Comments on: Summer 2014 Running Shoe Previews Part 4: Hoka Huaka, Hoka Clifton, Hoka Stinson ATR and Lite

By: John

John — Sat, 22 Nov 2014 03:19:17 +0000

I’ve used the Stinson Tarmac and Stinson Trail for two years – love them. Just got the “updated” Stinson Lite and Stinson ATR. Have not run them yet – but it is immediately clear the toe box on the new versions are significantly narrower. I will most likely send them back – Really Bummed- I should have stocked up last year…. The new Clifton feels wider that either of the new Stinsons – width in between the old and new Stinsons- so I will keep that one – at least faster short races/runs when the mashed together mono toe syndrome is not a big deal.

By: Jeff Valliere

Jeff Valliere — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 13:43:07 +0000

I have a pair of the Huakas and love them. Never have I experienced so much cushion in such a light shoe. They fit better than other Hokas, are more comfortable and are quite quick and responsive. I mostly run trails and they perform awesome, though the mostly foam outsole wears quickly, especially on rocky terrain. I used them in the Bolder Boulder 10k and plan to use them for the PIkes Peak Marathon, so talk about range. The Huaka does run big, as I wear 10 in many of the other Hokas models (Stinson Trail, Bondi, Mafate, Conquest, Rapa Nui 2), but my test pair is a 9 and they very surprisingly fit quite well. Given the choice, I might go with a 9.5, but that is a maybe even.

By: Peter Larson

Peter Larson — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 20:29:32 +0000

In reply to Chaplain. Wonder if the fact that the sole is already quite wide and thick has something to do with it. Widen the toebox too much and you just have a massive sole to stick underneath.

By: Chaplain

Chaplain — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 15:38:20 +0000

Why does Hoka not respond–with at least one model–to all the requests for a wider toe box?

By: Peter Larson

Peter Larson — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 22:03:58 +0000

In reply to Jim.

Don’t have them yet, but my friend Sam just posted this: http://samwinebaum.blogspot.com/2014/06/initial-review-hoka-one-one-huaka-its.html. You might ask his sizing thoughts in a comment.

By: Jim

Jim — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 16:02:16 +0000

In reply to George Harris. If you have them by now, how is the fit? And if you have experience with other Hoka shoes, how is the fit compared to those?

By: George Harris

George Harris — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 15:16:40 +0000

In reply to Peter Larson. Will do Pete I get them today and can't wait for the UPS truck to show up...also got the Clifton as well

By: Peter Larson

Peter Larson — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 12:41:30 +0000

In reply to pyf. Yeah, tried the Conquest on and was not at all impressed by the fit. Kind of bullet shaped. Bondi 3 was a bit better but still not to my liking.

By: Peter Larson

Peter Larson — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 12:37:34 +0000

In reply to Santa Fe Brian. I think there is a place for the full range of footwear. I know plenty of people who benefit from Hoka-style shoes. I see benefit in the Ultra community and in clients who have forefoot pain for example. I also think there may be an argument for trying Hokas for some knee issues as well if a person doesn't want to try minimal.

By: Peter Larson

Peter Larson — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 12:34:13 +0000

In reply to Jim. Thanks for the info Jim!

By: Peter Larson

Peter Larson — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 12:33:12 +0000

In reply to Reanimated.

I can’t comment on Hokas much myself since I only have an older pair of Mafates, but I will say that our observations in the clinic support yours regarding the benefit of Hokas for some types of forefoot pain. They helped my wife a lot with her neuroma, and have had other clients benefit as well. There is also some evidence that rocker soled shoes offload the forefoot a bit, so some evidence to back this up, but none specifically on Hokas that I am aware of.

My wife was in the Bondi which is a bit less shoe than the Stinson I think. The SKechers GoUltra could be worth a try. And for lower profile shoes with a rocker sole you could check out Scott, Karhu, or the Pearl Izumi E-Motion line. Those won’t be as soft as the Hokas, but do retain a rocker-style sole so if you perceive that to be the benefit they may work. Tough to say for sure.

By: Reanimated

Reanimated — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 16:37:14 +0000

I have been using a pair of heavy Stinsons once per week to try to give my feet a rest — (I have been fighting chronic capsulitis/ predislocation syndrome/ metatarsalgia for a couple of years and was out completely for five full months last year). By nature, I hate the feel of the Hokas, but it seems very clear to me that they do reduce forefoot pressure and that is something I am all for these days. I have also discovered that even on my short twelve mile runs I can just sort of keep on rolling along in them without wearing down, so I feel like I can “sense” why some ultra runners would like them for the long runs.

Couple of questions – I think the stiff outsole and rocker effect are helping me more than than the cushioning. Do all the new models preserve the strong rocker effect? Are there any other (lighter!) trail shoes that have the same kind of forefoot rocker as the Hokas? (NOTE: I mean rocker, NOT toe-spring as I consider that to be something completely different). Do the Huakas have the same fit as the current Stinsons, or is it hopefully wider in the forefoot?

Thanks in advance if anyone can help!