Topo Athletic MTN Racer 4 review: My pick for 2025’s best everyday trail-running shoe

I’m a lucky so-and-so. I review outdoor gear for a living, which includes testing lots of new running shoes, especially trail running shoes (I love rough-and-rugged off-road routes). And, because I properly put them through their paces – and plenty of puddles, mud, bog, water and everything else you encounter out in the wild – people usually don’t want them back.

This sounds great – and it is, I’m certainly not complaining (although my wife definitely is, because I now have many more shoes than she does and the garage is full of filthy footwear). But, as all runners know, selecting shoes is a very personal thing, and while I can recognise the pros and cons of all good-quality models, some pairs will simply suit my feet better than others.

Around this time, I often get asked what my favourite shoes of the year have been, and that’s a tricky question to answer, because it depends on the kind of running and conditions the shoes have been designed for.

If you’re looking for cushiony comfort, you can’t top the full-suspension On Cloudmonsters, while if you’re pursuing PBs, you might go for the Agravic Speed Ultra 2, and for ultra distances over technical terrain, we at T3 love both the Inov8 Trailfly G270 and the Hoka Speedgoats. But what is the best all-rounder of a running shoe – the Ben Stokes/little black dress of the genre?

To truly answer this, I just need to ask myself one question: what pair of shoes do I most regularly reach for after I have finished testing and writing about them?

Most years, the usual suspects crop up – releases by Inov8, Hoka, Saucony and Salomon – but in 2025, my favourite footwear for tackling trails has been a shoe from a brand that I’d never, ever run in (or even paid much attention to) before last July: the Topo Athletic MTN Racer 4.

Topo Athletic MTN Racer 4 review

Price and availability

Topo Athletic MTN Racer 4 running shoes are widely available in a range of colours for men and women. In the UK, they have a list price of £140 at Topo Athletic, while in the US, you’re looking at $155 full price.

Specifications

• Weight (per shoe, men’s UK size 10.5): 342g
• Stack: 33–28mm
• Drop: 5mm
• Lugs: 5mm
• Materials:  Synthetic mesh upper, ZipFoam midsole, FKT Insole, Vibram Megagrip outsole
• Colors: Men's: Navy & orange / Mango & black / Gray & lime; women’s: Blue / Grey & purple
• Compatibility: Mixed terrain and trail-running training sessions and races across all distances

Look and feel

So, why do I love these shoes so much? Well, it’s certainly not for their looks – in all honesty, they’re a bit fuggly, with a faintly bizarre bulbous shape. However, this is for a very good reason, and that’s to give runners’ feet and toes plenty of space. (The shoe is actually available in a ‘wide’ version, but even the standard one is nice and roomy.)

I’m cursed with wide, horrible Hobbit feet and badass bunions (sexy heh?), and some of the more speed-oriented shoes (especially from Salomon) squeeze my feet something terrible, and over longer distances, that can get excruciatingly painful.

In the Topos, however, with the wide toebox and generous design, my feet and pinkies can spread out nicely. This doesn’t just make for a much more comfortable ride; it also suits my running style because I like to splay and use my toes in a tactile way as I scamper around the trails.

Thankfully, wriggle room in the toebox does not translate to a loose fit across the shoe – from the heel to the ball of the foot, the MTN Racer 4s hold and support your feet really well, and there’s no slipping around within the chassis of the shoe, thanks to a ‘double-tongue stay’ and a heel cup.

Stack height and drop

I like a bit of cushioning as much as anyone, but I’m tall and clumsy enough as it is; some brands are taking the maximalist running shoe concept to ridiculous levels (and yes, Hoka, particularly the Bondi series, I do blame you for starting this mega midsole madness off).

When stacks start approaching 4cm, it’s just silly – with that degree of height extension, my centre of balance is affected, and I begin bumping my head on branches. A 33mm heel height with a 5mm drop and a bit of rocker is just about perfect for me.

Price

So, as I’ve already admitted, I’m lucky enough to score most of my shoes through work for testing and reviewing, but I always look closely at the price tag and carefully consider value for money, because I know how important this is to most people.

Unlike hiking boots, which might last you a decade or more, most regular runners will only get a year (at most) out of their trail shoes, so they need to be accessible. I realise £140 is far from cheap for a pair of running shoes, but it’s relatively reasonable (especially since they come with FKT Insoles that cost £20 to buy separately), and you can find deals out there if you look.

Materials

There is nothing overly fancy about the materials used in the MTN Racer 4s, but they’re hardwearing (making the shoes extra good value), they do their job, and the componentry is excellent (with a Vibram Megagrip outsole, a ZipFoam midsole and an FKT Insole). It would have been nice if Topo had included some recycled synthetic fabric in the upper, but the mesh breathes well, purges water fast after stream crossings and dries fairly quickly.

Grip

As mentioned, these shoes boast a Vibram Megagrip outsole, which features a set of intelligently arranged 5mm lugs. These studs are large enough to bite into mud, providing non-slip grip, stability and acceleration, but they’re not so pronounced that you feel like you’re running in football boots when you’re running on more solid surfaces. The tread pattern supplies traction going forward and braking control during descents – what else do you need?

Versatility

Looping back to the beginning, the reason I reach for these shoes so often is that they’re great for wearing during everything from 5km training runs through to races and even endurance events. In fact, one of the only things I don’t like about them is the name, which implies they’re intended for skyrunning in the mountains, which is one of the last environments I’d be using them in (although the design does include connections for gaiters).

Verdict

If you’re looking for one running shoe that can handle virtually anything, and still feel comfortable after many miles of running, my pick for 2025 is the slightly odd-looking but highly functional Topo Athletic MTN Racer 4. I’ll certainly be lacing my pair up for many months to come, whatever the weather, and if Topo come looking for them back any time soon, they’ll have to tear them off my feet.