The Topo Aura is a brand new shoe from Topo Athletics that offers a mix of features in a daily trainer that make it a truly comfortable and enjoyable ride. Another high stack shoe with max cushioning, yet it doesn’t feel aggressively soft or unstable like some others we’ve tested. Let’s dig in!
In the few weeks I’ve had the shoe, the Aura has been a great option for a couple of 3-5 mile runs, an 8 mile run, and some long walks on everything from the road to the treadmill, indoors and in the snow.
I definitely prefer this max cushioning out on the road over the treadmill, but it was smooth and comfy and made the indoor miles fly by on a snowy day. I was surprised to find myself reaching for these time and again because they’re such an easy, comfortable go-to trainer.
As always, we’re here to give you the pros, the cons and our honest assessment of this shoe. There’s no one running shoe that is going to work best for every single runner! The goal of our reviews it just to help you decide if this shoe is a good one for you to try.
If you’re looking to hop on the max cushion running shoe trend, but still want a stability shoe, the Topo Aura could be the shoe you’re searching for.
Who Is It Good For?
Who is Topo Aura a good fit for? Let’s break it down with some common categories:
- Wide Feet: It’s not a wide shoe, but accommodating for wider feet.
- Heavier Runners: Fantastic option for fit, cushion and feeling stable with the stack height.
- Long Runs: 100% this is designed to carry you over the miles with good cushion, support and energy return.
- Front of the Pack: Only as an easy run shoe, this is not a tempo or speed shoe.
Since it’s a stability shoe, it feels substantial under foot but isn’t so firm that you lose the comfort of the cushioned foam.
Topo Aura Overview
If you haven’t tried a Topo Athletic shoe before, the brand is known in the running shoe world for their shoes’ anatomical toe box and lower heel to toe drop. One of the reasons it’s often on our best wide toe box running shoes list!
I’ve seen Topos on a few friends over the years who preferred a zero drop shoe or who really wanted that wider toe box. With this newest shoe, Topo stuck to what they’re good at but with a little more flare.
The Topo Aura is a max cushioned stability shoe that firmly holds your foot in place without any heel slip or sinking into the foam. It’s a max comfort shoe that’s great for a higher mileage day.
Topo Athletics shoes typically feature a wider, more anatomical toe box. Meaning it doesn’t come to a point, like say a cowboy boot or a high heel, but stays wider to accommodate your forefoot width.
While the Aura does have a wider toe box than your typical running shoe, it’s not so wide that it looks or feels awkward.
The toe box feels just right in size and gives your foot a little wiggle room. This feels extra nice at the tail end of longer distance sessions when we know our feet swell.
We also like the light pronation support from Topo’s Y-Frame Guidance System. The technology behind this shoe’s smooth and stable ride isn’t too firm or intense. The wider frame pieces on the sole of the shoe create a durable, supportive frame to uphold the cushy foam.
The Y-frame’s firm support also makes this shoe seem like it will hold up over a decent number of miles without too much wear too quickly.
Since so many running shoe companies are diving into the max cushion trend, I think it’s important to mention the foam in the midsole of this one. Topo’s signature ZipFoam gives you a good cushioned feel, but doesn’t sink under your feet.
The foam feels firmer than other max cushioned running shoes I’ve tried but still provides a noticeable feeling of cushion underfoot. That could be because other shoes like the Puma MagMax Nitro are now at 46mm of cushion, while this is “only” 38mm.
Like most daily trainers it’s not super light weight, however I didn’t notice it feeling heavy during any runs. The shoe isn’t incredibly responsive, so you won’t be reaching for it to do speed workouts or a fast race day.
You can see the outsole has strategically placed rubber for grip, but it’s definitely not a grippy shoe for trails.
Topo Aura Specifications
This shoe has a 5mm drop, which could be an adjustment for anyone unfamiliar with lower drop shoes. We love to see runners playing with heel drop in their running shoe rotation as it can often help with knee pain and other issues.
For example, the Asics Gel Kayano, which is one of this shoe’s closest competitors, has a 10mm drop, and the Brooks Glycerin Max has a 6mm drop.
- Heel toe drop: 5mm
- Weight: 9.1 oz women’s/10.9oz men’s
- Stack Height: 38mm
- Usage: Daily trainer (not a speed shoe)
- Not available in wide
- Available in three colors for women and three colors for men
- Available at REI for $165
From a design perspective, this shoe is fairly minimalist compared to a lot of its competitors.
Topo offers the shoe in 3 colorways for women and 3 colorways for men. It’s certainly not a flashy runner, but that is appeal to about 50% of you! The minimalist design on the shoe’s upper reflects the brand’s logo and waves representative of the brand’s emphasis on natural movement.
Topo Aura Fit
Having run in a few other wide toe box shoes, this one felt like a normal size length and width. The shoe feels true to size overall.
If you have a wider midfoot, this shoe could feel snug, but it felt just right on my feet. I loved that shoe felt so fitted through the middle given the width of the toe box . My heel doesn’t slip around when I stride but I still benefit from the wiggle room at my toes. It’s a great combo!
That combined with the cushioned sole makes this a shoe you’ll keep coming back to for those long run days.
The shoe’s upper is made with a lightweight mesh that feels secure and breathable. I was surprised to find the upper so comfortable and flexible from first wear. The mesh makes the shoe so much lighter than it looks.
The heel collar is quite padded, so I had no issue with rubbing or friction, and the shoe took no time to break in.
The tongue is very lightly padded in a way that makes it comfortable but not bulky. I appreciated this after trying a few shoes lately that have a heavily padded tongue that felt too stiff or substantial.
The lacing on these felt pretty standard with two eyelets at the top of the shoe and long enough laces to give you some flexibility in how you play around with lacing for your run.
Similar Shoes to the Topo Aura
What’s currently out there to rival this stability shoe? We’ve tested a few that feel similar, but different based on the brand fit:
- Altra Olympus – (More cushion and a zero drop)
- Asics Gel Kayano – (Firmer cushion stability shoe)
- Hoka Gaviota – (Another big cushion stability shoe that should have a slightly wider midfoot)
This shoe is probably going to be compared to the Altra most frequently due to their similar wide toe box and their lower drop. If you’re looking for a slightly firmer ride and a more moderate drop, the Aura fits the bill.
Given the breathability of the upper, the average weight of the shoe, and the max cushioning and comfortable support, this shoe is not only a great option for runners but also for those that integrate walking into their workouts.
I wore this one for a long walk with my dogs, and I felt supported and comfortable enough that I hopped straight on the treadmill for a run right after.
All in all, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my Topo Aura review found it really hit the mark for me, especially for longer runs. I found myself shockingly excited to get those easy miles in these! It’s a fantastic option for a daily trainer that combines support and protection with maximum comfort for workouts.
What are you waiting for?
Go check it out at REI for $165.
Who tried it?
Hi! I’m Coral, a sales exec who runs a small business and runs out all my deep thoughts and big ideas on the roads and trails of Denver, Disneyland, or wherever I’m traveling next. I started running as a competitive sprinter and found myself falling in love with marathons and half marathons over the last 20+ years.
I typically run 20-25 miles a week, and when I’m not running or traveling, I’m usually out with our 2 dogs or cheering on my 3 kids at their next sporting event! You can catch me on Instagram at @CoralSC.
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