Hoka shoes

I was wondering if anyone uses the Hoka shoes or other super cushioned shoes, and if so, what is your impression?

JohnP wrote:I was wondering if anyone uses the Hoka shoes or other super cushioned shoes, and if so, what is your impression?

Squishy.

(Sorry, couldn't resist. Kidding aside, I know a number of very good runners who are quite fond of them.)

Charles runs in them.

nope.

From the super-cushioned shoes, I used to run in NB 993's and Nike Vomero's.  Very cushy and about 14 ounces.  After 8 years of cush, my ankle revolted because the drop was too great.  Now, I'm in Saucony Kinvara and cannot even wear Vomero's as a casual shoe without my ankle getting pissed.  I had two new pairs of Vomero's, when my ankle revolted.

ounce wrote:From the super-cushioned shoes, I used to run in NB 993's and Nike Vomero's.  Very cushy and about 14 ounces.  After 8 years of cush, my ankle revolted because the drop was too great.  Now, I'm in Saucony Kinvara and cannot even wear Vomero's as a casual shoe without my ankle getting pissed.  I had two new pairs of Vomero's, when my ankle revolted.

Ounce, are we talking the same thing? The Hoka's are about 8 oz and have zero drop I thought.

JohnP wrote:

ounce wrote:From the super-cushioned shoes, I used to run in NB 993's and Nike Vomero's.  Very cushy and about 14 ounces.  After 8 years of cush, my ankle revolted because the drop was too great.  Now, I'm in Saucony Kinvara and cannot even wear Vomero's as a casual shoe without my ankle getting pissed.  I had two new pairs of Vomero's, when my ankle revolted.

Ounce, are we talking the same thing? The Hoka's are about 8 oz and have zero drop I thought.

The Vomeros are a totally different beast than Hokas. I do think Hokas tend to be zero drop (or maybe 4 mm drop), but they are very light. Their stack height is immense, but I haven't heard many complaints about people torquing their ankle wearing them. That might be because they tend to encourage a more mid-foot to forefoot landing, maybe. Vomeros are very much designed with heel strikers in mind.

I've been running in Hoka's exclusively for over a year now.

When I started running several years ago I ran in normal cushioned running shoes like the Vomero, Sinisters, Nike Zoom equipped shoes, etc... I gradually went to lighter and less cushioned shoes and raced my marathons in racing flats (Brooks T5 racers, Nike Lunar racers or Spira Stingers, etc.). I used to love love love the Kinvara 2's but I ended up sending back a pair of the Kinvara 3's. I even took part in the minimalist movement and ran in shoes such as the NB minimus and zero drop shoes like the original Altra Instincts. Some point along the line my ankles really started to bother me. My feet and ankles became my limiting factor and I started looking for relief.

I purchased my first pair of Hoka's back in December of 2012. They really provided the relief so that I could run comfortably. I haven't purchased anything but Hoka's ever since that point in time. I've been through a couple pairs of Bondi B's (over 500 miles), Mafate's, Stinson Trails (over 700 miles), Stinson ATR, Rapa Nui 2 (over 500 miles and still going) and ended up sending back a pair of the Huaka's. I think I received a defective pair of Huaka's that had a problem with some rough material that rubbed my feet wrong. Hoka's have become my main go to shoe and I'm not sure where I would be without them. The Hoka Rapa Nui 2 is my trail shoe of choice right now. It is cushioned but not to the extent of the other Hoka shoes and it is a bit more nimble than the others. Deep down I always have the desire to go to lighter shoes. Anyway, I would like to try the Clifton's and maybe another pair of Huaka's but for now the Rapa Nui 2 is my shoe.

I find that they all fit differently and if you're looking to purchase a pair that you should try to find out which one suite you best. The main factors to consider are shoe weight, foot volume, amount of cushion and of course your primary running surface.

Tim is more up on the newer models than I am.
I have been using Hoka Bondi B and Stinson Evo models for a couple of years and I love them.
The much wider platform helps keep me from rolling ankle so much.
They are cushy, but not marshmallows.

