Would really love to see you try a "regular" pair of Hokas as comparison. The price and Hubble thing are absurd compared to their other models, but Hoka One One makes excellent high-mileage running shoes for road or trail, and the flexibility and lightness of these are really designed with speed in mind.
I've got both the Bondi 7 and Clifton 7, and for what I paid, I would expect more. There's no proprietary foam, no tech, just a slab of foam. While it IS soft and comfortable, my concern was addressed precisely and exactly...they bottom out quickly and are disposable, especially when you consider that the main reason you bought them was for that stack and softness to begin with. That midsole only lasts a few months before they bottom out.
I bought my first pair of Hokas last year. Wore them a year straight sometimes 7 days a week all day. I can still wear them. They don't look like they will last but they do. Best and most comfortable shoes I have owned.
"I'll cut them in half, and then a waterproof test, and then I'll take them hiking..." I am disappointed that you did not go hiking in boots that were cut in half (as promised). Aside from this quibble, thank you for the outstanding review
I think it would be cool to do some military standard issue boots and some after market ones that are regulation. Service members have always had to develop innovative ways to make they more comfortable.
They had started giving recruits RAT boots, but so many ended up breaking their toes from those boots, that they had to stop 😩😂 that was 2015, they no longer try to give them out to everyone. They’re clearly made for sandier terrain. Which didn’t go over well with the swampy parris island landscape. It’d be cool to see, despite already having seen what they’re made of when someone ran through them 🤣
I was going to suggest this! Great idea for a video, I agree. I've got some Danner Marine Expeditionary boots, super comfortable, but no idea how good the build is. I'd love to see how they compare to other military issue boots around the world or from NATO members??
Even in the 90’s we had 3 pairs of boots. Issued dress/inspection boots, issued jungle boots,or similar regulation aftermarket boots, then what we actually wore in the field, a good solid legit hiking boot. My dress boots sucked they were horrible, only wore them when absolutely had to. My jungle boots were comfy but not supportive enough for our loads. They actually caused a lot of injuries, I personally fractured my ankle in boot camp, and completed the grim reaper that way with an ankle brace. In the field I wore a great pair of Solomons, spray painted black to keep the chicken shit away. Our skipper didn’t care, we didn’t get injured, we were effective, and able to do our job.
@@-MaryPoppins- I wore a pair of old green jungles to run a CFT just for SnG. Fricking hurt my feet. I forgot how little cushioning they had compared to Bates etc.
@@c3aloha they were horrible, especially when not broken in or broken in wrong. Idk what idiot made the decision to switch, but we didn’t even make it a full cycle before everyone was back in the bates 😩🤣 girls going to medical for broken toes, coming back with a prescription for “NOT THOSE BOOTS” 💀
You'd be surprised how durable the midsoles are. Their running shoes last well into the 1000 mile range. Ultra marathoners are known to use Hoka's for their 100+ mile races.
I have planters foot, this boot significantly reduces the pain. I only wear them when I'm doing lawn work. I've been on my roof cleaning gutters and have driven wearing the boot. I haven't experienced any issues while doing those activities. To be honest, I wasn't aware there was a disclaimer about using stairs and driving. The boot is expensive but priceless to me because of my planters foot.
I’ve used these for the past few months for trail running here in the Ozark hills. They work really really well for what they are for. The heel is meant to keep you stable on the trail with small petty rocks and other bs you can trip on. I’ve tested this myself and it works really well. These are for trail running
Good info. This "review" is a bit out of touch from their intended design - comparing Hokas to heavily built welted boots when they are a (relatively) lightweight performance shoe.
Maybe the "don't walk on stairs" advisory is due to the flared heel, which could be a hazard especially when going down a flight of stairs because that bulky heel may cause the wearer to misjudge where to place the foot. But when out on the trails, it looks like it's comfy and grippy enough
That's absurd though. A shoe for boot that limits your ability or move and manouver??? In what way is that beneficial?? If it can make you fall down stairs , it can make you fall on the trail.
I have these Hoka’s and used them recently for a 30 mile, 3 day backpack through Devil’s Thumb Loop in CO. They were fantastic at reducing foot fatigue and blisters. Really happy with how they performed. Very comfortable as they reduce impact on your joints by a huge margin. I was using Oboz hiking boots before and these are far and wide better in almost every category.
Do they work well on a steep downhill part of the hike? I imagine going uphill you wouldn't really notice a difference in terms of the back part of the sole. But going downhill you rely on your heels a lot and I'm curious how it would affect your step?
@@therealdeal3672 I mean the boot that is covered in this vid was originally a running shoe made for the 10th anniversary from Hoka and it was designed for ultras and huge descents. They are incredibly comfy and I use them for work and approach shoes for climbing :)
@@therealdeal3672 Probably should say I’ve had mine since the week they came out and LOVE them. Super weird looking shoe, and you get bullied for the first month of wearing them.
I went from Merrell Moab to the Hoka Anacaba. The difference is day and night. I have a flat foot and even though the Merrell give me a bit more stability, my feet were sore every time I went on a trek. The Hoka saved my feet. I can go for miles without feeling that foot fatigue as early as I would with my previous shoes. Yeah they look kind of goofy, but I stand by them. Made me enjoy the outdoors so much more. I would say I'm kind of a novice hiker, and these were great to get me motivated. Maybe I'll transition at some point but so far my feet are happy.
I would recommend doing a bit of research into proper striking technique. I wear a pair of astral loyaks for all sorts of serious hikes in Montana and never have any pain. The issue is almost never the footwear but walking technique and foot strength
Shoes like these are very common in the ultralight hiker and ultra marathon worlds. I use a similar brand Altra as a trail running, hiking, and some backpacking shoe. They are absolutely a consumable. I typically get a pair on sale around $100 knowing I’m going to get from 500-1000 miles out of them. They really help with foot fatigue on consecutive high mileage days.
People who use shoes like this in the montains typically get less than 100 miles (not the shoes from the video, you'd probably kill yourself with those ridiculous heels before you'd reach 100 miles).
The Finnish military recently upgraded their leather military boots Jalas sa m05 and are basically leather and rubber. Could be interesting to check out
I bought my first pair of Hoka shoes (Clifton, wide option) this year and as soon as i took 5 steps i decided ill never buy another brand for walking/running. Without a doubt the most comfortable shoe for outdoor straightforward activities. Would i go hunting with it or climb the Mount Everest - no lol, there are boots that are made for hard core terrain, and Hokas aren't even meant for that. Long hiking, long walks, long runs on city streets yes yes yes. There is a series for harder terrain too, but i haven't tried those. Also i would recommend the Clifton wide ones for people with metatarsal pain in the sole.
You gotta try all the brands to find one that fits your feet, because every foots different but most asics suit my profile, thin long foot, I havnt tried hokas but not after a high performance sneaker either, asics nandi hi was on sale brought one pair then brought another in a different colourway, and you get them in gortex but in Australia don't need it and there double the cost
@@pineapplesideways3820 I've bought just about every type of shoes out there and I've yet to find a pair that more comfortable than my Hoka One One Bondi 7. I've got Nike Zoom Pegasus 37, 38, Epic React Flynit 2, Adidas Ultraboost S&L & 21, New Balance 1080v10, Brooks Glycerin, Asics Novablast, 360 and Kayano 27 along with others that I buy simply for looks and not necessarily comfort. If you're looking for comfortable shoes, it's really hard to beat Hokas and that's basically what they do. Their shoes were originally intended for runners who couldn't run anymore because of knee, ankle and other joint pains prevented them from running. I started wearing Hokas about two years ago because of foot pain / fatigue. Now, I can walk 10 - 20 plus miles, on concrete, for upwards of 10 hours a day and my feet are pain free. Today, I walked 26,837 steps and 28,847 steps the previous day and my feet are pain free. I only wear them for work as I'm not walking on concrete for 10 hours a day when I'm out and about.
@@saysoun752 yeah but I only know the shoes I wore doing triathlons in the early 90s, and wore reebok for basketball and asics for running Nike Jordans rolled my ankle heaps in, Nike maxes too heavy, Nike pegasus 89 were and still are great just for walkers, brooks people wore, saucony new balance. Mizuno also I like even the new wave models but hoka don't know maybe try a few pairs on
I have tried to use Hokas for a while in my work, I love the way they feel, Hate the instability of that much foam, and cactus needles go right through.
Oh man! I had a pointed tip of a yucca plant go through the side of mine, didnt pull the broken point out of my foot for about two weeks later when it got slightly infected and my foot spit it out.
Yeah, that cactus needles going right through thing is a negative for me. And the yucca, too! Yay for leather and actually protective materials! But what you doing stepping on cactus needles?
Appreciate the consumable versus tool observation…. I own their Bondi Sr”s and their Mafate speed runners and without question they are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn! I will be ordering these 10 9”s in a week (been a customer since 2013). Oh and great vid!
It would be cool if you did a series on the different brands for mountaineering boots(ex. Scarpa, La Sportiva, Lowa etc.)now that it’s getting close to fall/winter, more cold time of year
@@gooby1945 We wear shoes to protect our feet. As for our running, our bodies are designed to move in a specific way, so any unnatural running technique can and will screw up your spine, legs, and feet.
I have had the Clifton 6, 7 and 8, it might not be the most durable shoes but they are so comfortable, in my work I often stand up 8 to 10 hours a day, I used to have a lot of pain in my feet and legs but after I started wearing Cliftons I haven't had any problems. And they are good for running too ;)
I’ve used normal Hoka’s and liked them, I credit them with helping save my foot from a limp after breaking a bone in my midfoot/ankle (forgot the name, it took forever to heal because it was mis-diagnosed as a sprain for months.) I used them as an intermediate step to transition from an air cast back to street shoes, because the foam eased a lot of pressure on the bone.
I have been a marathoner for a while now. I had a unrelated foot injury that messed my ability to train up. Hokas let me train as I was before without injury. The cliftons are more normal looking and provide a ton of support and stability. They were created by an Ironman triathlete in his 40’s. I’m on my 5th pair and they haven’t let me down yet.
