Topo Ultrafly 100 mile review

The Topo Ultrafly is holding up well as the odometer hit 105 miles, and has earned a central place in my running stable of shoes which include the Topo Fli-Lyte 2 and the Altra Torin 3.0. The Ultrafly is an extraordinarily well made shoe and wears as well as any shoe I've had since the Adidas Supernova Glide Boost 8. Here are some earlier thoughts on both Topo shoes.

I am enjoying the heavier build of the Ultrafly with a touch of stability. I've had some hip/psoas tightness which seems to benefit from a more built up shoe, and the Ultrafly is doing the trick. And my sore right heel (not sure if its from excess heel striking or tight calves and achilles) responds well to the more rubberized, cushioned feel of the Ultrafly and possibly the 5mm heel to toe drop.

The only real drawback of the shoe is its weight - it is 10oz in the men's size 9. I would like an ounce or ounce and a half lighter normally, but the weight is not a detriment to my middle of the pack pacing most of the time. For faster races I can go to the Fli-Lyte 2. But I think I'd wear these in a half or full marathon distance.

The upper is holding up nicely. There's a little puckering but no holes in the material. They do seem to be a little more stanky than the usual shoe. It could be the fact the upper isn't as breathable as it could/should be (hope to see some minor improvements on that count in the next version of the Ultrafly in 2018), but it might be nothing more than the humid DC weather.

Edit: Holy crap. Not even 20 miles after writing this, two holes have opened up on the upper, right on the spot where I mentioned the puckering, above. This is for normal road and some dirt trail running - I haven't taken this on trails where they could get scraped up. Sort of sad to see this happen on a shoe so young in its lifespan. You can see my finger on the other side of the holes. So much for what looked like extraordinary durability.

The outsole wear patterns are usual for me - some wear on the outsole near the ball of the foot and the outside of the heel. The heavier rubber is holding up super well - I don't think all the rubber is going to get worn away before the midsoles lose their effectiveness after 300+ miles.