Love the update. MTN racer 2 was great, but the thin tongue allowed ankle irritation during my first 100 miler. The zip foam on the 2s also seemed like they absorbed shock rather than provide responsiveness. The 3s are a great update- responsive and roomy, protective with ground feel, great grip 👍
Interesting how the sizing on any shoe is so random. I had to go up a 1/2 size to get a good fit. Like you mention, definitely go try them on first if you're planning to order online.
I want a good shoe for 50K trail races. Looking for an alternative Altras, which means I want a want wide toe-box and a low drop (don't need it to be zero-drop). Looks like I should check out Topo shoes.
Hi, I live in the UK and do alot of fell running in the lake district, I've had a few pairs on mountain racer 2's, and love them, I'm a bit sad to see they've increased the stack height as normally shies with a high stack height don't perform well on the really steep cambered fell runs, is the higher stack height noticeable, don't want to find my feet are rolling out the shoe on steep cambered fells 😭
Super helpful review. Any perspective on why to go with the MTN Racer over the Ultraventure 3? My use would be mountain 100 mile ultras and training on fairly dry terrain.
I tried on both at REI, and wound up with the MTN Racer. There’s a difference in arch support, with the Ultraventures having more and the MTN Racer having less. Depends on your feet, I think.
Hi! Thanks so much for this review. I am currently (and for some years) running with Altras (Torin, Timp, Olympus). Due to a heel injury, I am considering changing to a 5 mm drop shoe, so, enter Topo! I also run with Injinji socks, basically because I use toe spacers, so my question is about this factor. Compared to Altra shoes, how "roomy" is a Topo shoe toe box? Does it fit toe spacers comfortably like an Altra shoe? Perhaps you haven't tried, but any insights about comparison about both brands respective toe box sizing is appreciated. Many thanks in advance!
I recently switched from Altra Olympus 5 (and before that, Lone Peaks) to the MTN Racer 3 due to achilles tendonitis. The fit isn’t exactly the same as Altra, but it’s very similar. I don’t use toe spacers, but I’m pretty sure there’s plenty of room.
Love the update. MTN racer 2 was great, but the thin tongue allowed ankle irritation during my first 100 miler. The zip foam on the 2s also seemed like they absorbed shock rather than provide responsiveness. The 3s are a great update- responsive and roomy, protective with ground feel, great grip 👍
Interesting how the sizing on any shoe is so random. I had to go up a 1/2 size to get a good fit. Like you mention, definitely go try them on first if you're planning to order online.
I want a good shoe for 50K trail races. Looking for an alternative Altras, which means I want a want wide toe-box and a low drop (don't need it to be zero-drop). Looks like I should check out Topo shoes.
Hi, I live in the UK and do alot of fell running in the lake district, I've had a few pairs on mountain racer 2's, and love them, I'm a bit sad to see they've increased the stack height as normally shies with a high stack height don't perform well on the really steep cambered fell runs, is the higher stack height noticeable, don't want to find my feet are rolling out the shoe on steep cambered fells 😭
Super helpful review. Any perspective on why to go with the MTN Racer over the Ultraventure 3? My use would be mountain 100 mile ultras and training on fairly dry terrain.
I tried on both at REI, and wound up with the MTN Racer. There’s a difference in arch support, with the Ultraventures having more and the MTN Racer having less. Depends on your feet, I think.
Hi! Thanks so much for this review. I am currently (and for some years) running with Altras (Torin, Timp, Olympus). Due to a heel injury, I am considering changing to a 5 mm drop shoe, so, enter Topo! I also run with Injinji socks, basically because I use toe spacers, so my question is about this factor. Compared to Altra shoes, how "roomy" is a Topo shoe toe box? Does it fit toe spacers comfortably like an Altra shoe? Perhaps you haven't tried, but any insights about comparison about both brands respective toe box sizing is appreciated. Many thanks in advance!
I recently switched from Altra Olympus 5 (and before that, Lone Peaks) to the MTN Racer 3 due to achilles tendonitis. The fit isn’t exactly the same as Altra, but it’s very similar. I don’t use toe spacers, but I’m pretty sure there’s plenty of room.
Awesome information!
What sort of lifespan are y'all getting out of this shoe?