When i bought my first pair, i thought i wasted money...but then i put them on and... Ill never buy another brand lol. Also helped me a lot with my Achilles and metatarsal injuries. They are simply top stuff.
@@ludwigvonn9889 destroyed Achilles and plantar. Subtalar bruise fracture that needs to heal on the heel lol. These soles would help I assume.. should arch and toes not be more evenly supported however?
Had bought Altra trail runners when they first came out, for the wide toe box and zero drop. But. They also had (and have) an extended heel stub. Not a big butt, but a large extension. Which trips your foot when going down staircases. After calling Altra, they confirmed it was a known issue and suggested just cutting them off. Which works just great, and beats breaking your neck falling down staircases.
I have a pair of Nike's with an extended heel. Never gave stairs a second thought until I walked down some in those shoes. I've evolved to walk down stairs at an angle when wearing them. Not ideal but I love them otherwise.
I'm a maintenance man, and I can tell you Hokas are perfect for an indoor worker with a very active job. If they had synthetic toes in there it would be great for factory work on concrete floors. Great shoes, but I agree. For outdoors I am going to be wearing traditional boots. Add a customized insole if I have foot problems.
They're designed for downhill running. On regular, flatter terrain, they'd work against you unless you're a heel striker which unfortunately many runners are. If you wanna look at a leather running shoe, Softstar, a barefoot shoes company makes them, but they're very minimalist so it'd basically going to be a goodyear welt on a slab of letter and rubber.
That makes sense. I really like my zero-drop, minimalist running shoes, but downhills do sometimes feel like they'd be easier if were backpedaling haha.
Softstar are definitely not a goodyear welt. there is no welt. it's basically just leather insole stitched to a upper and a glued outsole. I like them as minimal workout shoe or casual shoe. all made in usa though so pretty cool. Really minimal though, first time you step on a piece of gravel you'll know.
As a runner who always had trouble with heel striking, i loved downhills because you just landed on the forefoot and propel yourself another 10 feet. Of course uphill is easy too since you dont need to touch your heel. It’s the miles on flat ground that got difficult for me.
@@benjammin8510 Did you un-learn the heel striking? i also had this problem and didnt really know why my feet and legs hurt, but i read Born to run and tried the forefoot running tecnique, now there is no more pain no matter how mani km i put in every week.
love your channel, really informative stuff. most of the shoe / boot buying public isnt aware of how footwear is made, its great that your educating people so they can make informed decisions. one note however that ive noticed on several of your videos, therr is a difference between cemented and direct moulded. the cutaway you showed was clearly direct moulded, you can tell by how the sole conforms to the shape of the upper, this means it was moulded directly onto the upper instead of being moulded seperately and then glued. dms is a generally better construction method than cemented, altho both can be done poorly or decently. all of these heel gimmics are needed to compensate for people heel striking and over striding when they walk / run. the achillies tendon is a shock absorber, when we bang our heels on the ground it totally negates this function and leads to all sorts of problems. do yourself a favor and reserch barefoot walking, forefoot striking, and fox walking.
I ran across this video probably because I’m a big Hoka One One fan. I think your criticism is based on comparing this boot to yours needs rather than what they are meant for. Let me try to explain: 1. Hoka boots and shoes are really developed for long-distance trail running and hiking. They’re not meant for working, because you’re right, they probably will wear out fast. 2. The type of hikers who buy these boots (but more frequently, Hoka’s trail running shoes) may hike 20-40 miles per day. So the boots have got to be light, the soles must have a lot of traction, and there must be protection against rocks and pebbles on the trial. 3. Lightness matters. Leather boots are just much heavier than synthetic materials. I see you wear the Nicks boots for hiking when you were deer hunting. But you probably aren’t putting on 100-150 miles per week, so you might not notice an extra pound. But long distance runners and hikers worry about every single gram on their clothing, shoes, backpack, food, etc. 4. Break in time matters. Hikers that do the Pacific Crest trail, from Mexico to Canada, go through 4-5 trail running shoes (they don’t wear boots, too heavy). The shoes generally wear out after 500-600 miles, and they send themselves a new pair of the exact same shoes. Break-in is just not acceptable. 5. Cushioning matters because of the mileage. Leather boots just don’t have that high level of cushioning. 6. We all replace our insoles with other products. And we all have or favorites. And Hoka and similar trail shoe companies know this. 7. Re-soling is not something we care about. I wish that we could do it, but it’s just disposable. When I wear out a pair of Hoka boots or trail running shoes, I just wash them and contribute them to Goodwill. Usually the uppers are perfect, but the sole is pretty much destroyed. Even Vibrams can’t put up with the trails that I do. I do own a pair of Lowa full leather upper boots. I only wear them when I have an extremely heavy pack which I honestly don’t do any more. They are just not as comfortable as Hokas. I agree with some of your points (and I don’t get this heel thing they’ve developed) - Hokas make a $200 boot that essentially has one life. But it’s a much more difficult life than work boots. Still, if you want to send me one of those $550 boots I just watched you rip apart, I’d be willing to see if I could hike with them. But once you said 2lbs, I thought that I’d die. Anyway, I’m commenting on a 2 month old video. you’ll probably not see this.
These are made for long distance. I’m currently wearing a pair of Hoka Speedgoats that I’ll be using in a 100 mile mountain race in two weeks. I need as much as cushion in the lightest shoe possible. These things are designed to be used for probably no more than 500 miles. For people doing runs/races like this they are very much considered a tool.
@@IanRamonI completed 54 of the 100 miles and got around 16,000 feet of elevation gain. I went in with a right hip injury and IT band problems. The hip did fine but both IT bands basically seized up around mile 20. 🤣 I can’t wait to give it another try!
think virón shoes would be interesting to look at, they're a French company and have boots made with apple "leather", would be interesting to see how well they're built and see if they're a worthy substitute to leather
I hunt about every day of the year, about half of the time I have an eberlestock pack with over 30 lbs of gear. I only use Hokas while I hunt and Ranch ever day. The Kaha, Anacapa, and TenNine have all worked amazing for me. I will be buying the new Kaha 2 and Torras next! Great review.
I’m avid hiker and backpacker. My average load is about 30 lbs. I love keen shoes, very much a similar design, light super comfy, and generally I get the water proof versions. I mostly hike in Northern Minnesota very rocky, roomy trails, lots of elevation change, definitely not groomed like a state park. But this style works really well, minus the diaper. They give just right amount of support to where the shoe has good articulation, but pounds lighter than a traditional boot. When you are doing 20 mile days those pounds add up. The only durability issue I’ve had is that the soles do wear really fast especially when worn for dog walks every night. But on trail use I’ve never had a blowout, puncture, or tear. Boots are definitely more durable, but more overall fatiguing for long hauls. Boots will give better support for heavy loads also. But you correct in saying that this style is a consumable, they do wear out faster than say even my store bought Nikes’ in an urban environment. The grippy soles are definitely too soft for daily side walk use. The styles I usually go for are about $130. But Keen have a fantastic warranty and have replaced several pairs for me at no cost. They stand behind their products. I think the diaper is a gimmick, and the shoe is too expensive compared to similar shoes on the market. And you can get a damn fine pair of boots that are great, made in the USA for less money, like my Thorogoods.
I own these and switched to their speedgoats for my mountain hiking. But I do love the Tennines for flatter areas. I am a big guy and I want a bit more of a balanced feel on the mountains. I use their Gaviotas for my running shoe and I really wish they made a trail version of that shoe. That being said if I use these Tennines on more groomed trails I will wear myself out before my feet would ever hurt whereas my traditional hikers are really high end, but if I do a long hike my feet do feel it.
Seems like a good shoe to pack for a vacation where you know you're going to walk around a lot on tourist trails like Chichen Itza or the Parthenon or Herculaneum. Lots of walking and standing.
If you wear this around Parthenon, you should be thrown in jail for ruining Parthenon for everyone else with this eye cancer. Seriously, eff you, stay in your godless backwater with this
@@gavranarh there might be more interesting things to look at than shoes when visiting a historical landmark. You might wanna try looking at, oh i don't know, The Parthenon itself maybe?
I have experience with a few pairs of Hoka boots/shoes. They're super comfortable and lightweight. The only drawback is the sole wears out in a few months.
Hoka Bohdi's and Speedgoats have saved me. With bad ankles, knees, hip and back these shoes really extended my distance I am able to walk without pain. I was only able to walk about two miles before I'd start hurting. The day I got the Hoka's I walked 5.5 miles and still felt good until I realized I had been walking for way longer than my lunch break had allowed
You ever tried to bare foot running shoes? I got turned onto them years ago by a friend that ran ultra marathons. They take a bit of getting used to but I love them and they really helped with all my issues that are the same as you mentioned.
I've seen this boot once whilst working with a gardner/landscaper. I first thought the samr, how ridiculous but then I looked at how great he was moving thorugh the soft ground in the garden we were working... ...it looked like it was really good for that pourpose.
I bought Hoka One One running shoes last year and after 1,100 miles it’s still going strong and by far best running shoes ever, don’t know if same technology would apply to boots but they will be comfortable that’s for sure.
Your analysis of these as being made for "well groomed trails" seems spot on to me. I hike trails with rock gardens, lots of tree roots and rocks that are like stairs sometimes, and these things seem more likely to induce a fall or an ankle twist due to the badonkadonk heel design. Foot placement can be crucial and having what looks like almost 2 inches of foam hanging off the back of your heel like you put swim fins on backwards doesn't seem like it would be a good thing in any way. For the right person, trail, and activity, I'm sure they're great, but I'm not that person and I don't jog on trails that are essentially dirt sidewalks. I'll stick to my Oboz Sawtooths for day hikes and Asolo Fugitive GTXs for backpacking.
My favorite sneakers that I have ever owned were Adidas Formel 1. They too had an extended heel (though not NEARLY this ridiculous) and they are still the most comfortable pair of sneakers* I’ve ever owned. (*non-running) As designed, they were a DREAM to drive in too! Sure wish Adidas still made them!
I thought the same thing, until I was gifted the HOKA Anacapa, after hiking in Yosemite , Poland , England and now the Patagonia in Argentina. 100% worth it. There was a lot of off trail. The great part about then is their light weight for travel. No one wants to cary heavy shoes in an Airplane.