At my recent 24-hour race I wore my trusty Brooks Cascadias for 30 miles, then I switched to my Stinson Evos as a treat to myself.
Other racers do that too, but I have done long training runs and races in nothing but Hokas.
They work for me.

I must admit that I did not know what Hokas look like, so I looked them up. Holy cow those things are thick and have a hefty price tag. Do they last longer than most training shoes?

I am getting triple the miles and I never pay full price - I look for sales or buy them off Ebay.
Some people buy them, run a few miles and sell them.
I have gotten great deals.

There are actually a fair number of shoes out there that are in the same price range or higher.
Having said that - there are always sales somewhere.

I know they look so thick, but once on, I do not really notice it.
The design - with the stripes - make them look a bit thicker than they are.
There are newer models that are a little less cushioned - Tim can speak to that.

Mark B wrote:

JohnP wrote:

ounce wrote:From the super-cushioned shoes, I used to run in NB 993's and Nike Vomero's.  Very cushy and about 14 ounces.  After 8 years of cush, my ankle revolted because the drop was too great.  Now, I'm in Saucony Kinvara and cannot even wear Vomero's as a casual shoe without my ankle getting pissed.  I had two new pairs of Vomero's, when my ankle revolted.

Ounce, are we talking the same thing? The Hoka's are about 8 oz and have zero drop I thought.

The Vomeros are a totally different beast than Hokas. I do think Hokas tend to be zero drop (or maybe 4 mm drop), but they are very light. Their stack height is immense, but I haven't heard many complaints about people torquing their ankle wearing them. That might be because they tend to encourage a more mid-foot to forefoot landing, maybe. Vomeros are very much designed with heel strikers in mind.

The question named "or other super cushioned shoes".  And Vomeros are super cushioned.

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:

JohnP wrote:

ounce wrote:From the super-cushioned shoes, I used to run in NB 993's and Nike Vomero's.  Very cushy and about 14 ounces.  After 8 years of cush, my ankle revolted because the drop was too great.  Now, I'm in Saucony Kinvara and cannot even wear Vomero's as a casual shoe without my ankle getting pissed.  I had two new pairs of Vomero's, when my ankle revolted.

Ounce, are we talking the same thing? The Hoka's are about 8 oz and have zero drop I thought.

The Vomeros are a totally different beast than Hokas. I do think Hokas tend to be zero drop (or maybe 4 mm drop), but they are very light. Their stack height is immense, but I haven't heard many complaints about people torquing their ankle wearing them. That might be because they tend to encourage a more mid-foot to forefoot landing, maybe. Vomeros are very much designed with heel strikers in mind.

The question named "or other super cushioned shoes".  And Vomeros are super cushioned.

Yes, they most assuredly are. When the marketers use the term "plush" to describe the ride (not to mention a whopping 12 mm heel-to-toe drop), you know you're going to have issues with proprioception and stability. (From what I hear, Hokas seem to avoid this problem somehow, though I have a hard time believing it.)

Nick Morris wrote:I must admit that I did not know what Hokas look like, so I looked them up.  Holy cow those things are thick and have a hefty price tag.  Do they last longer than most training shoes?

Yes, some are super thick and I used to think they looked like clown shoes. Now I don't think they look quite so bad and with their 8 and 9 ounce versions I think they're breaking into other markets beyond the super plush rides.

I just purchased a pair of Rapa Nui 2's at running warehouse for 67.00. If you're interested they have Stinson and Rapa Nui 2 tarmacs (Road) shoes and others on sale and with fb15d coupon code you can get an additional 15% off of their sale price.

http://www.runningwarehouse.com/catpage-HOKAM.html

Yes, I just saw the 50% off sale at RunningWarehouse.

One question: I use mile stability shoes mostly (e.g., ASICS DS Trainer). At the same time, I run on cement/asphalt almost all the time so the extra cushioning is attractive. I noticed that the Hokas are pure neutral shoes so I'm wondering if losing the stability would hurt me some over time.

