If you hiked the Appalachian Trail in the last few years, you likely saw most thru-hikers wearing Altra and HOKA trail-running shoes. But people who hiked the AT more recently likely noticed something different. Over the past year, many hikers have been sporting Topo Athletic (Topo) trail runners.
“Topo Athletic has experienced a meteoric rise among thru-hikers, moving from relative obscurity to being ranked alongside Altra and HOKA as a top trail-runner option in just a few years,” says Zach Davis, founder and Editor-in-Chief at The Trek, a media company dedicated to thru-hikers and long-distance backpacking enthusiasts.
While Topo’s recent success is visible on the AT, it’s also apparent in outdoor and run specialty stores.
“They sold well right off the bat, but now Topo is our fastest-growing brand,” says Lee Wilson, owner of Nashville Running Company in Nashville, TN.
About 180 miles to the east, River Sports Outfitters in Knoxville, TN, has seen a similar trend. “The Altra Lone Peak was the star of the show for a while, but Topo has really come on for us recently,” says store manager Brooke Phibbs.
Across Tennessee and north Georgia, Topo sales have soared, says Joe Gibson, an independent rep who covers those areas for the brand. “In my territory, Topo is up over 200 percent this year, and that’s on the heels of 700-percent growth the prior three years in my territory,” he says.
From the AT to the sales floor, Topo is clearly having a moment. As more consumers become aware of the brand, the company is delivering products with an appealing balance of fit, performance, and durability.
While Topo is enjoying recent gains, the company is not an overnight success story. Tony Post launched the Massachusetts-based brand 12 years ago after holding executive positions with Rockport and Vibram.
“I wanted the shoe to feel light and like a natural extension of the body,” Post told Running Insight magazine in a 2021 interview. “I didn’t want any gimmick for marketing’s sake, only technology that improved the experience.” All Topo shoes are made with lightweight materials and include a roomy toe box, which allows the toes to splay.
Over more than a decade, Post has gradually improved Topo products while staying true to its core design principles. That steady improvement has produced products that offer trail runners and hikers the fit, comfort, and durability they prefer.
Compared to some other trail-running shoes, Topo’s Pursuit 2 offers a snugger fit in the heel area, which is suitable for people with lower-volume feet.
“Topo does really good about keeping the heel nice and secure, but you still get that wider toe box,” says Adeline Ellis, a buyer at River Sports Outfitters.
The Pursuit’s heel design has also made it a top seller at Cumberland Transit. “The Altra shoes are nice and wide, but a little too wide in the heel for some people,” says Lori Ridgeway, footwear buyer for Cumberland Transit in Nashville, TN. “Topo will fit a little narrower foot.”
While customers appreciate how Topo shoes fit, they also like that the company has styles with different drop levels. Even though the zero-drop Pursuit is a best-seller, some trail runners and hikers prefer a 3mm or 5mm drop.
“The zero drop scares some people off,” says Ridgeway, adding that she mainly sells trail-running shoes with a drop closer to 5mm.
One aspect of Topo’s success has been its willingness and ability to address customer needs and requests.
“One of our best-selling shoes has been the Terraventure, which was a 3mm drop,” says Gibson. “We had a lot of feedback from people doing the AT that they wanted a shoe with a 5mm drop that kept the forefoot rock plate and Vibram Mega Grip outsole.” In response, Topo introduced the Traverse, billed as a hybrid trail-runner and thru-hiker shoe.
While Topo gets high marks for meeting consumer needs, it developed a solid reputation by producing durable, trail-worthy shoes.
“We’re not seeing the issues we have with other brands, such as stitching,” says Wilson of Nashville Running Company.
Retailers in Tennessee and Georgia often bring up the word “durability” when meeting with their Topo rep, Joe Gibson. “They’re saying they don’t have a lot of issues with durability, such as sidewalls blowing out,” says Gibson.
Topo’s use of Vibram soles also bolsters the brand’s reputation for making products that withstand the rigors of the trail. “When customers see the Vibram sole, it looks like a hiking boot sole,” says Ridgeway of Cumberland Transit.
On the AT, where the rubber meets the trail, Topo shoes are proving their worth, says Davis of The Trek. “After testing these shoes over the past few months, my initial impression is that they bring all the same benefits as the Altra Lone Peak, with an edge in durability—from the tough upper construction to the longevity of the outsole,” he says.
Through thoughtful designs and quality construction, Topo has raised its profile in the market. But Topo is also gaining market share through increased advertising and marketing. “They’re doing more advertising, so people are getting to know Topo,” says Ridgeway.
In 2022, Designer Brands acquired Topo, which provided a financial boost for promoting the brand. “There are many different facets of marketing where that shows up,” says Gibson. “It can show up in digital ads, it could show up in stores with posters and POP materials. It shows up in seeding products. We have more things at our disposal that didn’t exist even two years ago.”
The results of these marketing efforts might also appear next year in the Annual Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker Survey, in which The Trek measures everything from hiker demographics to the specific gear that hikers use. While Altra and Hoka could rule the rankings once again, there’s no doubt that Topo is right on their heels, approaching at a blistering pace.
Marcus Woolf has been a reporter, writer, and editor for outdoor business and consumer media for nearly 30 years. He served as the editor of Outdoor Retailer Magazine and worked as a contributing editor for the Outdoor Retailer Daily Exposure newspaper, SNEWS, and Gear Trends Magazine. His writing has also appeared in consumer publications such as Outside and Backpacker. Marcus is an avid hiker and the author of the guidebooks Afoot & Afield: Atlanta and Hiking Huntsville, which covers trails in his hometown of Huntsville, Alabama. When he isn’t mapping trails or traveling to visit outdoor retailers, Marcus enjoys backpacking, canoeing, and kayaking with his wife, Wendy.
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