By far the best pair of running/hiking combo “boots” I’ve used. Very little foot fatigue, no aching arches. The majority of people run heel to toe, so the rear section helps out a ton.
Just say you're a traditional dude my guy. And tbh hardcore heavy leather boots aren't as comfortable and useful to a hiker as light, cushioned, synthetic material but 100% waterproof boots with great grip. With that said, I'm not particularly a fan of that heel.
@@W1ldt1m I even fail to see how these would be useful in downhill trail running scenarios, once you scoop an uneven rock on the terrain, you are going to trip. I do both trail running and hiking and I think these hokas make great landfill decoration to be honest.
I am wearing these Hokas just to walk around New York city during winter time. Makes it so comfortable to walk and reduce feet hurt at the end of the day, 6-8 mile city walking is the perfect scenario for these
One of my favorite things is how you show that you're human, and don't pretend that you know how to pronounce everything. That type of transparency may not seem like much, but it makes you come across extremely genuine and earnest.
For a heel strike walking striding running technique,it is perfect.This kind of heel increases the shoe size by 2 inches,and helps one go faster. Price is another matter. It is not advisable to wear any ankle length boot for driving,because it does not allow flexible ankle movement for pedals.
I've worn my Kaha Goretex shoes for work for over a year now. Had two jobs. First was training service dogs, so lots of walking trails, hitting the pavement, and cleaning kennels. Second was at a woodworking factory. 10 hour days on concrete staining wood. They are absolutely covered in stain. No signs of even the beginnings of failure points anywhere. I donno, man. They keep my feet from literally any fatigue when no other shoe could do it and seem durable to me. They may not be a five year shoe, but just a year of comfort at work is entirely worth the ticket price.
Hoka are well designed shoes. I don't like this model but the less wild versions such as the Speedgoat or Kahas are outstanding to hike in. There's little point in judging a 21st century boot based on old and heavy designs. "Not very durable" is inaccurate on a real trail which tends not to have anything as dangerous as bloke trying to chop your shoes in 2 with a knife. This is a boot designed for Lightness and fast hiking. It does not need to last as long as my Lowa Camino or similar leather boots. It needs to be recyclable. Also many people don't want leather shoes anymore for ethical reasons.
Honestly, I'm impressed. I still intend to wear leather because I want a long lasting boot, however if I'm ever doing a big backpacking trip in the mountains I'm down to buy some Hokas for it.
Typically Hokas are used by trail runners more than hikers. Especially big incline races where you have a lot of downhill and are on a defined trail vs. over rocks, but definitely more for a run than a typical big mountain/lotsa rocks hike situation.
One of my friends bought this shoe, and wore it at a hiking trip with a fairly heavy backpack on. And that completely ruined the boot, he said! It was never the same again, because the foam had sunk in on it self and and didn't cushion the way it should anymore. It was ruined after one trip. I guess the boot is alright at walking on easy, small trips on gravel, but not on longer hiking trips in the mountains.
I bought a pair of the HOKA Anacapa Mid GTX's before a trip to Iceland. They're basically the same as these boots here with the funky heel etc. All I can say is "greatest purchase ever". They're comfortable as hell (like walking on marshmallows) especially when walking on uneven terrain (jagged rocks, stones, sticks, roots etc.). You couldn't slip even if you tried. The Vibram soles are sticky like super glue and I scaled some waterfalls and walked through creeks and mud etc. They breathe, they're relatively light but light enough that you don't fatigue from wearing them for 16hrs a day. I would recommend these in a heartbeat for anyone interested in a quality hiking boot.
If you think about impact of feet heel to toe and on most regular shoes after time the heel is worn down significantly more than the rest of the shoe. The extra on the back helps keep more of the shoe heel for longer period.
I have these and I love them! I use them because I have an ankle problem, I couldnt walk trails without them. So yeah they do have a purpose for me and that is shock absorption and stability. Without these boots, I could not walk!
I had a pair! They were black w silver glitter, I called them my Darth Vader Disco Workout Booties, lol. Since they made me 2" taller (and made my feet look TINY), I wore those hideous things for almost 2yrs STRAIGHT! I walked EVERYWHERE in them! Turns out, you're not supposed to do that. You were only *supposed* to wear them 45mins a DAY. Oops! The benefits? None. None at all, but oddly, when I went back to regular shoes, I'd gone down a half size! My *toenails* grew in really weird, too. The constant downhill pressure that the angle put on my feet all the time, due to the odd shape of construction compressed my toes, and my nails grew in STRIPED!! Sketcher Shape Ups: The Modern Foot-Binding of The Early 2000's. (They were SOOO UGLY, lol! I refuse to believe that I EVER wore them un-ironically!)
@@widowrumstrypze9705 Interesting, I never had any of those problems. I found them really comfortable but a bit unwieldy. Like if I didn't pick up my feet enough the thickest part of the sole could catch on bumps on the ground.
I wear hiking boots that couldn't be more opposite. I'd worn Merrell boots for years, but after being told i had pretty significant arthritis in my right knee by an orthopedist who was a barefoot runner, she suggested switching to a minimalist or barefoot shoe. After developing knee pain in that knee that wouldn't go away even after 3 months, I purchased a pair of Xero shoes and after wearing them for 4 hours the pain was gone and now only returns when I wear a shoe with a heel. I have a pair of their Scrambler mid hikers that probably weigh about a quarter of the weight of those Hokas. My feet and arches are so strong compared to when I started wearing them and they're so light and comfortable I tend to forget I have them on.
I tried a pair of more basic Hokas for everyday wear on the advice of a foot doctor. They were pillowy soft and cushiony, but so soft that several times they nearly rolled over in what could have been an ankle sprain on uneven ground. I went the other direction to a barefoot style and never looked back. Lems is my current favorite.
Waterproofing test was a neat addition to the series. When you say no leaks, do you mean from outside to in? So that you don't get wet if you go ankle deep in these shoes?
Great video! The only thing I might add is that this particular Hokas is ridiculously expensive for a 'consumable', but it really does absorb a more shock then ANY boot I've ever wore.
The leather boots put strain on the knees and back hiking. They look more like a work boot. I can imagine wearing those leather boots would feel heavy after a couple miles.
After getting my nicks partially broken in I will never buy “consumable” shoes/boots again besides flip flops, just throwing money away. Hubblebutt LOL
@@colesisler582 yea you’re probably right I meant consumable work boots mainly. I would never buy hubblebutts tho for $250 I would get some danners or something that can be resoled if I was into hiking.
They'd be great for saving joints. A friend would try to train for marathons on a navy aircraft carrier and his knees were always "blowing out" due to the steel decking. I've had similar problems running on concrete and pavement.
Yeah dude good idea! You could totally hollow out that giant heel and save a couple joints in there! Smoke a fatty while out on the trails, hell yeah bro
@@samthesr20man you are totally wrong. It's not about technique, humans feet is just not designed to walk extensively on hard surfaces, like any other walking animals. That's why we need shoes that would soften the impact to the joints on hard surfaces.
@@kaikart123 no, the human body is actually designed to be able to run on hard surfaces though evolution. It's called running on your midfoot or toes if you prefer, it allows you to absorb any impact naturally. If you run heel striking first, you probably deserve to have blown out joints. These shoes are a have for clowns who have no business operating a human body in the first place 🤡
I love my Hoka Bondi 6s. I am a regular and 60+ year old runner and am on my third pair. Ironically 400 miles comes too fast even for a slow runner like me.
I'm a hospital orderly/wardsperson and I have been wearing a pair of hoka one one Bondi SRs for over a year and will never wear another shoe as long as I'm at this job, 30,000-40,000 steps a day for 5 days a week for over a year in the same pair of shoes, best $280 AUD I've ever spent, cannot recommend Hoka shoes enough
I don't understand why we've deviated so far from the shape of a foot when we understand how the extremely complex bipedal drive train evolved over millions of years. You can't just redesign the major shape of your contact points and expect that the whole body won't be affected in minute ways. We don't walk or run around heel striking everywhere or we wouldn't have knees.
The idea reminds me of the MBT / Sketchers shape ups style shoes but with a better marketing and design team. I'm not quite sure a gigantic heel strike pad is going to make walking any better, particularly off road. A thinner heel/sole and being more conscious about your gait and how hard you heel strike sounds like a better option
I have leg injuries that I sustained from my time in the army. I got out last year. Haka shoes have been the best shoe I've used to help relieve my ankle, shin, and knee pain. They are definitely great shoes. I didn't buy this one though. I bought the hoka one one bondi 7
Hi. I love your work! You didn't mention the diamond shaped indent in the heel of the outsoul. That is a feature that I think the running shoe company Avia used to use as their signature feature/gimmick. They called it their "cantilever soul" ( or something close to that). The theory is that if you heel strike on the inside or outside of your foot you engage a gradually thicker piece of insole that will roll your foot inwards or outwards so that your foot/ankle/leg are all in alignment. Based on the construction, design, and Hoka's identity, I would call this a high top trail running shoe instead of a boot.
I purchased the Hoka One One Bondi X. It had a heel like this. I couldn't walk down stairs or step off a curb without that giant thing catching. I returned them after falling twice due to this design. Mine did not have that warning with it or I would have never purchased them. Also, I paid $200 for them. I don't see how people can hike with these shoes if you can't safely traverse stairs with them. I hike in the Smokies and I have to do a lot of stepping up and down from rocks. Step down, shoe catches rock and face plants you into the ground. OUCH!
If you are a little heavier or have a knee or spine injury these boots make descending awesome. I will admit that everything else is awkward. They take some getting used to. When the foam wears out or you have worn the lugs down you have to swap them they are done.
I REALLY hate foam shoes.. I've had two pairs of $200+ boots completely fail on me because the foam layer disintegrated on me and the entire outer sole fell off. I would actually be interested in seeing those Xero Shoe boots and see how they stack up.
Hokas are highly podiatrist recommended as well. I work in a shoe store where we basically only care podiatrist recommended brands and hokas are probably our best sellers for people with several different foot conditions.
