I am pretty much reliant on these 3 brands going forward with my choice of maximal cushioning shoes these days. Personally I can't get enough of stack height & would always go for the thickest I can find.
For HOKAs I will need to be extra careful with selecting the widest fit - so far the STINSON ATR 5 is a very nice fit and I would base that as my reference for future HOKA shoes. All my previous experience had landed me in narrow-ish shoes (not as narrow as Salomon).
With ALTRA the fit is very good now that I have nailed the correct sizing for shoe. I have little complaints about Olympus 3.5 and look forward to getting a good deal on the 4.0.
With TOPO I would say they have nailed the toebox design (for me at least) in terms of perfect snug for wider feet. And their shoes seems to be lighter in general vs HOKAs and ALTRA without compromising materials and design too much. I am excited to see them going thicker with Phantom2 going to 33m and Ultraventure2 sitting on 35mm stack and I can't wait to see more of their shoes heading that way.
Hoka Stinston ATR 5 - stack 39mm, 348g (US 9)
Pros
- Perfect & comfy fit for wider feet
- Wide midsole - stable for trail
- Durable upper & overlays - built like a tank
- Not Vibram outsole
- Heavy & burly
Altra Olympus 3.5 - stack 33mm, 326g (US9)
Pros
- Perfect & comfy fit for wider feet
- Wide & comfy midsole - stable for trail
- Durable upper & overlays
- Vibram outsole
- Toebox might be too spacious (for some people)
Topo Phantom - stack 30mm, 289g (US9)
Pros
- Perfect & comfy fit for wider feet
- Durable upper & overlays
- Toebox is spacious yet snug
- (Personal pref) 30mm does not feel enough for road
