We’ve had a lot of success getting people with foot issues into Hokas in our clinic. I tend more to minimal personally, but these definitely are a great choice for some people. My wife is a Hoka fan!

If you’ve got the shoe properly locked down with the laces, it is no worse than any other shoe. On the trails, the height of the front-end of the shoe can catch on things like little stumps and rocks a bit worse than an average height shoe. It’s a very minimal trade-off.

Actually she was out for most of last year with ITBS but has come back this year and pretty much won everything she has entered.

Ah, you were at Speedgoat? Did you see the awesome Ruby Muir come 3rd, wearing her Vibrams, after a long haul flight from New Zealand, with no experience at altitude and no time to acclimatise?

Thanks!

I was indeed. I saw Ruby on the first climb and she was suffering a lot at, more than 3000 meters and on the other climbs but… on the downhills and they were rocky and nasty she was according to some runners who saw her the most amazing downhill runner they had ever seen, and in Five Fingers no less. An amazing talent! I just hope she stays injury free to continue to develop those talents. I saw her at the finish and she was one of the very few to walk away with no limping whatsoever or visible fatigue.

I can’t help but feel that there has to be something wrong with somebodies running form and/or foot conditioning for one to require so much cushioning underfoot.

Have we come so detached from our humanity that even the earth beneath our feet has to be muted out existence by two inches of foam?

I saw the Conquest at the Speedgoat 50k this weekend. Not as high as traditional Hokas. Light like 10oz with this new upper. You may start to turn an ankle in Hokas but due to the outsole width pretty hard to really twist. This said i am not a fan for rooty rocky New England trails. Roads and western smooth trails fantastic. With Hokas your foot sits down in the midsole, more or less into the black extending below the yellow side blades. I will be posting some initial info and pics Monday. Hokas may look goofy but if fresh legs everyday and miles are your game they are fantastic. The Conquest is designed to help with the Hoka “speed issue”. As at VT 1/3 or so at Speedgoat on Hokas including 3d place Jason Schlarb who took down Max King in the downhills. My Speedgoat article here. http://samwinebaum.blogspot.co…

I’ve personally only run in them once, but the foot actually sits down inside that midsole, and it’s very soft, so you don’t get the sense that turning an ankle is going to be a huge problem. The sole height is a bit deceptive since it curls up on the margins above the level where the foot sits.

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