What's bad about it (other than the garish design) is that you're not meant to walk heal-toe. You're meant to land on balls of your feet in any circumstance. Which may explain the calf issues your were having when you wore those Barefoot Lems. That's from walking heal-toe in a flatter shoe than you're used to.
Good point, I typically wear boots not of much higher comfort than that of a brick with cork on top and I remember back in the late 90's early 00's I was given a fairly new pair of shoes from a relative that was told to try them from some sort of a doctor and he hated them I do not remember what they was called but they had this rediculous dome on the bottom and they essentially rocked heel to toe, I wore those 3 days and said NOPE!! Every bone and muscle from my butthole to my big toe felt like I had been pulled by 2 horses and beat with a hammer not to mention the sciatica flare up.
This was super informative. I work in an outdoor store that sells this (and other) hoka shoe. I already had my doubt about the durability but this video and this showed me that those doubts are justified. I would really be interested in a comparison between this and other hiking shoes from brands like la sportiva, meindl, lowa or hanwag Greetings from the Netherlands
To echo some other comments, these boots seem odd for Hoka and do look ridiculous. But they have some AMAZING shoes and there's a reason they have basically a cult following. So I would also like to see another style featured in the future. One of their popular running shoes would be great to see side-by-side with a Nike or other more mainstream running shoe. I myself have 4 pairs of Hokas, all different styles for different purposes. Their cushion and stability options are amazing and incomparable to the standard shoe options out there. I am not a runner, just a walker. Whether it's rushing to work on the downtown sidewalks, going grocery shopping, or walking a few miles for exercise, I can't go without my Hokas. They save my feet, knees, and whole body from shock and pain. Never had any shoe even remotely like them.
Can confirm, don't walk down stairs with these.😅 But these are tough to beat outside. I disagree about groomed trails, as someone with ankle issues, these are so incredibly stable no matter what I step on. As someone also with bad knee issues, stretching out the time of impact with that heel is a game changer. Literally. Driving is fine, but you do have to be a bit more conscious of your foot placemen. Incredible boots for a lot of people.
THANK YOU for finally cutting a pair of Hokas in half. I've been saying for the longest time that they're overpriced for just being shoes with giant slabs of regular EVA foam. It's not proprietary, there's no innovation, just a fat slab of regular foam that is in every other low budget shoe. That's like charging prime rib prices for three hamburger patties put together.
How do you know proprietary foams are not just regular EVA foams though judging how many times they lied to us with their ads? Most of those proprietary foams like FreshFoam, DNA Loft, React, Cloudfoam, etc are "EVA based" which I suspect they are just regular EVA. At least Hoka honestly told us fair and square they just use compression molded EVAs.
@@kaikart123 we know because of the different processes it takes to create the individual midsoles, as well as the combination of elements and materials. I know you know the answer to this, but you're arguing for the sake of arguing. You logic and questioning fall apart because feigning that same level of ignorance with any other thing doesn't work, and you know it. Example, how do you know car x is better than car y. They both have engines, tires and gears? How do you know that food x is healthier than food y? They're both made out of the same stuff. We're on this thread because we know about shoes, right? So why pretend you don't know there are different compositions that make up cushioning systems?
I bought a pair of hokas after knee surgery because hey they couldn’t hurt. I’ll say as a therapeutic shoe for someone who just had a total knee replacement at 39 they were great, I felt more confident in my stride because that initial contact was lessened and made me able to go further and really helped. Yes I stayed on well groomed trails (not because of the shoe but because of the knee) so I can’t comment on their off trail or heavy pack carrying capabilities. But for a therapeutic I think they should be prescribed for outdoor treatment.
Thing is: Hunting is not hiking. I've used typical non-gtx leather boots, hiking gtx leather boots, wellington boots and trail running shoes on hike. I'll always take trail running shoes if terrain and weather is suitable for them since they are light and breathable. I think all of them have their time and place. Wellingtons are heavy and doesn't fit very well, but if its rainy and lots of swamps they are best.
Pthalates are pronounced "Thal-laytes" - if you ever need to use it in the future (and based on the fact that their are hormone imitators, you probably will)
the "ph" is pronounced as an "f" in terephthalate due to it being in the middle of the word. it is only silent when it begins a word. consider the pronunciation of a word like "diphthong" for another example of this. thus, ter-eph-THAL-ate
I'd love to hear exeperiences with this shoe on a month+ long hike. Or the opinion of an orthopedic. The whole thing looks so unnatural.. A zero drop/wide toebox hiking shoe (Altra Superior 4.5) got rid of my back and knee aches on long hikes, and these Hokas basically encourage a heel first instead of a more healthy forefoot stride. The Superiors do have a slight extention at the back, but I think it's more for better stability/balance rather than "easing" the heel to toe transition". But I might be wrong, waiting for some long term honest reviews on this design.
My wife purchased these boots and was immediately disappointed. We live in Arizona. Even the smallest of rough terrain caused her to misjudge her step and hook her heal.
We need more of these cut in half. I have the Hoke Clifton 9 and the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 22 and I’d love to see what’s going on in there because they’re beasts for me while running.
I'm late on this one but I'm glad you did this. was always curious about these because I'm a runner but never tried them, admittedly because I didn't wanna look like a goofball and all their shoes look absolutely ridiculous
I recently bought a pair of Hoka Clifton 7s and I was really looking forward to wearing them. I wore them for one day and my arches got so, so tired that I needed to change out of them. There was no arch support whatsoever and they were just too soft for me. It's weird because I read online that the Cliftons' arch support is "medium" compared to other shoes but I didn't feel any. ::shrug::
Maybe you have a naturally high arch, so you didn't feel it. I have almost flat soles and the Cliftons literally saved me. No foot and back pain anymore after high mileage. My foot just rolls over, with no tension for my foot, its almost as its dragging you forward. I got addicted so i put them on even when just going to the store :)
You could try the Arahi's! They're basically the "stability" version of the *Clifton's with more arch support. I had to purchase a pair due to achilles tendonitis (and overpronating due to the tendonitis) and they've been a lifesaver.
HOKA’s will definitely wear out much quicker than good quality hiking boots but if you’re like me with flaming arthritis in both feet, the HOKA’s are a God send!
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This man got in a car crash just to review this boot for us. What an absolute legend.
LOLOL!
Would really love to see you try a "regular" pair of Hokas as comparison. The price and Hubble thing are absurd compared to their other models, but Hoka One One makes excellent high-mileage running shoes for road or trail, and the flexibility and lightness of these are really designed with speed in mind.
Came to say the same thing, but uh yeah, you already got it for me 😂
Bump**
Agreed. in adddition my hokas have been incredibly durable as running shoes go.
I've got both the Bondi 7 and Clifton 7, and for what I paid, I would expect more. There's no proprietary foam, no tech, just a slab of foam. While it IS soft and comfortable, my concern was addressed precisely and exactly...they bottom out quickly and are disposable, especially when you consider that the main reason you bought them was for that stack and softness to begin with. That midsole only lasts a few months before they bottom out.
totally agree my hoka hiking waterproof boots have lasted a looooong time and keep getting more comfy as they wear.
I bought my first pair of Hokas last year. Wore them a year straight sometimes 7 days a week all day. I can still wear them. They don't look like they will last but they do. Best and most comfortable shoes I have owned.
Depends on the model.
Try Altra’s and you’ll trash those ugly, terrible shoes
Agreed
"I'll cut them in half, and then a waterproof test, and then I'll take them hiking..."
I am disappointed that you did not go hiking in boots that were cut in half (as promised). Aside from this quibble, thank you for the outstanding review
😆
Yeah! I was thinking what? Did he buy two pairs of these things? Nah. He did the hiking test before he soaked and mutilated them I would surmise. LOL
😂😂😂
Maybe that’s why he only wore one 👀
I did a double take, when I heard it the first time
I think it would be cool to do some military standard issue boots and some after market ones that are regulation. Service members have always had to develop innovative ways to make they more comfortable.
They had started giving recruits RAT boots, but so many ended up breaking their toes from those boots, that they had to stop 😩😂 that was 2015, they no longer try to give them out to everyone. They’re clearly made for sandier terrain. Which didn’t go over well with the swampy parris island landscape. It’d be cool to see, despite already having seen what they’re made of when someone ran through them 🤣
I was going to suggest this! Great idea for a video, I agree. I've got some Danner Marine Expeditionary boots, super comfortable, but no idea how good the build is. I'd love to see how they compare to other military issue boots around the world or from NATO members??
Even in the 90’s we had 3 pairs of boots. Issued dress/inspection boots, issued jungle boots,or similar regulation aftermarket boots, then what we actually wore in the field, a good solid legit hiking boot. My dress boots sucked they were horrible, only wore them when absolutely had to. My jungle boots were comfy but not supportive enough for our loads. They actually caused a lot of injuries, I personally fractured my ankle in boot camp, and completed the grim reaper that way with an ankle brace. In the field I wore a great pair of Solomons, spray painted black to keep the chicken shit away. Our skipper didn’t care, we didn’t get injured, we were effective, and able to do our job.
@@-MaryPoppins- I wore a pair of old green jungles to run a CFT just for SnG. Fricking hurt my feet. I forgot how little cushioning they had compared to Bates etc.
@@c3aloha they were horrible, especially when not broken in or broken in wrong. Idk what idiot made the decision to switch, but we didn’t even make it a full cycle before everyone was back in the bates 😩🤣 girls going to medical for broken toes, coming back with a prescription for “NOT THOSE BOOTS” 💀
You'd be surprised how durable the midsoles are. Their running shoes last well into the 1000 mile range. Ultra marathoners are known to use Hoka's for their 100+ mile races.
I will stay with asics, nandi hi
I would argue that Hoka are fars from best in class in durability when it comes to their outsoles
@@rbaude27 Argument acknowledged but discarded.
@@cesardejeronimo8184 lmao
Rip
I have planters foot, this boot significantly reduces the pain. I only wear them when I'm doing lawn work. I've been on my roof cleaning gutters and have driven wearing the boot. I haven't experienced any issues while doing those activities. To be honest, I wasn't aware there was a disclaimer about using stairs and driving. The boot is expensive but priceless to me because of my planters foot.
