Topo Athletic Fli-Lyte 6 Review
By Andrea Myers
Topo Athletic Fli-Lyte 6Price: $124.99 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 7.8oz, 221g (men's size 9), 6.3oz, 179g (women's size 7)
Stack Height: 23 mm heel / 20 mm forefoot
Drop: 3 mm
Shoe Purpose: Lightweight daily and uptempo trainer, gym work
Pros: anatomical toe box, low stack and firmer midsole contribute to a unintrusive ride, light weight, versatile
Cons: 23mm/20mm stack and 3mm drop put greater demands on calves and ankles
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The Topo Athletic Fli-Lyte 6 is a low stack daily trainer that performs well at a variety of paces. Its 3mm drop, 23mm/20mm stack height, and muted forefoot rocker feel very similar to the original Saucony Kinvara, but with an even better fit, thanks to Topo's anatomical toe box. Version 6 features an updated mesh upper, but stack and drop remain the same as version 5. Version 6 has also gained 0.3oz over the previous version, which must be due to the change in the upper, as the midsole and outsole appear to be unchanged. This shoe provides plenty of ground feel and a natural, unintrusive ride. The Fli-Lyte 6 will be a great option for those who prefer shoes with a lower stack and drop, particularly because there are not many shoes like this available in 2025.
SIMILAR SHOES: original Saucony Kinvara, Altra Escalante Racer v1, Brooks Hyperion v1
PAST MODEL: Topo Fli-Lyte 5
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
Andrea: The Topo Fli-Lyte 6 fits true to size in my usual women's 9.5. I generally love the fit of Topo shoes and the Fli-Lyte 6 is no exception. The toe box provides plenty of width and volume without being sloppy and the thin, breathable upper has been very enjoyable to test during the hot and humid summer months. I have a full thumb's width from the front of my big toe to the end of the shoe and the anatomical toe box provides plenty of room for my 1st and 5th MTPs. The midfoot is normal to slightly narrow in width and the rearfoot is normal width. There is a small, flexible heel counter and a mild amount of internal padding. The tongue is on the thinner side but provides sufficient protection from the laces. It is not gusseted, but like all Topo shoes, is held securely in place by a lace loop. The laces are flat and do not stretch, and I found it easy to achieve secure lockdown without much effort or mid-run adjustments. The fit feels most similar to the Topo Cyclone 2 and 3, with slightly less volume in the forefoot.
Andrea's Typical Size: Women's US Size 9.5
Shoes that have fit Andrea well: Brooks Hyperion Max 1 and 2, Topo Cyclone 2, Nike Vaporfly 3, ASICS Novablast 4 and 5, PUMA MagMax Nitro
Shoes that have fit snug: Altra Escalante 4 (toe box width and volume), Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 2 and 3 (length), Saucony Endorphin Speed and Pro 1-4 (length)
Shoes that have fit large: Adidas Boston 12 (length), Adidas Adios 8 (length)
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Yes
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Yes
Is the Forefoot Flexible: Yes
How Flexible is the Shoe: Moderate
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Yes
Recommended for Haglunds: Maybe
Is This Shoe Orthotic Friendly: Yes
Recommended for Sockless: Yes
Durability Expectation: Average
PERFORMANCE
Andrea: The Topo Athletic Fli-Lyte 6 has quickly become my favorite daily trainer of 2025. It reminds me of the original Saucony Kinvara, with its low stack, 3mm drop, and moderately flexible platform. After testing so many shoes that have gotten the maximal treatment in their latest updates, I have found myself gravitating to lower stack shoes on days I do not have a test shoe to run in. The Fly-Lite 6 has been highly enjoyable to run in because it basically protects my foot from the ground, has Topo's comfortable fit, and gets out of the way and lets me do the work. I have used it primarily for easy runs but have also used it for pre-workout strides and some short marathon pace-threshold pace reps. Due to the lower stack height, I would not use this shoe for easy long runs, as I would prefer something with a little more underfoot protection (like the Brooks Hyperion 2), but it has been ideal for my regular easy runs that range from 4-6 miles.
I prefer Topo Cyclone 2 or 3 for track workouts at 5k down to 400m paces (if I am not wearing spikes) due to its bouncier PEBA midsole and more flexible forefoot, but I have really enjoyed Fli-Lyte 6 for both easy miles and strides. The midsole is Topo's ZipFoam, which provides a firmer and moderately responsive ride. The shoe features a small heel bevel and a later forefoot rocker and moderate toe spring, but the rocker geometry is not aggressive enough to make the shoe feel like it is forcing forward motion. What I like most about the shoe is that it does not have an intrusive, heavily rockered or bouncy ride. There are not many shoes like this in 2025 and I appreciate Topo making a shoe that just lets me run, instead of a shoe that tries to run for me. The shoe feels like its stated 3mm drop and does place greater work on the calves, so those who are not accustomed to running in lower drop shoes should proceed with caution. The shoe feels very light on foot and is one of the lightest daily trainers on the market, at 6.3oz for a women's 7.
