First Look – Topo Athletic Ultrafly 2

Check out the all-new Topo Athletic Ultrafly 2; a cushioned road shoe featuring a 3-density midsole for light guidance through the gait cycle.

Specs:

• Weight – 10 oz (Men’s 9), 8.3 oz (Women’s 7)
• Rubber Outsole – 4.5mm
• Midsole – 18.5mm/13.5mm
• Footbed – 5mm
• Total Stack Height – 28mm/23mm (5mm drop)

Features:

The Ultrafly 2 is perfect for runners seeking cushioning and light support.

• Strategically placed printed overlays and molded foam heel-stays help secure the foot
• 3-piece EVA midsole provides cushioning, light guidance and responsive feedback through the gait cycle
• 5mm drop
• Roomy toe box
• Lightweight breathable materials
• Orthalite footbed

MSRP:

• $120.00

Initial Impressions:

First of all, I’m stoked that Topo Athletic retained all the features that made the original Ultrafly my go-to shoe for long training runs, races from 50 to 100 miles, and even 24 hour events on the track, road and trail. So many shoe companies release a great shoe, only to ruin it with future models bearing no resemblance to the original. Thanks, Topo! However, despite keeping things pretty samey, the Ultrafly 2 has some subtle improvements that make a great shoe even better.

The multi-density midsole retains the same characteristics as the original Ultrafly – a softer EVA piece along the lateral heel, firmer EVA along the medial side and high rebound injected EVA through the body.

The updated mesh is softer, more flexible and appears to wrap the foot better than the original. I’m pretty certain that the new mesh is stronger and less likely to rip or tear too – a minor inconvenience I experienced on the original Ultrafly, especially when logged miles were in excess of 400 or 500. The mesh appears to be super-breathable too, which is good news for all those upcoming summer long runs.

Another exciting upgrade is the addition of an all-new Ortholite footbed, which provides additional comfort by resisting compression, and naturally eliminates odor-causing bacteria. Ortholite’s X-Series High Rebound foam is the first of its kind and boasts an elasticity rating over 25%. Naturally, this all-new, high rebound foam insert features Topo’s iconic foot shape. If you’re interested, you can read about the many benefits of Ortholite insoles here.

Thankfully, the rigid external toe bumper (one of my least favorite features on the original Ultrafly!) has been replaced by a softer, more flexible overlay. And, speaking of overlays, in general there’s a lot less going on with the upper of the Ultrafly 2, which in my opinion makes for a sharper looking, sleeker shoe.

Ultrafly 2 laces are the flat, less bulky design as opposed to the rounder version on the old Ultrafly – again adding to the shoes’ sleek appearance. Worth noting, the tongue appears to be slightly more padded on the Ultrafly 2, but this could just be that the tongue material has compressed over time on my original Ultraflys. No matter, it’s plenty comfortable anyway, without being bulky like a pillow.

The only other change I’ve noticed is the heel counter, which appears to be more of a soft curve now than the angled cutout on the original Ultrafly. I’ve read about folks who had issues with the heel counter being too high on the Ultraflys, so hopefully this will alleviate those problems.

I’m still to log any significant miles in the Ultrafly 2, but plan on breaking them in over the weekend then wearing them at next weekend’s Dawn to Dusk to Dawn 24-Hour track event. I don’t usually gamble with new shoes for a race, but I’m pretty confident the Ultrafly 2 will perform flawlessly. Watch this space for updates!

Topo Athletic Ultrafly 2 in the Press

1. The Ultrafly 2 Has Arrived – Topo Athletic Blog
2. Road Running Review – Spanish Website