Know what you mean, I have drivers foot, so I use them when I'm driving
I've got planters peanuts
I've got planted fascists
I’ve used these for the past few months for trail running here in the Ozark hills. They work really really well for what they are for. The heel is meant to keep you stable on the trail with small petty rocks and other bs you can trip on. I’ve tested this myself and it works really well. These are for trail running
Did you drive with it?
Good info. This "review" is a bit out of touch from their intended design - comparing Hokas to heavily built welted boots when they are a (relatively) lightweight performance shoe.
No they are no. Boots are not for trail running 😅
How is it holding up after 6 months?
Off road shoes.
Maybe the "don't walk on stairs" advisory is due to the flared heel, which could be a hazard especially when going down a flight of stairs because that bulky heel may cause the wearer to misjudge where to place the foot. But when out on the trails, it looks like it's comfy and grippy enough
As long as you never have to cut across a slope. That sole would roll your ankle faster than a sushi chef could roll your.... Ya know... Sushi
That's absurd though. A shoe for boot that limits your ability or move and manouver??? In what way is that beneficial??
If it can make you fall down stairs , it can make you fall on the trail.
@@louisacapell to be fair regular boots already limit your ability to maneuver.
@@NateHardman or as long as the trail doesn't have stairs🤦
Are they good to wear out and about?
I have these Hoka’s and used them recently for a 30 mile, 3 day backpack through Devil’s Thumb Loop in CO. They were fantastic at reducing foot fatigue and blisters. Really happy with how they performed. Very comfortable as they reduce impact on your joints by a huge margin. I was using Oboz hiking boots before and these are far and wide better in almost every category.
hell ya, same.
Love Hokas. My favorite running shoe company. Speed goats have lasted 300 plus miles for hiking after which they become work sneakers
Do they work well on a steep downhill part of the hike? I imagine going uphill you wouldn't really notice a difference in terms of the back part of the sole. But going downhill you rely on your heels a lot and I'm curious how it would affect your step?
@@therealdeal3672 I mean the boot that is covered in this vid was originally a running shoe made for the 10th anniversary from Hoka and it was designed for ultras and huge descents. They are incredibly comfy and I use them for work and approach shoes for climbing :)
@@therealdeal3672 Probably should say I’ve had mine since the week they came out and LOVE them. Super weird looking shoe, and you get bullied for the first month of wearing them.
I went from Merrell Moab to the Hoka Anacaba. The difference is day and night. I have a flat foot and even though the Merrell give me a bit more stability, my feet were sore every time I went on a trek. The Hoka saved my feet. I can go for miles without feeling that foot fatigue as early as I would with my previous shoes. Yeah they look kind of goofy, but I stand by them. Made me enjoy the outdoors so much more. I would say I'm kind of a novice hiker, and these were great to get me motivated. Maybe I'll transition at some point but so far my feet are happy.
I would recommend doing a bit of research into proper striking technique. I wear a pair of astral loyaks for all sorts of serious hikes in Montana and never have any pain.
The issue is almost never the footwear but walking technique and foot strength
Anacapa mid?
Anacapa mid?
Anacapa mid?
Anacapa mid?
Shoes like these are very common in the ultralight hiker and ultra marathon worlds. I use a similar brand Altra as a trail running, hiking, and some backpacking shoe. They are absolutely a consumable. I typically get a pair on sale around $100 knowing I’m going to get from 500-1000 miles out of them. They really help with foot fatigue on consecutive high mileage days.
The shoes reminded me of Altra as well. I really like my three pairs of them. Especially the wide toebox and the level heel approach.
People who use shoes like this in the montains typically get less than 100 miles (not the shoes from the video, you'd probably kill yourself with those ridiculous heels before you'd reach 100 miles).
The Finnish military recently upgraded their leather military boots Jalas sa m05 and are basically leather and rubber. Could be interesting to check out
I bought my first pair of Hoka shoes (Clifton, wide option) this year and as soon as i took 5 steps i decided ill never buy another brand for walking/running. Without a doubt the most comfortable shoe for outdoor straightforward activities. Would i go hunting with it or climb the Mount Everest - no lol, there are boots that are made for hard core terrain, and Hokas aren't even meant for that. Long hiking, long walks, long runs on city streets yes yes yes. There is a series for harder terrain too, but i haven't tried those.
Also i would recommend the Clifton wide ones for people with metatarsal pain in the sole.
You nailed-it, +1 this comment
You gotta try all the brands to find one that fits your feet, because every foots different but most asics suit my profile, thin long foot, I havnt tried hokas but not after a high performance sneaker either, asics nandi hi was on sale brought one pair then brought another in a different colourway, and you get them in gortex but in Australia don't need it and there double the cost
@@pineapplesideways3820 I've bought just about every type of shoes out there and I've yet to find a pair that more comfortable than my Hoka One One Bondi 7. I've got Nike Zoom Pegasus 37, 38, Epic React Flynit 2, Adidas Ultraboost S&L & 21, New Balance 1080v10, Brooks Glycerin, Asics Novablast, 360 and Kayano 27 along with others that I buy simply for looks and not necessarily comfort. If you're looking for comfortable shoes, it's really hard to beat Hokas and that's basically what they do. Their shoes were originally intended for runners who couldn't run anymore because of knee, ankle and other joint pains prevented them from running. I started wearing Hokas about two years ago because of foot pain / fatigue. Now, I can walk 10 - 20 plus miles, on concrete, for upwards of 10 hours a day and my feet are pain free. Today, I walked 26,837 steps and 28,847 steps the previous day and my feet are pain free. I only wear them for work as I'm not walking on concrete for 10 hours a day when I'm out and about.
@@saysoun752 yeah but I only know the shoes I wore doing triathlons in the early 90s, and wore reebok for basketball and asics for running Nike Jordans rolled my ankle heaps in, Nike maxes too heavy, Nike pegasus 89 were and still are great just for walkers, brooks people wore, saucony new balance. Mizuno also I like even the new wave models but hoka don't know maybe try a few pairs on
@@pineapplesideways3820 Remember when the Nike Crosstrainers very first came out? THOSE were pretty good shoes!
I have tried to use Hokas for a while in my work, I love the way they feel, Hate the instability of that much foam, and cactus needles go right through.
Oh man! I had a pointed tip of a yucca plant go through the side of mine, didnt pull the broken point out of my foot for about two weeks later when it got slightly infected and my foot spit it out.
Kavlar insole resolv it.
Yeah, that cactus needles going right through thing is a negative for me. And the yucca, too! Yay for leather and actually protective materials! But what you doing stepping on cactus needles?
Appreciate the consumable versus tool observation….
I own their Bondi Sr”s and their Mafate speed runners and without question they are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn! I will be ordering these 10 9”s in a week (been a customer since 2013). Oh and great vid!
Bondi SRs are incredible!
Bought some Mach 4 shoes and they were half to one full size too small.
It would be cool if you did a series on the different brands for mountaineering boots(ex. Scarpa, La Sportiva, Lowa etc.)now that it’s getting close to fall/winter, more cold time of year
Man, I would love to see some Olympic Mons Cube boots cut open.
Adopt a completely unnatural heel strike running technique, buy expensive shoes to match unnatural running technique. Makes perfect sense!
Yep. I stick with Altra or Topo for running shoes with natural running in mind.
To wear shoes is a unnatural thing to do, so anything you do in a shoe is unnatural is that what you're trying to say?
@@gooby1945 We wear shoes to protect our feet.
As for our running, our bodies are designed to move in a specific way, so any unnatural running technique can and will screw up your spine, legs, and feet.
These are hikers, not runners, but definitely look terrible to run in
You're not supposed to run in these. There is a distinct difference in stride when you are walking compared to running.
I have had the Clifton 6, 7 and 8, it might not be the most durable shoes but they are so comfortable, in my work I often stand up 8 to 10 hours a day, I used to have a lot of pain in my feet and legs but after I started wearing Cliftons I haven't had any problems.
And they are good for running too ;)
I’ve used normal Hoka’s and liked them, I credit them with helping save my foot from a limp after breaking a bone in my midfoot/ankle (forgot the name, it took forever to heal because it was mis-diagnosed as a sprain for months.) I used them as an intermediate step to transition from an air cast back to street shoes, because the foam eased a lot of pressure on the bone.
My son had a lisfranc injury (had surgery) and was told to wear Hokas by the podiatrist too.
It's just weakening your feet
I have been a marathoner for a while now. I had a unrelated foot injury that messed my ability to train up. Hokas let me train as I was before without injury. The cliftons are more normal looking and provide a ton of support and stability. They were created by an Ironman triathlete in his 40’s. I’m on my 5th pair and they haven’t let me down yet.
When i bought my first pair, i thought i wasted money...but then i put them on and... Ill never buy another brand lol. Also helped me a lot with my Achilles and metatarsal injuries. They are simply top stuff.
@@ludwigvonn9889 destroyed Achilles and plantar. Subtalar bruise fracture that needs to heal on the heel lol. These soles would help I assume.. should arch and toes not be more evenly supported however?
Had bought Altra trail runners when they first came out, for the wide toe box and zero drop. But. They also had (and have) an extended heel stub. Not a big butt, but a large extension. Which trips your foot when going down staircases. After calling Altra, they confirmed it was a known issue and suggested just cutting them off. Which works just great, and beats breaking your neck falling down staircases.
I have a pair of Nike's with an extended heel. Never gave stairs a second thought until I walked down some in those shoes. I've evolved to walk down stairs at an angle when wearing them. Not ideal but I love them otherwise.
I'm a maintenance man, and I can tell you Hokas are perfect for an indoor worker with a very active job. If they had synthetic toes in there it would be great for factory work on concrete floors. Great shoes, but I agree. For outdoors I am going to be wearing traditional boots. Add a customized insole if I have foot problems.
They're designed for downhill running. On regular, flatter terrain, they'd work against you unless you're a heel striker which unfortunately many runners are. If you wanna look at a leather running shoe, Softstar, a barefoot shoes company makes them, but they're very minimalist so it'd basically going to be a goodyear welt on a slab of letter and rubber.
