GEAR REVIEW: Topo Athletic Terraventure 2 Trail Shoe

By Will Rietveld

As I have repeatedly said, if you are into ultralight backpacking, or day hiking, you should be using ultralight footwear. You don’t need to wear those 3-pound boat anchors. According to US Army research, taking 1 pound off your feet (0.5 pound off each one) is equivalent to taking 6.4 pounds out of your backpack. Not to belabor the subject, but assuming it takes about 2,000 steps to walk a mile, and if you are wearing shoes that weigh 1 pound less, that is 1,000 pounds that you are not lifting with each foot, per mile.

That’s why we recommend a trail running shoe for ultralight backpacking and hiking. And not just any ordinary trail runner will do; we prefer ones with a wide toebox, snug heelcup, all synthetic construction for quick drying and light weight, good cushioning, a good rock plate for stiffness and stability, and an aggressive outsole for good traction.

That formula leads me to Topo Athletic shoes. They have all the right attributes, by my criteria. I have wide feet so I especially like the wide toebox of Topo trail shoes. However, I’m fairly representative of ultralight backpackers and trail runners, who like to have extra room in the toebox for their feet to spread out without scrunching.

I reviewed the originalTerraventure back in 2017 and really liked them. Now we have the Terraventre 2; what are the improvements and how do they perform for ultralight backpacking and trail running?

The updated Topo Athletic Terraventure 2 shoe weighs just 10.8 ounces/shoe (men’s 9) and 8.2 ounces/shoe (women’s 7) and has all the desired features for ultralight backpacking and trail running. (Topo Athletic photo)

Specifications and Features

Manufacturer	Topo Athletic (www.topoathletic.com)
Model	Terraventure 2 Trail Shoe
Weight	10.8 oz/shoe (men’s 9), measured weight men’s 12: 12.9 oz/shoe, 8.2 oz/shoe (women’s 7), measured weight women’s 6.5: 8.6 oz/shoe
Features	Welded and adhesive construction, Vibram XS-Trek outsole 6 mm deep, Ortholite antimicrobial insole 5 mm thick, rock protection plate, 2-density injected EVA midsole 14 mm at the heel and 11 mm at the ball, fully gusseted tongue, nylon mesh upper with printed PU reinforcements, drainage ports, Topo gaiter attachment points
Stack Height	25 x 22 mm, 3 mm drop
MSRP	$120

Description

According to the Topo Athletic website, these shoes are medium for cushioning, medium for support, and medium + for stiffness. I don’t have that information for the original Terraventure, but it seems to be about the same.

The stack height and drop are the same, 3 millimeters.

The Terraventure 2 is a tad heavier than the original, 10.8 oz/shoe compared to 10.2 oz/shoe for men’s size 9. So where is the extra weight? The answer seems to be that it is distributed in upgrades through the shoe.

The mesh in the upper is soft and very breathable, very similar to the previous version, but the TPU overlays are a little more generous and thicker. The lace loops are a heavier mesh so the laces slide through easier, and the addition of drainage ports and gaiter attachment points adds a little weight. Also the insole is more substantial than the previous one. I had a problem with the old one bunching up because it was so thin.

The outsole in the new version is the Vibram XS-Trek, which is 6 millimeters thick like the old shoe. The midsole is more abrasion resistant on the sides where its exposed.

Overall, the Terraventure 2 seems to embody a list of upgrades and tweaks learned from the experience of the original shoe – improved materials and design features to make it even better. It adds up to being a bit beefier than the original. So, is there a noticeable difference in performance?

Field Testing

I tested the Terraventure 2 on 12 trips, consisting of day hikes, trail runs, and two multi-day trips. On the backpacking trip these photos were taken on, I hiked down steep vegetated slopes, sliderock, brush, and mud; the shoes came through a little dirty but unscathed.

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Overall, the performance of the new Terraventure 2 is a level higher than the original, which I expected given the improvements described above. The details read much like my review of the original Terraventure, which I include here for convenience.

