Most Liked Positive Review

Almost Perfect!

I have been wearing Topo shoes for years and own at least 10-15 pairs at any given time including the spares I buy in advance. I was heartbroken when my Zephyr's were discontinued and not thrilled to find the only new pavement shoe added into the rotation was the Specter with a whole lot of cushion.... I've never had luck with cushioned shoes as they cause shin splints, muscle soreness, slowed pace and the dreaded Plantar Fasciitis but I need my Topo toebox and 4mm-5mm drops so I took the plunge and ordered the Specters. I was sure I would end up returning them. I wore them on a 2 mile run while injured and in PT for a strained hamstring tendon. They felt fabulous. Honestly, it seemed like I could run forever so I wore them a week later to an event where I was running 10 5K's spaced to start every 2.5 hours for 24 hours. The first 3 5K's felt amazing but then, on the 4th 5K, I started feeling the blisters forming on the bony area on the inside of both forefoots (the bunion spot but I don't have bunions according to the doc!). By the time I finished that 4th 5K, I had a full blister on the left foot and a partial blister on the right. I bandaged up, abandoned the Specters and switched between my Zephyr's and my Ultraflys (not my preferred running shoes) for the remaining 6 5K's of the event. So when I say almost perfect, I truly mean ALMOST perfect. The cushioning on the bottom is springy and shock absorbing for heavy steppers like myself without being obnoxiously marshmallow-y like other leading cushioned brands. The overall design propels you forward (even uphill) instead of bogging you down in all the extra foam so you don't have to give up speed for distance. They provide arch support and stability in the most subtle ways and somehow it really works. They are even kind to bad knees! Unfortunately, the design on the toebox for the Specters doesn't live up to the usual Topo standards and that is the disappointing part. The outside of the toebox is as great as always but these are cut too straight and narrow on the inside so the fabric rubs against the foot. This isn't bad for a few miles at a time but isn't distance training friendly. I am a size 8 but always go with 8.5 on all my Topo running shoes so it wasn't a sizing issue (any bigger and the heel would flop). I've re-laced them to take some of the lace tightness away from that area and worn them a few times since. I do plan to continue keeping them in the rotation for now but even with bandages over the affected area, I can still feel the painful friction after a few miles so I'm sticking with short runs in them. I am honestly hoping I can build up callouses or a stronger pain tolerance so that I can train in these for my next marathon since they really do feel that comfy other than those pesky blisters. With any luck, there will be a Specter 2 with a more wearer friendly Topo quality toebox - and more colors!!!