That makes sense. I really like my zero-drop, minimalist running shoes, but downhills do sometimes feel like they'd be easier if were backpedaling haha.
Softstar are definitely not a goodyear welt. there is no welt. it's basically just leather insole stitched to a upper and a glued outsole.
I like them as minimal workout shoe or casual shoe. all made in usa though so pretty cool. Really minimal though, first time you step on a piece of gravel you'll know.
Kinda hard to run down hill without eventually having to go up hill
As a runner who always had trouble with heel striking, i loved downhills because you just landed on the forefoot and propel yourself another 10 feet. Of course uphill is easy too since you dont need to touch your heel. It’s the miles on flat ground that got difficult for me.
@@benjammin8510 Did you un-learn the heel striking? i also had this problem and didnt really know why my feet and legs hurt, but i read Born to run and tried the forefoot running tecnique, now there is no more pain no matter how mani km i put in every week.
love your channel, really informative stuff. most of the shoe / boot buying public isnt aware of how footwear is made, its great that your educating people so they can make informed decisions.
one note however that ive noticed on several of your videos, therr is a difference between cemented and direct moulded. the cutaway you showed was clearly direct moulded, you can tell by how the sole conforms to the shape of the upper, this means it was moulded directly onto the upper instead of being moulded seperately and then glued. dms is a generally better construction method than cemented, altho both can be done poorly or decently.
all of these heel gimmics are needed to compensate for people heel striking and over striding when they walk / run. the achillies tendon is a shock absorber, when we bang our heels on the ground it totally negates this function and leads to all sorts of problems. do yourself a favor and reserch barefoot walking, forefoot striking, and fox walking.
I ran across this video probably because I’m a big Hoka One One fan.
I think your criticism is based on comparing this boot to yours needs rather than what they are meant for. Let me try to explain:
1. Hoka boots and shoes are really developed for long-distance trail running and hiking. They’re not meant for working, because you’re right, they probably will wear out fast.
2. The type of hikers who buy these boots (but more frequently, Hoka’s trail running shoes) may hike 20-40 miles per day. So the boots have got to be light, the soles must have a lot of traction, and there must be protection against rocks and pebbles on the trial.
3. Lightness matters. Leather boots are just much heavier than synthetic materials. I see you wear the Nicks boots for hiking when you were deer hunting. But you probably aren’t putting on 100-150 miles per week, so you might not notice an extra pound. But long distance runners and hikers worry about every single gram on their clothing, shoes, backpack, food, etc.
4. Break in time matters. Hikers that do the Pacific Crest trail, from Mexico to Canada, go through 4-5 trail running shoes (they don’t wear boots, too heavy). The shoes generally wear out after 500-600 miles, and they send themselves a new pair of the exact same shoes. Break-in is just not acceptable.
5. Cushioning matters because of the mileage. Leather boots just don’t have that high level of cushioning.
6. We all replace our insoles with other products. And we all have or favorites. And Hoka and similar trail shoe companies know this.
7. Re-soling is not something we care about. I wish that we could do it, but it’s just disposable. When I wear out a pair of Hoka boots or trail running shoes, I just wash them and contribute them to Goodwill. Usually the uppers are perfect, but the sole is pretty much destroyed. Even Vibrams can’t put up with the trails that I do.
I do own a pair of Lowa full leather upper boots. I only wear them when I have an extremely heavy pack which I honestly don’t do any more. They are just not as comfortable as Hokas.
I agree with some of your points (and I don’t get this heel thing they’ve developed) - Hokas make a $200 boot that essentially has one life. But it’s a much more difficult life than work boots.
Still, if you want to send me one of those $550 boots I just watched you rip apart, I’d be willing to see if I could hike with them. But once you said 2lbs, I thought that I’d die.
Anyway, I’m commenting on a 2 month old video. you’ll probably not see this.
These are made for long distance. I’m currently wearing a pair of Hoka Speedgoats that I’ll be using in a 100 mile mountain race in two weeks. I need as much as cushion in the lightest shoe possible. These things are designed to be used for probably no more than 500 miles. For people doing runs/races like this they are very much considered a tool.
How was your race ? I ran in Hoka also
@@IanRamonI completed 54 of the 100 miles and got around 16,000 feet of elevation gain. I went in with a right hip injury and IT band problems. The hip did fine but both IT bands basically seized up around mile 20. 🤣 I can’t wait to give it another try!
@@lukelarsson great !! it is hard to do extreme stuff with injury. it was hard even if healthy . fast recovery !!
think virón shoes would be interesting to look at, they're a French company and have boots made with apple "leather", would be interesting to see how well they're built and see if they're a worthy substitute to leather
was just thinking of getting a pair of their white combat boots too, so seeing how their apple leather would hold up would be pretty interesting
Substitute leather is just never as good as proper leather.
Good that you are giving a chance to other good non-leather shoes.
I hunt about every day of the year, about half of the time I have an eberlestock pack with over 30 lbs of gear. I only use Hokas while I hunt and Ranch ever day. The Kaha, Anacapa, and TenNine have all worked amazing for me. I will be buying the new Kaha 2 and Torras next! Great review.
I’m avid hiker and backpacker. My average load is about 30 lbs. I love keen shoes, very much a similar design, light super comfy, and generally I get the water proof versions. I mostly hike in Northern Minnesota very rocky, roomy trails, lots of elevation change, definitely not groomed like a state park. But this style works really well, minus the diaper. They give just right amount of support to where the shoe has good articulation, but pounds lighter than a traditional boot. When you are doing 20 mile days those pounds add up. The only durability issue I’ve had is that the soles do wear really fast especially when worn for dog walks every night. But on trail use I’ve never had a blowout, puncture, or tear. Boots are definitely more durable, but more overall fatiguing for long hauls. Boots will give better support for heavy loads also.
But you correct in saying that this style is a consumable, they do wear out faster than say even my store bought Nikes’ in an urban environment. The grippy soles are definitely too soft for daily side walk use. The styles I usually go for are about $130. But Keen have a fantastic warranty and have replaced several pairs for me at no cost. They stand behind their products.
I think the diaper is a gimmick, and the shoe is too expensive compared to similar shoes on the market. And you can get a damn fine pair of boots that are great, made in the USA for less money, like my Thorogoods.
Keens are really nice
I own these and switched to their speedgoats for my mountain hiking. But I do love the Tennines for flatter areas. I am a big guy and I want a bit more of a balanced feel on the mountains. I use their Gaviotas for my running shoe and I really wish they made a trail version of that shoe. That being said if I use these Tennines on more groomed trails I will wear myself out before my feet would ever hurt whereas my traditional hikers are really high end, but if I do a long hike my feet do feel it.
Seems like a good shoe to pack for a vacation where you know you're going to walk around a lot on tourist trails like Chichen Itza or the Parthenon or Herculaneum. Lots of walking and standing.
If you wear this around Parthenon, you should be thrown in jail for ruining Parthenon for everyone else with this eye cancer. Seriously, eff you, stay in your godless backwater with this
@@gavranarh LOL Fashion police here
@@gavranarh damn don’t go to Japan, you’ll see these everywhere.
@@gavranarh haven't seen anyone try this hard to sound cool outside media in my whole life lmfao
@@gavranarh there might be more interesting things to look at than shoes when visiting a historical landmark.
You might wanna try looking at, oh i don't know, The Parthenon itself maybe?
I have experience with a few pairs of Hoka boots/shoes. They're super comfortable and lightweight. The only drawback is the sole wears out in a few months.
Hoka Bohdi's and Speedgoats have saved me. With bad ankles, knees, hip and back these shoes really extended my distance I am able to walk without pain. I was only able to walk about two miles before I'd start hurting. The day I got the Hoka's I walked 5.5 miles and still felt good until I realized I had been walking for way longer than my lunch break had allowed
You ever tried to bare foot running shoes? I got turned onto them years ago by a friend that ran ultra marathons. They take a bit of getting used to but I love them and they really helped with all my issues that are the same as you mentioned.
@@benscott19841 yea barefoot shoes are the best
To be diplomatic, I'll just say that I love the colorway.
I've seen this boot once whilst working with a gardner/landscaper. I first thought the samr, how ridiculous but then I looked at how great he was moving thorugh the soft ground in the garden we were working...
...it looked like it was really good for that pourpose.
well... it would spread your weight out kind of like a snowshoe due to that heel, though nowhere as extreme.
I bought Hoka One One running shoes last year and after 1,100 miles it’s still going strong and by far best running shoes ever, don’t know if same technology would apply to boots but they will be comfortable that’s for sure.
Your analysis of these as being made for "well groomed trails" seems spot on to me. I hike trails with rock gardens, lots of tree roots and rocks that are like stairs sometimes, and these things seem more likely to induce a fall or an ankle twist due to the badonkadonk heel design. Foot placement can be crucial and having what looks like almost 2 inches of foam hanging off the back of your heel like you put swim fins on backwards doesn't seem like it would be a good thing in any way. For the right person, trail, and activity, I'm sure they're great, but I'm not that person and I don't jog on trails that are essentially dirt sidewalks. I'll stick to my Oboz Sawtooths for day hikes and Asolo Fugitive GTXs for backpacking.
Oboz sawtooth are great! Every store manager at a backpacking supply shop I worked at owned a pair.
My favorite sneakers that I have ever owned were Adidas Formel 1. They too had an extended heel (though not NEARLY this ridiculous) and they are still the most comfortable pair of sneakers* I’ve ever owned. (*non-running) As designed, they were a DREAM to drive in too! Sure wish Adidas still made them!
Adidas has released the Racing 1 which is a redesign of the Formel 1. They retail for about $90 and are on sale in most places.
I love hokas, but as I suspected, these boots seem like they're not worth the price whatsoever.
I thought the same thing, until I was gifted the HOKA Anacapa, after hiking in Yosemite , Poland , England and now the Patagonia in Argentina. 100% worth it. There was a lot of off trail. The great part about then is their light weight for travel. No one wants to cary heavy shoes in an Airplane.