Fit – The fit is the same as the original Terraventure, meaning a wide toebox and snug heelcup. Since my measured shoe size is a 12-E, I found the toebox none too wide. I had to wear thin socks in them to avoid scrunching my toes. The wide toebox is a welcome feature for hikers because their feet pancake out on prolonged hikes.

Breathability – Original Terraventure (right) and Terraventure 2 (right). The mesh nylon upper is very similar in both shoes and provides good breathability; only a coarse mesh upper would provide more. I wore the shoes hiking with temperatures in the low 90s in relative comfort. I reported one disadvantage of the original Terraventure is fine sand will sift through the mesh, which was an annoyance. I did a quick test of the Terraventure 2 and it appears to be more impervious to sand, but some did come through. Also, a scant amount of trail dust comes through in the toe area.

Traction – The Terraventure 2’s Vibram XS-Trek 6 mm rubber outsole (bottom) has a very aggressive and open tread, and like the original (top) it has excellent traction and durability.

Stability – The forefoot TPU rock plate insulates my feet from sharp rocks, while providing the right amount of stiffness for edging. For downhill hiking I like to tighten the laces over my instep to prevent toe jamming, and the lacing system holds firm in that location without slipping. Note that the Terraventure 2 has slightly lower stability rating than the Ultraventure and Mtn Racer, which are also good shoes for hiking.

Comfort – The EVA midsole is 14 mm in the heel and 11 mm at the ball. I found cushioning to be very good, but not as good as the Topo Ultraventure and Mtn Racer.

Durability – The Terraventure 2 (top) is amazingly durable. I said that for the original Terraventure (bottom), but after months of continued use I managed to wear a hole in the mesh at the fifth metatarsal head (the widest part of the forefoot on the outside). Hiking off-trail and sliding down scree slopes (I call it scree skiing) puts a lot of wear on that exposed area. The new version is similarly exposed at that location, but no damage is evident yet. After many days of hiking on rough trails, off-trail bushwhacking, and some trail running, the uppers look like new and the outsoles are only lightly worn.

Topo Gaiter --  Topo's gaiter is designed to hook to mounts on the back of the heel. They attach with a twisting motion, however it's hard to attach them with the shoes on. I resorted to leaving the gaiters attached to the shoe, then sliding my foot through the gaiter and into the shoe, which worked well. The hooks on the gaiter (2 in back, one in front) occasionally came loose when I bushwhacked off trail, and did not completely keep debris out of the shoes. 

Assessment

The Terraventure 2 is a Plus 1 over the original Terraventure I previously reviewed, which is one of the best hiking shoes I have tested. Their wide toebox is what allows me to wear them in the first place, and all of their features add up to a near perfect shoe for ultralight backpacking and day hiking. For their minimal weight their fit, comfort, traction, and durability are amazing.

I really like no-stitch upper construction. Over the years I have tested and reviewed numerous hiking boots and shoes, and found the nemesis is abrasion wearing the stitching through, then the seam coming apart. With no-stitch construction that type of failure is eliminated, but the mesh upper is still vulnerable to damage if it is not adequately protected on the sides.

The Terraventure 2 is one of the most durable trail running shoes I have tested, and I have tested a lot. I usually end up with holes in the mesh in shoes with mesh uppers, but the Terraventure’s nylon mesh upper is essentially unscathed, so far. It helps a lot to have a good polyurethane rand just above the outsole to protect the upper, and in particular a polyurethane overlay at the fifth metatarsal head, as described above.

The aggressive traction outsole is another component of this shoe I especially like. It provides phenomenal traction, which is a necessity for hiking. At the end of my testing, there is still plenty of life left in the shoes.

For a shoe designed to provide stability on rough trails, the Terraventure 2 is on the lighter end, which I also appreciate. Topo has found a way to maximize the performance of the Terraventure with the least amount of weight.