By Brett MacCue, The Podiatrist
I picked up a pair of Topo Athletic Traverse trail shoes last year, mostly for the loop at the Grotto in North Nowra and the dog walks that turn into proper bush bashing once the cattle dog gets a sniff of something interesting. The real test was the coastal walk from Pretty Beach to Pebbly Beach, which unhelpfully starts with a crossing through the ocean before you’ve even warmed up. After that, plus a year’s worth of mud, leaf litter and creek crossings closer to home, here’s what I’ve made of them.
The Toe Box
The first thing anyone notices about a Topo shoe is the toe box, and it’s a brand-wide trait rather than something unique to this model. It’s wide and anatomical, meaning it’s shaped closer to the actual outline of a foot than the tapered point most shoe brands still default to. For a lot of the people who sit in my chair, it’s a bigger deal than that. A roomy forefoot takes pressure off a bunion (that bony bump at the base of the big toe) and gives a neuroma (a squeezed, irritated nerve between the toes, usually the third and fourth) room to settle rather than getting pinched with every step. I wouldn’t call any shoe a fix for either, but the shape helps rather than fights you.
Underfoot
I’ve got quite a flat foot, so the stock setup wasn’t enough on its own. I pulled the insole out early and dropped in my own EVA orthotics instead, which the shoe took without a fuss thanks to the removable insole and a reasonably deep heel cup. With those in, the support was there for the longer walks. Without them, I’d have felt it by the end of a day like Pretty Beach to Pebbly Beach. Underneath the insole sits a multi-density midsole, firmer against the ground and softer against the foot, with a forefoot rock plate so you’re not feeling every root and rock through the front of the shoe. It’s listed as a low to medium cushion shoe with a 5mm heel-to-toe drop, which sits it closer to a trail runner than a chunky hiking boot. It’s a neutral shoe rather than one built to correct anything, so if you’ve got a flatter foot like mine, plan on bringing your own orthotics rather than relying on the shoe by itself.
As for that ocean crossing, the shoes were wet through within the first ten minutes of the walk, orthotics and all, and dried out well before the end of it. The mesh upper doesn’t hold water, and Topo’s stock FKT insole is a closed-cell design built to drain quickly if you’re wearing it, so the shoe is set up to handle a wet start either way.
Grip and Durability
The outsole is Vibram Megagrip, and it’s earned its reputation. Wet rock, loose gravel, slick clay after rain, it’s held on in all of it without much drama. The upper is a durable mesh that’s stayed intact through all of it, including a few enthusiastic detours through the bush.
Who It Suits
Worth noting upfront: the Traverse itself has been discontinued, so what’s left is closeout stock and sizing will be patchy. That’s a shame, because it’s a nice shoe that’s worn well over months of regular use, the ocean crossing included. If you can still find your size, it’s worth trying for a wider or higher-volume foot, or if you’re running your own orthotics and want a shoe that won’t fight the insole swap. It’s not the shoe for anyone after a lot of cushioning or built-in stability, flat foot or not. Either way, the wider forefoot is a Topo trait across their range, not just this one model, so it’s worth keeping an eye on what they bring out next.
If you’re not sure whether a wider toe box, a different drop, or your own orthotics would suit a trail shoe like this, that’s a reasonable thing to raise next time you’re in.