By far the best pair of running/hiking combo “boots” I’ve used. Very little foot fatigue, no aching arches. The majority of people run heel to toe, so the rear section helps out a ton.
You shouldn't be running heel to toe. Walking and hiking are a different story.
You could step on the back of these and give someone the ultimate “flat tire”.
They might sell more if they made the sole leave a Big Foot track... they've got the size!
Just say you're a traditional dude my guy. And tbh hardcore heavy leather boots aren't as comfortable and useful to a hiker as light, cushioned, synthetic material but 100% waterproof boots with great grip. With that said, I'm not particularly a fan of that heel.
Traditional? This boot has an arse like a kardashian.
Hardcore heavy leather boots, once broken in, are practically custom fitted and for my off trail use than any lightweight hiker.
@@W1ldt1m I even fail to see how these would be useful in downhill trail running scenarios, once you scoop an uneven rock on the terrain, you are going to trip. I do both trail running and hiking and I think these hokas make great landfill decoration to be honest.
@@tplambert they will definitely make you take worse form as your body will be tricked into relying on the heel spring.
No need to start your comment with a “hot take”
I am wearing these Hokas just to walk around New York city during winter time. Makes it so comfortable to walk and reduce feet hurt at the end of the day, 6-8 mile city walking is the perfect scenario for these
something about a man cutting a shoe/boot in half and going into detail on it is just so comforting to me..
One of my favorite things is how you show that you're human, and don't pretend that you know how to pronounce everything. That type of transparency may not seem like much, but it makes you come across extremely genuine and earnest.
Hold on, they market this as a hiking boot, but advise against "navigating stairs"...
That was exactly my first thought when he said that...
Yeah nature is well known for its natural stair formations 🤡
For a heel strike walking striding running technique,it is perfect.This kind of heel increases the shoe size by 2 inches,and helps one go faster.
Price is another matter.
It is not advisable to wear any ankle length boot for driving,because it does not allow flexible ankle movement for pedals.
I've worn my Kaha Goretex shoes for work for over a year now. Had two jobs. First was training service dogs, so lots of walking trails, hitting the pavement, and cleaning kennels. Second was at a woodworking factory. 10 hour days on concrete staining wood. They are absolutely covered in stain. No signs of even the beginnings of failure points anywhere. I donno, man. They keep my feet from literally any fatigue when no other shoe could do it and seem durable to me. They may not be a five year shoe, but just a year of comfort at work is entirely worth the ticket price.
Hoka are well designed shoes. I don't like this model but the less wild versions such as the Speedgoat or Kahas are outstanding to hike in. There's little point in judging a 21st century boot based on old and heavy designs. "Not very durable" is inaccurate on a real trail which tends not to have anything as dangerous as bloke trying to chop your shoes in 2 with a knife. This is a boot designed for Lightness and fast hiking. It does not need to last as long as my Lowa Camino or similar leather boots. It needs to be recyclable. Also many people don't want leather shoes anymore for ethical reasons.
Honestly, I'm impressed. I still intend to wear leather because I want a long lasting boot, however if I'm ever doing a big backpacking trip in the mountains I'm down to buy some Hokas for it.
I doubt these are meant for backpacking. You'd need something sturdier with more support to carry the extra weight of a pack.
That heel would screw you up on boulders or shalr.
Typically Hokas are used by trail runners more than hikers. Especially big incline races where you have a lot of downhill and are on a defined trail vs. over rocks, but definitely more for a run than a typical big mountain/lotsa rocks hike situation.
One of my friends bought this shoe, and wore it at a hiking trip with a fairly heavy backpack on. And that completely ruined the boot, he said! It was never the same again, because the foam had sunk in on it self and and didn't cushion the way it should anymore. It was ruined after one trip. I guess the boot is alright at walking on easy, small trips on gravel, but not on longer hiking trips in the mountains.
I bought a pair of the HOKA Anacapa Mid GTX's before a trip to Iceland. They're basically the same as these boots here with the funky heel etc. All I can say is "greatest purchase ever". They're comfortable as hell (like walking on marshmallows) especially when walking on uneven terrain (jagged rocks, stones, sticks, roots etc.). You couldn't slip even if you tried. The Vibram soles are sticky like super glue and I scaled some waterfalls and walked through creeks and mud etc. They breathe, they're relatively light but light enough that you don't fatigue from wearing them for 16hrs a day. I would recommend these in a heartbeat for anyone interested in a quality hiking boot.
If you think about impact of feet heel to toe and on most regular shoes after time the heel is worn down significantly more than the rest of the shoe. The extra on the back helps keep more of the shoe heel for longer period.
I have these and I love them! I use them because I have an ankle problem, I couldnt walk trails without them. So yeah they do have a purpose for me and that is shock absorption and stability. Without these boots, I could not walk!
This reminds me of the pair of Skechers shape-ups I've had under my bed that haven't been used in almost a decade.
I had a pair! They were black w silver glitter, I called them my Darth Vader Disco Workout Booties, lol.
Since they made me 2" taller (and made my feet look TINY), I wore those hideous things for almost 2yrs STRAIGHT! I walked EVERYWHERE in them!
Turns out, you're not supposed to do that.
You were only *supposed* to wear them 45mins a DAY. Oops!
The benefits? None.
None at all, but oddly, when I went back to regular shoes, I'd gone down a half size! My *toenails* grew in really weird, too. The constant downhill pressure that the angle put on my feet all the time, due to the odd shape of construction compressed my toes, and my nails grew in STRIPED!!
Sketcher Shape Ups: The Modern Foot-Binding of The Early 2000's.
(They were SOOO UGLY, lol! I refuse to believe that I EVER wore them un-ironically!)
@@widowrumstrypze9705 Interesting, I never had any of those problems. I found them really comfortable but a bit unwieldy. Like if I didn't pick up my feet enough the thickest part of the sole could catch on bumps on the ground.
I wear hiking boots that couldn't be more opposite. I'd worn Merrell boots for years, but after being told i had pretty significant arthritis in my right knee by an orthopedist who was a barefoot runner, she suggested switching to a minimalist or barefoot shoe. After developing knee pain in that knee that wouldn't go away even after 3 months, I purchased a pair of Xero shoes and after wearing them for 4 hours the pain was gone and now only returns when I wear a shoe with a heel. I have a pair of their Scrambler mid hikers that probably weigh about a quarter of the weight of those Hokas. My feet and arches are so strong compared to when I started wearing them and they're so light and comfortable I tend to forget I have them on.
I tried a pair of more basic Hokas for everyday wear on the advice of a foot doctor. They were pillowy soft and cushiony, but so soft that several times they nearly rolled over in what could have been an ankle sprain on uneven ground. I went the other direction to a barefoot style and never looked back. Lems is my current favorite.
Do a "WHAT Y'ALL GOT ON?!" Run through the shop and show what footwear everyone is wearing.
Waterproofing test was a neat addition to the series. When you say no leaks, do you mean from outside to in? So that you don't get wet if you go ankle deep in these shoes?
Great video! The only thing I might add is that this particular Hokas is ridiculously expensive for a 'consumable', but it really does absorb a more shock then ANY boot I've ever wore.
The leather boots put strain on the knees and back hiking. They look more like a work boot. I can imagine wearing those leather boots would feel heavy after a couple miles.
After getting my nicks partially broken in I will never buy “consumable” shoes/boots again besides flip flops, just throwing money away. Hubblebutt LOL
I think there’s a happy medium and that’s owning a few pairs of both if you can afford it. Just my opinion.
@@colesisler582 yea you’re probably right I meant consumable work boots mainly. I would never buy hubblebutts tho for $250 I would get some danners or something that can be resoled if I was into hiking.
RE the Nick's. At some point you will notice that you don't notice the boots and then you will wonder when you stopped noticing them!
well if you're an ultralight hiker and your goal is to crush miles then it's not throwing money away at all, there's a tool for every job
I love my nicks builder pro best boot by far wear them everyday
They'd be great for saving joints. A friend would try to train for marathons on a navy aircraft carrier and his knees were always "blowing out" due to the steel decking. I've had similar problems running on concrete and pavement.
Then you're running technique is incorrect, nothing to do with footwear
I cant imagine a worst shoe for joints
Yeah dude good idea! You could totally hollow out that giant heel and save a couple joints in there! Smoke a fatty while out on the trails, hell yeah bro
@@samthesr20man you are totally wrong. It's not about technique, humans feet is just not designed to walk extensively on hard surfaces, like any other walking animals. That's why we need shoes that would soften the impact to the joints on hard surfaces.
@@kaikart123 no, the human body is actually designed to be able to run on hard surfaces though evolution. It's called running on your midfoot or toes if you prefer, it allows you to absorb any impact naturally. If you run heel striking first, you probably deserve to have blown out joints. These shoes are a have for clowns who have no business operating a human body in the first place 🤡
I’m a nurse and I didn’t buy the hype with the regular hokas but my god I tried them… they are amazing for walking on concrete all day.
Agreed! The best shoe I've ever worn while working 12 hours a day! They aren't cute, but my feet aren't killing me at the end of the day.
I love my Hoka Bondi 6s. I am a regular and 60+ year old runner and am on my third pair. Ironically 400 miles comes too fast even for a slow runner like me.
250 bucks consumable.
Love this channel! May I suggest a New Balance Made in the USA series? The 990,992,993 are all immensely popular at the moment.
I'm a hospital orderly/wardsperson and I have been wearing a pair of hoka one one Bondi SRs for over a year and will never wear another shoe as long as I'm at this job, 30,000-40,000 steps a day for 5 days a week for over a year in the same pair of shoes, best $280 AUD I've ever spent, cannot recommend Hoka shoes enough
I don't understand why we've deviated so far from the shape of a foot when we understand how the extremely complex bipedal drive train evolved over millions of years. You can't just redesign the major shape of your contact points and expect that the whole body won't be affected in minute ways. We don't walk or run around heel striking everywhere or we wouldn't have knees.
