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=Characteristics=
* {{H:cushioning}}. The Tribute is fairly firm shoe, and might be considered a little more of a minimalist shoe than an optimal one. The cushioning-to-weight ratio is far lower than I'd like as it has similar less cushioning to than the [[New Balance RC5000v2]] but is twice as heavy. While the Tribute is overly heavy for what it provides, the cushioning is smooth and somewhat springy and feel.
* {{H:drop}}. The Tribute is rather unusual in having a negative drop. This means that the heel is slightly lower than the forefoot, which is a tad disconcerting when you first wear them. It's only a small amount of negative drop, and it never caused me a problem though it often takes me a few miles to get used to the feeling.
* {{H:structure}}. The Tribute does not attempt to manipulate your stride with medial posts or other overengineered nonsense.
* {{H:flexibility}}. The Tribute has reasonable flexibility and should expect given its thinness. The patches of hard rubber outsole do reduce the forefoot flexibility a little, but not much. The flexibility is fairly even along the length of the forefoot, so you don't get a line that the shoe wants to bend at that doesn't match your foot.
* {{H:outsole}}. As you can see from the pictures above, the Tribute has rubber outsole under about half of the soul sole of the shoe, and it covers most of the high abrasion areas. The outsole seems fairly thick, though I've not torn the shoe apart to verify that. The Tribute has no stone traps or other holes in the sole, so running over gravel is not a problem.
* {{H:shape}}. The Tribute has one of the best shapes I've come across, and is clearly designed for the human foot. It was great to be able to run in a shoe without cutting the toe box open, and I'd say that the Topo approach to shoe shape is actually quite a bit better than Altra. I find that Altra shoes are a little overly stylized and often don't have enough height/volume causing the top of my toes to rub. The Tribute could do with slightly more volume, as I feel like my little toes is slightly trapped when I put it on after running in a shoe with the toe box cut open. The toe box of the [[Topo Fli-Lyte]] is a little roomier, which I prefer. Having said all that, don't let me put you off the Tribute with my faint praise. The Tribute is vastly better than nearly every other shoe, and your feet will think you.
* {{H:upper}}. Modern manufacturing techniques mean that virtually all running shoes have a comfortable, largely seamless upper, and the Tribute is no exception. While there are no seams, there are a few more overlays than I would like, but they don't detract from its comfort. The ankle opening has a rather less padding than most running shoes, but it's still more than enough, even with my skin condition. The upper is more open and breathable than you might expect from the exterior photos. The image below is with a light inside, showing just how open it is. <br/>[[File: Topo Tribute Upper.jpg|none|thumb|200px]]