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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Topo Tribute Tribute Review}}I rather like the Topo Tribute, though for me, it's a mixture of the awesome and the mediocre. Because the Tribute is designed to fit the human foot it's a huge advance over most running shoes and this solidly qualifies as "awesome." It's also nice and light (~7oz/~200g), comfortable, and the upper is very breathable. The only flaw, and it's not a huge flaw, is that the amount of cushioning you get for your weight is far from the best. The Tribute should either be far lighter or far more cushioned. Part of the reason for the weight is that the Tribute has a fair bit of hard rubber outsole for longevity. Unfortunately, the life of a running shoe is generally not limited by the outsole abrasion, but by the collapse of the cushioning midsole, so I think this additional weight is rather futile. The other oddity with the Tribute is that it has a slight negative drop, with the forefoot a few millimeters higher than the heel. I don't consider this a problem, but it is a little disconcerting when you first run in the Tribute, and it's something to be aware of when considering the shoe. I've rated the Tribute Tribute as "Recommended" and it came close to making my ""Highly Recommended" list. If you like a firmer running shoe, and you're not keen on hacking open the toe box, then I'd highly recommend checking out the Tribute. {{H:WhatToLookForInShoes}}
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=Characteristics=
* {{H:cushioning}}. The Tribute 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 less cushioning than the [[New Balance RC5000v2RC5000v2]] 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 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 Tribute does not attempt to manipulate your stride with medial posts or other overengineered nonsense. * {{H:flexibility}}. The Tribute 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 Tribute has rubber outsole under about half of the 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 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-LyteLyte]] 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]]
* {{H:tongue}}. The Tribute Tribute has a traditional tongue that is has a tab to attach it to the laces. The tongue has more padding than the rest of the shoe, which works pretty well. If you think about it, the greatest area of pressure on your foot from the upper is along the tongue when you toe off, so having this area more padded is quite smart. * {{H:lacing}}. The Tribute Tribute have round laces and they tend to come undone rather easily. (I tie a knot in the end of one lace to remind myself that a pair of shoes is problematic and that I need to make the slipknot extra secure.)* {{H:heelcounter}}. The Tribute Tribute has only a modest heel counter; none would be better, but at least it's not overly intrusive. {{FastBlr|Topo/type-a6-597|597|Topo TributeTribute}}
=A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes=
{{:Shoes-include}}