The idea reminds me of the MBT / Sketchers shape ups style shoes but with a better marketing and design team. I'm not quite sure a gigantic heel strike pad is going to make walking any better, particularly off road. A thinner heel/sole and being more conscious about your gait and how hard you heel strike sounds like a better option
Love Hoka footwear. If you’re new to the brand, he’s right. The sacrifice for the second to none comfort is longevity.
I have leg injuries that I sustained from my time in the army. I got out last year. Haka shoes have been the best shoe I've used to help relieve my ankle, shin, and knee pain.
They are definitely great shoes. I didn't buy this one though. I bought the hoka one one bondi 7
Hi. I love your work! You didn't mention the diamond shaped indent in the heel of the outsoul. That is a feature that I think the running shoe company Avia used to use as their signature feature/gimmick. They called it their "cantilever soul" ( or something close to that). The theory is that if you heel strike on the inside or outside of your foot you engage a gradually thicker piece of insole that will roll your foot inwards or outwards so that your foot/ankle/leg are all in alignment. Based on the construction, design, and Hoka's identity, I would call this a high top trail running shoe instead of a boot.
Heel on this reminds me of the Yeezy 350 v2’s. Would be interesting to see you tear those apart.
I’m glad I’m not the only one that thought these look like those fugly yeezy shoes.
What tf is a Yeezy shoe?
This shoe represents a whole series that you could/should dive into, Weston
Agreed
I purchased the Hoka One One Bondi X. It had a heel like this. I couldn't walk down stairs or step off a curb without that giant thing catching. I returned them after falling twice due to this design. Mine did not have that warning with it or I would have never purchased them. Also, I paid $200 for them. I don't see how people can hike with these shoes if you can't safely traverse stairs with them. I hike in the Smokies and I have to do a lot of stepping up and down from rocks. Step down, shoe catches rock and face plants you into the ground. OUCH!
That warning should be in huge letters on the box lid... 🤔😒
If you are a little heavier or have a knee or spine injury these boots make descending awesome. I will admit that everything else is awkward. They take some getting used to. When the foam wears out or you have worn the lugs down you have to swap them they are done.
I REALLY hate foam shoes.. I've had two pairs of $200+ boots completely fail on me because the foam layer disintegrated on me and the entire outer sole fell off.
I would actually be interested in seeing those Xero Shoe boots and see how they stack up.
There is a reason you don't say what shoes.
Hokas are highly podiatrist recommended as well. I work in a shoe store where we basically only care podiatrist recommended brands and hokas are probably our best sellers for people with several different foot conditions.
Double Haglund's here ...
Not due to Hoka though ;-)
What's bad about it (other than the garish design) is that you're not meant to walk heal-toe. You're meant to land on balls of your feet in any circumstance. Which may explain the calf issues your were having when you wore those Barefoot Lems. That's from walking heal-toe in a flatter shoe than you're used to.
Good point, I typically wear boots not of much higher comfort than that of a brick with cork on top and I remember back in the late 90's early 00's I was given a fairly new pair of shoes from a relative that was told to try them from some sort of a doctor and he hated them I do not remember what they was called but they had this rediculous dome on the bottom and they essentially rocked heel to toe, I wore those 3 days and said NOPE!! Every bone and muscle from my butthole to my big toe felt like I had been pulled by 2 horses and beat with a hammer not to mention the sciatica flare up.
@@wolfmanrebel874 lol!
@@wolfmanrebel874 man, I think I know what those shoes are..
@@juliangrant9718 come to think of it I believe they literally was called rockers...that sounds right
Well I quickly searched rockers and didn't see them so idk ,lol but they suck
I feel like these might be good for elderly people and people with injuries who want to take up casual pleasure hiking
This was super informative. I work in an outdoor store that sells this (and other) hoka shoe. I already had my doubt about the durability but this video and this showed me that those doubts are justified. I would really be interested in a comparison between this and other hiking shoes from brands like la sportiva, meindl, lowa or hanwag
Greetings from the Netherlands
I dont see where the durability was tested? The durability was speculation based.
To echo some other comments, these boots seem odd for Hoka and do look ridiculous. But they have some AMAZING shoes and there's a reason they have basically a cult following. So I would also like to see another style featured in the future. One of their popular running shoes would be great to see side-by-side with a Nike or other more mainstream running shoe.
I myself have 4 pairs of Hokas, all different styles for different purposes. Their cushion and stability options are amazing and incomparable to the standard shoe options out there. I am not a runner, just a walker. Whether it's rushing to work on the downtown sidewalks, going grocery shopping, or walking a few miles for exercise, I can't go without my Hokas. They save my feet, knees, and whole body from shock and pain. Never had any shoe even remotely like them.
dude why are they so high. seems to be a way to roll your ankle. i don't like
@@nofurtherwest3474 "seem" when in practice it isn't. It's stable af unlike the Nikes.
@@kaikart123 but if you do roll it it's gonna hurt like platform shoes.
I've found that all of the shoes with extended sole heels are really good at flipping loose dirt/sand into your shoes.
Can confirm, don't walk down stairs with these.😅 But these are tough to beat outside. I disagree about groomed trails, as someone with ankle issues, these are so incredibly stable no matter what I step on. As someone also with bad knee issues, stretching out the time of impact with that heel is a game changer. Literally. Driving is fine, but you do have to be a bit more conscious of your foot placemen. Incredible boots for a lot of people.
THANK YOU for finally cutting a pair of Hokas in half. I've been saying for the longest time that they're overpriced for just being shoes with giant slabs of regular EVA foam. It's not proprietary, there's no innovation, just a fat slab of regular foam that is in every other low budget shoe. That's like charging prime rib prices for three hamburger patties put together.
How do you know proprietary foams are not just regular EVA foams though judging how many times they lied to us with their ads? Most of those proprietary foams like FreshFoam, DNA Loft, React, Cloudfoam, etc are "EVA based" which I suspect they are just regular EVA. At least Hoka honestly told us fair and square they just use compression molded EVAs.
@@kaikart123 you can tell by using them.
@@RetroKid of course but they are all still the same old EVA, even different Hoka models have different feel to them.
@@kaikart123 we know because of the different processes it takes to create the individual midsoles, as well as the combination of elements and materials. I know you know the answer to this, but you're arguing for the sake of arguing. You logic and questioning fall apart because feigning that same level of ignorance with any other thing doesn't work, and you know it. Example, how do you know car x is better than car y. They both have engines, tires and gears? How do you know that food x is healthier than food y? They're both made out of the same stuff. We're on this thread because we know about shoes, right? So why pretend you don't know there are different compositions that make up cushioning systems?
@@RetroKid no you don't. They all said "EVA based" and then throw a bunch of buzzwords. YOU don't actually know if they used different foams or not.
I bought a pair of hokas after knee surgery because hey they couldn’t hurt. I’ll say as a therapeutic shoe for someone who just had a total knee replacement at 39 they were great, I felt more confident in my stride because that initial contact was lessened and made me able to go further and really helped. Yes I stayed on well groomed trails (not because of the shoe but because of the knee) so I can’t comment on their off trail or heavy pack carrying capabilities. But for a therapeutic I think they should be prescribed for outdoor treatment.
I have the HOKA Anacapa Mid GTX and they have improved my hiking speed. And my feet feel fantastic after a long hike.
Thing is: Hunting is not hiking. I've used typical non-gtx leather boots, hiking gtx leather boots, wellington boots and trail running shoes on hike. I'll always take trail running shoes if terrain and weather is suitable for them since they are light and breathable. I think all of them have their time and place. Wellingtons are heavy and doesn't fit very well, but if its rainy and lots of swamps they are best.
Pthalates are pronounced "Thal-laytes" - if you ever need to use it in the future (and based on the fact that their are hormone imitators, you probably will)
All pronunciations are correct because of dialects and language differences and artist intention
@@gvi341984 Ehhhhh, sometimes yes, but not always
@@smahhah For artistry? Any form is fine
the "ph" is pronounced as an "f" in terephthalate due to it being in the middle of the word. it is only silent when it begins a word. consider the pronunciation of a word like "diphthong" for another example of this. thus, ter-eph-THAL-ate
@clandestine2178 To what exactly? To the phonetics? One language can have different dialects for one word.
I'd love to hear exeperiences with this shoe on a month+ long hike. Or the opinion of an orthopedic. The whole thing looks so unnatural.. A zero drop/wide toebox hiking shoe (Altra Superior 4.5) got rid of my back and knee aches on long hikes, and these Hokas basically encourage a heel first instead of a more healthy forefoot stride. The Superiors do have a slight extention at the back, but I think it's more for better stability/balance rather than "easing" the heel to toe transition". But I might be wrong, waiting for some long term honest reviews on this design.
This design is pure shit, their normal shoes are really good though. Thru hikers loves Altra, Topo, and Hoka.
My wife purchased these boots and was immediately disappointed. We live in Arizona. Even the smallest of rough terrain caused her to misjudge her step and hook her heal.
We need more of these cut in half. I have the Hoke Clifton 9 and the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 22 and I’d love to see what’s going on in there because they’re beasts for me while running.
I'm late on this one but I'm glad you did this. was always curious about these because I'm a runner but never tried them, admittedly because I didn't wanna look like a goofball and all their shoes look absolutely ridiculous
I recently bought a pair of Hoka Clifton 7s and I was really looking forward to wearing them. I wore them for one day and my arches got so, so tired that I needed to change out of them. There was no arch support whatsoever and they were just too soft for me. It's weird because I read online that the Cliftons' arch support is "medium" compared to other shoes but I didn't feel any. ::shrug::
Maybe you have a naturally high arch, so you didn't feel it. I have almost flat soles and the Cliftons literally saved me. No foot and back pain anymore after high mileage. My foot just rolls over, with no tension for my foot, its almost as its dragging you forward. I got addicted so i put them on even when just going to the store :)
You could try the Arahi's! They're basically the "stability" version of the *Clifton's with more arch support. I had to purchase a pair due to achilles tendonitis (and overpronating due to the tendonitis) and they've been a lifesaver.
I work for the company that makes Gore-Tex glad to see there were no leaks!
HOKA’s will definitely wear out much quicker than good quality hiking boots but if you’re like me with flaming arthritis in both feet, the HOKA’s are a God send!