The Best HOKA Running Shoes
The Best HOKA Running Shoes
If you have been running for any period, you have probably heard of HOKA. They’re no doubt a household name in the running scene with an incredibly loyal fan base. What may surprise you, however, is the fact that the brand has only been in existence since 2009.
A Brief History
Founded by Nicolas Mermoud and Jean-Luc Diard in Annecy, France, from their desire to craft a shoe more capable of running downhill, the original prototypes featured significantly oversized outsoles and more midsole foam than other traditional running shoes of the era.
At first, HOKA gained traction with the ultra-running crowd due to the maximalist cushioning and impressive stability characteristics. Before long, the brand was embraced by runners of all colours and creeds, and with the famed release of the original Clifton 1 in 2014, popularity skyrocketed. Over a decade later, HOKA shows no signs of stopping.
Which HOKA Shoe is Right for You?
From everyday miles to race day to the wildest off-road adventures, there’s a HOKA shoe to fill a gap in anyone’s running shoe rotation.
Road Running Shoes
Boasting incredible versatility, the new Mach can work as a daily trainer or a race day speed machine, thanks to its lightweight, durable and immensely responsive ride.
A lighter, bouncier and more responsive supercritical foam midsole, combined with an early-stage meta-rocker, gives a massive feeling of forward momentum for everyday speed.
Deep cushioning, low weight and a super smooth transfer from landing to toe-off remain the essential ingredients of the Clifton. In fact, over the years it has only become lighter and livelier.
Less weight, more energy return and improved cushioning give a more versatile performance, making the traditional pavement pounder suited to faster training as well as the comfortable, cushioned long runs it’s known for.
Offering maximum cushioning and comfort, the Bondi has long been loved for the extra help it gives your legs over long runs.
Upgraded to offer even deeper cushioning and to use lighter, springier, supercritical foam, the Bondi has not only got better at soaking up the miles, but has found a touch of extra speed, making it a more versatile shoe suited to a range of different runs.
Named after the world-famous surf spot in California, the Rincon originally debuted as an incredibly lightweight daily trainer, more than capable of picking up the pace when commanded to do so.
Upgraded in every department, it maintains the softness and speed it’s known for, but takes on a more accommodating fit and an extra 3mm of dual-density cushioning underfoot.
The Rincon may not soak up the same quantity of mileage as its bigger Clifton sibling, but the ride is smooth as butter while it holds up.
Carbon-Plated Shoes
Massive amounts of cushioning, a carbon plate and a protected, bouncy feel give the Skyward X speed and fun in equal measure. Too heavy to be the race day choice of the elite, this is a durable daily trainer with the kind of tech you get from the fastest race shoes.
Ideal for fast training, long runs, daily training and recovery runs, it features a lightweight and responsive PEBA layer of foam on top of the updated convex carbon plate, with a slightly firmer supercritical foam below to help keep you supported.
Taking the versatile speed of the Mach and adding a winged carbon plate turns it into a true super trainer, with electric speed and everyday durability. HOKA has also upgraded the foam above the plate to use the PEBA foam found in its race shoes.
Extra stability comes from the winged plate, while the upper delivers long-run comfort with a refined collar, softer tongue and breathable feel.
HOKA’s elite racing shoe for the marathon distance, the Cielo X is gaining rave reviews for its highly cushioned and rockered feel that has you rolling from stride to stride with a smooth, effortless stride.
A full PEBA foam midsole with a new carbon plate design gives incredible speed and lightness, as well as a highly cushioned feel. The forefoot rocker has been moved backwards for a more aggressive, faster feel, while the new lightweight upper has improved fit and breathability.
It even features a sticky rubber outsole, giving you confidence as well as speed, ready for you to lace up and chase a new PB.
The Rocket X is less extreme than the Cielo, which makes it both more versatile and suited to more different types of runners.
Like the Cielo X1, it uses high-quality PEBA foam sandwiching a carbon plate, winged in the Rocket X, but it’s the way these elements are put together that delivers a more controlled, still incredibly fast shoe that may suit runners who haven’t broken into the elite category yet.
Structured Road Running Shoes
Both structured shoes in the HOKA line-up use the same unobtrusive H-Frame design to offer structured support. The Arahi is the lightweight option, with a narrower fit, especially at the toes and forefoot. This is a daily trainer able to up the pace when needed, and the sister shoe to the neutral Clifton.
It features a smooth transition thanks to the meta-rocker and dual-density midsole, which has recently been enhanced to make the cushioning deeper and softer, improving your comfort through every stride.
More cushioned, more stable and a touch plusher than the Arahi, the Gaviota has also been updated to have a more accommodating fit, especially through the forefoot, giving you cruising comfort for the long haul.
The sister shoe to the neutral Bondi, it uses a new, softer CMEVA foam in the midsole, which features the H-Frame stability feature to guide you towards a more efficient stride.
Trail Running Shoes
HOKA’s road-to-trail offering, the Challenger lets you run on road, parkland and trail alike. Featuring the same smooth meta-rocker feeling that HOKA shoes are famous for, it delivers easy transitions across almost any terrain. A deep compression-moulded EVA midsole delivers a responsive feeling of cushioning, while 4mm lugs offer versatile traction for wherever your run takes you.
Named for the nickname of Karl Meltzer, the man who has won more 100-mile ultra-marathons than anyone else, the Speedgoat is a trail running shoe with enough cushioning to carry you the full 100 miles, or whatever distance suits you best, with total confidence.
The latest version is more responsive and has enhanced traction, using the gold standard Vibram Megagrip outsole with 5mm lugs, giving you loads of grip across a range of off-road surfaces.
A highly technical trail shoe, the Mafate offers a more responsive ride to take you over tricky ground with confidence. The latest version has only kept the silhouette, improving on the upper, midsole and outsole to step its performance up a level.
A dual-density layered midsole provides a comfort-based soft top layer, with a responsive, energetic layer beneath, adding a touch of speed to your off-road adventures. The outsole uses Vibram Megagrip rubber for incredible traction, and a Litebase construction that saves weight thanks to its zonal build. Add in traction lugs for improved grip on loose ground, and you have super-reliable traction across any surface.
A super trainer for the trails, the Mafate X takes everything the original is known for and adds in a huge amount of powerful propulsion, giving it a fast feel ideal for ultra races, fast training and long runs off-road.
Like the original, it uses a dual layer of foam, but by using a firmer EVA carrier below the plate and a softer, lighter and more responsive PEBA foam above it, HOKA has enhanced the feeling of speed and propulsion well beyond what the plate alone could manage.
Their pinnacle race day trail shoe, the Tecton features two carbon plates running in parallel with each other, much like the tectonic plates the shoe is named after. It uses dual densities of HOKA’s fastest PEBA foam to help cushion and propel you forward, making it ideal for long distances over tough terrain.
A hydrophobic upper features the built-in gaiter you see at the ankle, while in the outsole a Vibram Litebase outsole delivers traction without excess weight.