JohnP wrote:Yes, I just saw the 50% off sale at RunningWarehouse.

One question: I use mile stability shoes mostly (e.g., ASICS DS Trainer). At the same time, I run on cement/asphalt almost all the time so the extra cushioning is attractive. I noticed that the Hokas are pure neutral shoes so I'm wondering if losing the stability would hurt me some over time.

John, I don't really know how your body would respond over time. I always run in neutral shoes so hopefully someone else can answer that one.

charles.moman wrote:I am getting triple the miles and I never pay full price - I look for sales or buy them off Ebay.
Some people buy them, run a few miles and sell them.
I have gotten great deals.

There are actually a fair number of shoes out there that are in the same price range or higher.
Having said that - there are always sales somewhere.

I know they look so thick, but once on, I do not really notice it.
The design - with the stripes - make them look a bit thicker than they are.
There are newer models that are a little less cushioned - Tim can speak to that.

T Miller wrote:

Nick Morris wrote:I must admit that I did not know what Hokas look like, so I looked them up.  Holy cow those things are thick and have a hefty price tag.  Do they last longer than most training shoes?

Yes, some are super thick and I used to think they looked like clown shoes.  Now I don't think they look quite so bad and with their 8 and 9 ounce versions I think they're breaking into other markets beyond the super plush rides.

I just purchased a pair of Rapa Nui 2's at running warehouse for 67.00.  If you're interested they have Stinson and Rapa Nui 2 tarmacs (Road) shoes and others on sale and with fb15d coupon code you can get an additional 15% off of their sale price.

http://www.runningwarehouse.com/catpage-HOKAM.html

Thanks for the clarification/information...

I have a pair of Cliftons in my rotation.
Great Shoe. 
Light, fairly good at high tempo running, but it is still very cushioned, so it is limited in-terms of speed.
Very cushioned.

T Miller wrote:

JohnP wrote:Yes, I just saw the 50% off sale at RunningWarehouse.

One question: I use mile stability shoes mostly (e.g., ASICS DS Trainer). At the same time, I run on cement/asphalt almost all the time so the extra cushioning is attractive. I noticed that the Hokas are pure neutral shoes so I'm wondering if losing the stability would hurt me some over time.

John, I don't really know how your body would respond over time.  I always run in neutral shoes so hopefully someone else can answer that one.

It's hard to say for sure whether going from a stability shoe to a neutral shoe would cause you problems, John. But I used to run in stability shoes but transitioned to neutral and found that I actually hurt myself less.

Also, if you liked the neutral shoe but felt you needed a bit more control, there's always the option of putting in a Superfeet insole or something like it to give you greater arch support.

John, I've always had issues any time I've tried to move away from a stability shoe. But that's just me. If you want to do it consider doing it gradually. A couple of times per week to start and gradually move towards all your training.

All, thanks for the valuable input provided. Not sure what I'm going to do but will probably get a pair and, as suggested, use them a few times a week for a while to see how they work out.

JohnP wrote:All, thanks for the valuable input provided. Not sure what I'm going to do but will probably get a pair and, as suggested, use them a few times a week for a while to see how they work out.

If you want to go neutral from the DS Trainer (which is my main shoe), I'd suggest going somewhere that can fit you for orthotics.  They do sell some off the rack that aren't terribly expensive, but it can get pricy if you have to get something custom.  I've had an issue with PF flare ups when I try to go to a neutral shoe.

I got a pair of Hoka Huakas and I like the lightweight, cushion, and toe box. These are the first shoes that don't seem to blister me. BUT, they are a low profile shoe, just 4mm heel to toe drop, and I am having a hard time getting used to that. They feel weird to me and I can't go real long in them yet without having to do a lot of calf stretching. I'm breaking them in slowly.

I'm intrigued by them, particularly the cliftons since they're light weight, and debating trying them, but not sure how they'd be on a treadmill with the shape of the sole.  I have to say, I wish I could find a really small men's one.  The women's models I think are even more hokey-looking.