Topo Oterro Trail-Running Shoe (Fall 2014)

9 oz | 0mm drop | $100

The Dirt: The Oterro leans minimalist in terms of weight, cushion and drop, with a moderate tread that offers good traction on a variety of terrains (but is not ideal for mucky conditions). The mesh and printed-rubber upper dries quickly. The Oterro comes equipped with speed laces, but regular laces are also included with every pair.

Best For: Mid-distance runs on groomed or mildly technical trails; road-to-trail runs; multi-sport adventures.

Fit: Snug in the midfoot, with a wide toebox. Runs a half size small.

Tester Raves

• “I’ve run in minimalist shoes in the past, and these were by far the best minimal shoes I’ve run in yet: just enough support to protect my feet but not too much to hinder my performance.”
  —Jill Forsythe
• “This was a fantastic ‘adventure shoe,’ shedding mud, bouncing off rocks and draining water. Even wading waist deep across a stream, by the top of the next hill this shoe was almost dry, while other shoes have taken a mile or more to cease the squish.”
  —Jason A. Miller
• “The shoe was very light and breathable. On a hot day with over 18 miles of technical trail running with 3,500 feet of climbing my feet never got hot, while at the same time, quick creek crossings never seemed to let water in.”
  —Shane Anderson

Testers on Fit

• “The shoe fit extremely well, particularly snug around the midfoot so my foot didn’t slosh around like other wide-forefoot shoes.”
  —Jim Martin
• “The rubbery outside is directly fused to a soft stitched inside that makes the shoe very comfortable with socks or without—and makes the shoe much stronger and more agile … the heel cup was stiff but not rigid and allowed flex, making the shoe very comfortable but also offering support on technical descents.”
  —Jason A. Miller
• “The wide toe box allowed my feet to conform to the ground and made me feel more stable. The heel never slipped and even held the shoe in place in some deep mud.”
  —Shane Anderson

Testers on Tread

• “The outsole offered surprising traction and slip resistance given the relatively uniform height of the lugs. It didn’t provide much bite on mud, but that was the only area it under-performed in in terms of traction.”
  —Jim Martin
• “The sole gripped really well and allowed my foot to grip rocks and roots but prevented small rocks from poking through.”
  —Jason A. Miller
• “This shoe tread seemed to shed mud, unlike some of your more aggressive shoe treads that seem to hold onto the mud and eventually lose all traction.”
  —Shane Anderson
• “I was not very comfortable wearing them in rainy conditions, because I felt like there wasn’t enough lug action to keep me upright.”
  —Jill Forsythe

Testers on Downsides

• “The firmness of the outsole held it back in my mind. I would be OK wearing it as a shoe for short runs on non-technical terrain. It just didn’t offer the comfort of the more built-up outsole packages on some other shoes.”
  —Jim Martin
• “On longer runs, I felt fatigue from the lack of structure, and it started to create hotspots on the outside of my little toes due to the flexing of the sole.”
  —Jason A. Miller
• “While I loved how light the shoe was and the flexibility of the sole, my feet were taking blows on trails with lots of fist-sized rocks.”
  —Shane Anderson
• “I loved the laces, but they didn’t seem to stay tight enough, and I found myself messing with them several times throughout my runs.”
  —Jill Forsythe

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