoes. The first thing I noticed out of the box was how much the toe was squared off across the front compared to my other Topo's. When I first tried them on they felt short in length. I figured I'd give them a go and let my foot mold in to the foot bed. After a 12 mile run, I knew these shoes were not for me. They fit completely different then my other Topo's. The length feels quite short and by the end of my run, my toes were in pain from rubbing across the toe box. The squared off toe box design seems to take away some length. The width was great and the material comfortable everywhere else. I was disappointed in this shoes design and will be exchanging them with Topo.
Great Update to an Already Great Shoe
by Alice
Great update to the Fly-lite line. Feels a little bouncier than the 2 and the new upper is really nice. I'd recommend this shoe for everyone.
