By: Blake Harris
I initially bought the Zephyr as more of an everyday lightweight trainer or a go-to shoe for workouts on long run day. What I got was a model that is at it’s best when you’re moving FAST. I remember my first workout with this shoe careening through the night down Spy Run Avenue feeling absolutely invincible. The Zephyr is Topo’s first foray into the plate game. While it isn’t a carbon plate shoe it does utilize an elastomer (elastic/polymer) plate to achieve a similar effect. What’s nice about the Zephyr is it’s lack of that characteristic smush that you find in the heel of many plate racing shoes on the market today. While that extra cushion is nice for the Marathon it can feel like a little much at the local 5k. The Zephyr carves out a niche right there. Responsive like the racing flats you grew up with but springy and efficient to compete with the growing plate shoe market. I would have no issue running this shoe from a 5k to a half or on any tempo day.
