Topo Phantom 4 Performance Review

The Topo Phantom 4 is Topo’s latest daily trainer, fitting in alongside the max cushion Atmos and stability-focused Aura and Ultrafly 5. Both the Aura and Ultrafly 5 are on our list of Best Stability Running Shoes while the (albeit comfortable) Atmos was a bit inconsistent. The Phantom 4 seems to be the neutral counterpart to the Ultrafly 5. But can it compete with other shoes of similar stack height and price? Let’s find out.

What is the Topo Phantom 4?

According to Topo, the Phantom 4 is “[o]ur high-cushion, neutral trainer designed for daily miles, long runs, fitness walking, and daily wear. The fourth generation has a new 35 x 30 mm stack height providing an additional 2 mm of cushioning.” 

That description is refreshingly not marketing-speak heavy and lays out the intended use cases without obfuscation. That makes it rather easy for us to find out if the Topo Phantom 4 measures up.

Cushion

ZipFoam is typically solidly protective, up to a point (for me that’s under an hour of running), and nothing to write home about. It’s just a solid EVA midsole.

But on the Topo Phantom 4, the ZipFoam is different (in fact, Topo has confirmed this is indeed a new formulation). It’s more elastic than previous iterations, and that makes this midsole a touch more plush and gives it the slightest bounce. Basically, this new formulation bridges the gap between the more ordinary ZipFoam experience and Topo’s cushier Pebax Powered midsoles in the Specter 2 and Cyclone 3. It’s a solid upgrade.

That said, it’s not perfect. The heel feels softer than the forefoot which can cause the drop to feel like less than its measured 5mm. Some might not even feel this, especially if they’re forefoot strikers, but heavy heel strikers beware.

Cushion-wise, this is my favorite Topo ZipFoam midsole and leaves me asking, “why didn’t Topo do this sooner?”

Support

A standard heel counter and a wide base do all the work here. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s got solid stability for a neutral shoe with 35mm of foam in the heel. If you need an actual stability shoe, go with the aforementioned Ultrafly 5.

Traction

The Topo Phantom 4’s traction is good as long as the ground is dry. But wet, snow, and other wintry conditions made my footing unreliable and put a slight bit of slippage into each footfall. There are no nubs or lugs on the bottom of the shoe, so that’s fairly normal behavior for a running shoe that’s saving weight with the rubber pattern.

But, I also found the outsole durability to be lacking versus other Topos I own. My push-off points on both toes are wearing down quicker than I’m used to with Topo. But the rubber feels the same to the touch, so maybe my feet have just gotten stronger as I make my way towards marathon glory. [Editor’s Note: Self-aggrandizement much?]

While I still think the outsole will last enough time to get a full 300-500 miles out of it, the outsole may look much rattier towards the end of its lifespan than you’d usually see.

Upper

The Topo Phantom 4 sports a typical Topo upper: comfortable and accommodating engineered mesh with no hotspots to be found – and, as always, that anatomical toebox that provides so much wonderful extra room on recovery days.

Is the Topo Phantom 4 wide foot friendly?

Yes, the Topo Phantom 4 is wide-foot friendly. Those that are widest in the forefoot will find the foot-shaped forefoot to be luxurious compared to most running shoes.

Is the Topo Phantom 4 worth $145?

Yes, the Topo Phantom 4 is priced correctly against other high-cushion daily trainers that sit in the $140-$150 price band. There’s no extra value to be found, but you get what you pay for here.

How to use the Topo Phantom 4

The Topo Phantom 4 is built for runners who place a high value on an anatomical fit and is best used for easy runs, recovery runs, walks, and maybe even long runs if you’re light of foot.

Topo Phantom 4 Summary

The Topo Phantom 4 is one of my favorite Topo shoes yet due to the reinvigorated formulation of ZipFoam. There are other neutral shoes I’d buy before it, but, if an anatomical fit is priority number one, the Phantom 4 is one of the better daily trainer options in that (admittedly small) category.

How does the Author Run?

Drew Whitcomb (age 43, 6’6″ 200lbs): Runs daily with a once a week rest day. Runs a lot of miles due to testing needs and a growing affinity for long-distance races. Regularly competes in marathons, half-marathons, 10k, and 5k races.

Disclosure

While Topo did provide a pair of the Phantom 4 to facilitate this review, the company had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and has not attempted to influence it.