In a sentence, light firm, springy and zero drop and green encapsulates these Topo Athletic magnify 2.

This is v2 of which the latest is v4 but is already better than the original version from this little known brand, haling from the USA. They are from the same natural fit low drop stable as Altra and Inov8. While they have trail designs they are certainly more road focussed than Ino and perhaps also Altra.

So the first thing I did when opening the box after putting on my shades was change up the laces for elasticated ones (after taking the photo). Why? For a triathlete, the joy of these is that they are light and stiff but fit like slippers and with stretchy laces they are on and off in a trice. They seem to hug your feet whilst providing a powerful base to drive you forward on your run. I have done a lot of races in the previous iteration and these so far seem no different in that respect.

I say they feel stiff but they are responsive too giving a your feet ample chance to get a good sense of the road. This said they are nicely but solidly cushioned. They give your feet a kind of sense of safety. The stiffness is provided by dual density foam and is designed with a toe rocker that literally tips you onto your forefoot. This feature should be interesting on a long run when the temptation in low drop shoes is to be lazy and drag your heals a bit. These shoes feel very springy and active, with the rocker combined with the stiffness this giving these lovelies a good kick on the tarmac. This is unlike the last design which felt beautiful but which are so like running in slippers that you get a good connection with your running surface but don’t get the sense of getting much assistance. So they should be great on fast as well as longer runs. This is matter of taste and genetics but I find the wide natural toe box great at all times but really comes into its own after a long time pounding the streets. The outsole is the same as previous versions, which in my experience has good grip and wear characteristics.

As I said Topo Athletic are not as well known in the UK as say Altra and as a result come in at a premium price (around 140.00). This said, with a bit of searching, and if you don’t mind wearing last years model can be found (as these were) very reasonably.

All in all – I LOVE ‘EM …so far and with only one run in them but… – fast comfy, kind to the feet and so dayglo they remind me of the punk band posters of my youth – what’s not to like.