If you follow me on instagram you will know that in the last few weeks I tested Topo Athletic’s Fli-Lyte 2 during some training even in the rain.
Start by saying that the 3 mm drop makes the Fli-Lyte extremely flexible and dynamic, to be used if you have a well-established natural running mechanics with advanced knowledge of supports: they are not therefore the most suitable footwear for beginners.
Anyway, it must be said that it is a very light shoe and suitable for road training at different speeds, very comfortable thanks to the shape of the forefoot that ensures all the necessary space for the placement of the fingers and the metatarsal to make the movement of the foot as natural as possible.
The first time I wore them I noticed that the Fli-Lyte activates different muscle compartments from the more tapered models and I found myself initially displaced by the space available in the front. The initial poor feeling with the shoe lasts about a couple of km, just the time that the fingers relax and start to have more grip: at that point the feeling of freedom is priceless 🙂
The Fli-Lyte is the ideal running shoe for those who tend to land in the forefoot and possibly has a neutral support, however the drop 3 allows a heel support not too heavy and forgives even small defects of posture to the pronators (as me).
So briefly summarize: among the pluses of the Fli-Lyte I can identify the freedom in the movements, the wrapping grip on the foot and the reduced weight, while among the minus perhaps the uncomfortable tongue, especially if you use very thin socks, and the strings that they loose easily.
Happy run!