Latest revision as of 04:50, 20 October 2017

I've been surprised how much I've enjoyed running in the Fli-Lyte. It's not an amazingly light shoe, nor is it an amazingly well cushioned shoe, but I found myself putting on far more miles in the Fli-Lyte than the other shoes I've been testing concurrently. This subtle, subconscious bias is an interesting indication that this is a shoe that is a pleasure to run in. Partly I think this is due to the cushioning that is provided by the Fli-Lyte being quite natural and with some good spring. Another thing I've come to really appreciate is that the shape of the shoe is simply wonderful, being one of the first I've tested this seems to be designed to fit the human foot. It captures some of the natural biomechanics and freedom that you normally only get in something like a Vibram FiveFingers. In fact, I go so far as to say that my toes feel rather more natural in the Fli-Lyte than they do in a FiveFingers. The only problem I found with the Fli-Lyte is that the cushioning provided by the insole seems to where out disturbingly quickly. By the time I'd run a hundred miles, the cushioning under the ball of my foot and compressed by ~4 mm which tilts my feet inwards far more than running on the camber of the road would do. Replacement Insoles might alleviate this problem, but my experience in trying to find a good replacement insoles has been a rather poor. Of course, your Foot Strike pattern might be rather different and so you might find the shoe lasts you longer, but be aware of this issue. I've rated the Fli-Lyte as "Highly Recommended" in spite of the possible longevity problems, and I will test it out a few replacement insoles to see how they work with this shoe. For the latest version of this shoe, see Topo Fli-Lyte. (I use The Science of Running Shoes as the basis of how I test running shoes and what you should look for in a running shoe.)

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  Topo Fli-Lyte top

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  Topo Fli-Lyte outside

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  Topo Fli-Lyte bottom

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  Topo Fli-Lyte inside

1 Characteristics

• Cushioning . The Fli-Lyte is reasonably well cushioned with a nice combination of springiness and responsiveness. Personally, I find that this is about the right level of cushioning for the marathon or 50 K distance, and maybe enough cushioning for a 50 miler. It's certainly not a Maximalist shoe, but it's plenty for most purposes. The Fli-Lyte's cushioning-to-weight ratio is rather poor however, providing about the same cushioning as the New Balance RC5000v2 but is more than twice as heavy. It also weighs about the same as the Hoka Clifton which is a massively more cushioned. One noteworthy problem with the Fli-Lyte is the insole which provides some of the cushioning was rather badly born after only 100 miles. This is rather disappointing, especially as the midsole had only slight signs of compression at this point. I've found that Replacement Insoles can help extend the life of the Fli-Lyte somewhat.
• Drop. The Fli-Lyte has a 4mm drop when loaded, which is a tad more than I'd like but it never bothered me.
• Structure. The Fli-Lyte does not interfere with your Running Form with medial posts or the like.
• Flexibility. The Fli-Lyte was moderately flexible when I did my initial analysis, but after running in it for a while the flexibility increased quite dramatically. I suspect this is partly due to the degradation of the foam midsole under the ball of my foot. With use, the Fli-Lyte has a specific point that the forefoot wants to bend, which corresponds to the natural movement of my foot.
• Outsole. The Fli-Lyte has rubber outsole under all of the contact patches. The outsole seems fairly thick, and little few signs of wear over the first hundred miles. There are no stone traps or other holes in the sole, so running over gravel is not a problem.
• Shape. The Fli-Lyte has the best shape of any shoe I've tested, with a nice roomy toe box that allows my toes to move quite naturally. The founder of the company apparently worked for Vibram and was involved in their FiveFingers range of shoes. The toe box of this shoe allows for the same type of natural toe movement that you get in a FiveFingers shoe, which is a great achievement. The Topo's shoe shape is quite a bit better than Altra, whose toe boxes are overly stylized and exaggerated, as well as not having quite enough headroom.
• Upper. Like virtually all modern running shoes, the Fli-Lyte has a comfortable, largely seamless upper. There are a few overlays, but their placement means they are unobtrusive. The ankle opening is nicely padded and comfortable though it is a little bit stiffer than I would like. The upper is reasonably breathable as you can see from the picture below.
  
  
• Tongue. The Fli-Lyte has a traditional tongue that is has a tab to attach it to the laces. The tongue is soft and nicely padded and stayed in place well.
• Lacing. The Fli-Lyte has round laces which I often find problematic as round laces come undone far too easily. This never happened to me with the Fli-Lyte, possibly because the laces are slightly rougher than other round laces.
• Heel Counter. The Fli-Lyte has only a modest heel counter, though none would be better. However, the rear of the shoe is a little stiffer than I would like, though this did not cause me any problems even with my skin condition.

Please support this site This review was made possible by readers like you buying products via my links. I buy all the products I review through normal retail channels, which allows me to create unbiased reviews free from the influence of reciprocity, or the need to keep vendors happy. It also ensures I don't get "reviewer specials" that are better than the retail versions. Buy Topo Fli-Lyte at Zappos Buy Topo Fli-Lyte at Road Runner Sports Buy Topo Fli-Lyte at Kelly's Running Warehouse Buy Topo Fli-Lyte at Charlotte Ultra Running Company

2 A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes

If you're looking for "the best of the best" running shoe, here are my top picks. Of course, the answer will depend a little on what you're looking for, so I have recommendations for various categories. Best All Round Shoe. The Altra Escalante is my current all-round favorite. It has plenty of cushioning for its weight, it has a very springy midsole, it lasts well, and it has a shape that's closer to the shape of a human foot than most shoes. It's a great shoe for any runner, including those Starting to run. It's also a fairly easy shoe to find due to its popularity. Best Maximalist Shoe: If you want something massively cushioned, then I'd recommend the Saucony Kinvara 8. It's remarkably light and remarkably cushioned, beating Hoka at their own game. Best Optimal Shoe: For those looking to trade cushioning for speed, the Nike Zoom Streak LT 3 was my top pick, but the latest version (LT 4) falls short of it's predecessor. There are lots of great optimal running shoes, which provide just enough cushioning with light weight and minimal frills, but all have their weak spots. Probably the best option at the moment is the Altra Vanish-R, which offers great cushioning for just over 5oz/150g. Fastest Shoe: If you really want speed, then check out the Nike Vaporfly 4%. It's light, massively cushioned, and has a carbon fiber plate. Nothing comes close, not even the now defunct New Balance RC5000‏‎ or New Balance RC5000v2‏‎. There are a number of caveats; it's really expensive, it's really hard to find, and there's a significant injury risk. Best Minimalist Shoe: Merrell Trail Glove. I recommend the trail glove for road running in spite of the 'trail' moniker. It's not a fast shoe by any means, but it's comfortable and will last well. All Terrain Shoe. For trail running, I've become a fan of Altra, and I think their best shoe is the the Altra Timp, though the Altra Lone Peak is really close. Honorable Mention: It's not really a running shoe, but the Vivobarefoot Ra is comfortable, minimalist and can more or less pass as a dress shoe. I've worn mine to weddings with a suit and they've not looked out of place. You can run in the Ra, but the leather means it doesn't breathe well.

For a more detailed on running shoes see the Recommendations for Best Running Shoes. This table lists the key attributes of What to Look for in Running Shoes. For more detailed information, on the shoes see detailed shoe comparison.

It's not a running shoe, but I love the Hoka Tor Ultra hiking boot and I've tested the Altra Lone Peak Boot, the Hoka Tor Speed 2, and the Inov-8 Roclite 325 hiking boots
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