The outsole features a high amount of rubber coverage in the rearfoot and forefoot, with the midfoot primarily being exposed midsole. I have 30 miles on my pair and there is almost no visible wear, even on the sections of exposed midsole. I have tested the shoe on wet roads and had no traction issues. I would expect average durability from the shoe, based on the past performance of ZipFoam in other Topo shoes, which seems to last around 300 miles for me.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
Andrea: The Topo Athletic Fli-Lyte 6 is a neutral shoe without any significant guidance features. It is a low stack, 3mm drop shoe with a moderately flexible platform. These features will place higher demands on the calf, ankle, and foot and runners need to acclimate to a shoe like this appropriately. The shoe does feature a small posteriolateral heel bevel and Topo's typical later forefoot rocker and moderate toe spring, which provide a small amount of guidance into forward motion, but is relatively unnoticeable when running in the shoe. While there is a small amount of balanced sole flare in the rearfoot and forefoot, the midfoot is on the narrower side, particularly for a Topo. The shoe does feature Topo's medial midfoot sidewall, but I did not find it particularly noticeable. The Fli-Lyte 6 is definitely a neutral shoe that will not work for those with significant stability needs.
Thoughts as a DPT: Topo Fli-Lyte 6: An Endangered Species
By Andrea Myers
There are very few shoes like the Topo Fli-Lyte 6 available here in 2025. It seems like every lower stack shoe that I like has gotten the maximal treatment this year and it is hard to find many shoes that have a stack height below 30mm. I have been running since age 4 and started racing on the track in spikes as soon as my feet were big enough to fit in a pair. This likely shapes my shoe preferences, as I did not start running in the modern shoe era of maximal stack heights and bouncy foams. As more and more of the shoes that I receive for testing have stack heights in the >40mm range, I find myself reaching for lower stack shoes like the Fli-Lyte 6 whenever I can to feel the ground and enjoy a shoe that does not propel me forward with every step. There are quite a few 0 drop shoes that have low stack heights, but not many shoes with moderate (2-6mm) drop and low stack height. For runners like myself who prefer lower stack, lower drop shoes (but not 0 drop shoes), here is a list of currently available shoes that fall into this category, which I will define as having a heel stack of 30mm or less and a drop of 6mm or less, but not 0mm.
Daily Trainers/Performance Trainers:
Altra Experience Form (30/26)
Topo Cyclone 3 (28/23)
Topo Ultrafly 5 (30/25)
Saucony Kinvara 16 (28/24)
Skechers Go Run Razor 5 (30/26)
Racing Flats:
Saucony Sinister (25/19)
Nike Streakfly 2 (26/22)
If I have missed any, please let me know! Hopefully this is helpful for those of you looking for shoes like the Fli-Lyte 6.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Andrea: I have greatly enjoyed testing the Fli-Lyte 6 and am really impressed with the shoe as a neutral, low stack and drop daily trainer. I applaud Topo for continuing to make shoes like this and the ST-5, while most other shoe companies are applying the maximal treatment to most of their shoes. I am very pleased with the fit and ride of the Fli-Lyte 6. My only recommendation would be if Topo wants to make a shoe that will work for a greater number of runner, to increase the drop to 5mm instead of keeping it at 3mm, which would reduce the demands on the calf, foot, and ankle.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
Andrea: The Topo Fli-Lyte 6 is a great option for runners who prefer a low stack, low drop, lightweight daily trainer that can also handle faster paces. It is getting harder and harder to find shoes like the Fli-Lyte 6, with its 23mm/20mm stack and natural ride. This shoe is highly reminiscent of the original Saucony Kinvara for me, but with a more comfortable toe box fit. The shoe definitely feels like a 3mm drop shoe and those who are not accustomed to running in low drop shoes should proceed with caution due to the higher demand on the foot and ankle. At $125, it is an incredible deal when it seems the current going price for a daily trainer is $140-150.
GRADES
Andrea
Fit: A+ (fits TTS, has Topo's anatomical toe box, thin mesh upper disappears on foot)
Performance: A (A shoe that gets out of the way and lets you do the work. Sufficient underfoot protection but plenty of ground feel, firmer but responsive ZipFoam, and performs well at a variety of paces. Light weight and comfortable.)
Stability: [neutral] C (A truly neutral shoe that will not work for those with significant stability needs due to low drop, narrow midfoot, and muted forefoot rocker)
Value: A (There aren't many quality shoes available for $125 in 2025. This shoe is an incredible value.)
Personal: A+ (My favorite daily trainer of 2025 so far.)
Overall Design: A
SHOP | SUPPORT DORTopo Athletic Fli-Lyte 6Price: $125 at Running Warehouse (coming soon)
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FURTHER READING
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