Hoka One One

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Hoka One One

Postby moose » 06 Dec 2013 19:22

Ok guys seeing as this got some face book time I thought I'd write a brief review
(stick with me as I not the best grammatically :shock: )

As a typical triathlete, middle aged with a little too much disposable income and a little over weight and unfit :D I always on the look out for free speed.
I never been an endurance runner short bursts on a field of play is fine but the thought of anything more always makes me cringe.

In 2011 I decided on my first triathlon, I hadn't run any distance ever! I'd suffered a snap ACL in 2002 and thought of running at 17 stone was impossible but I managed.
Then I got caught by the hype the sport and bought a par of Newtons, my running improved but i was doing more, I was loosing weight and getting my 5km to under 30 mins but still the knees and ankles suffered but i was and still am quite a big lad.
Still working at my running early this year I went to the sketches go run, looking for that free speed in this light weight shoe i managed a sub 25 min 5km I also managed 50 km in 10 days on holiday but still my knees and ankles knew about it.

Not sure how I found them but I did, so in September i bought a pair of Hoka.

Firstly the feeling of a soft squashy sole is like no other you can really feel your feet sink into the shoe, they dont feel heavy and I didn;t feel them large or built up, I had no problems with ground clearance or didn't felt top heavy at any time, the toe box is roomy which also works for me. Living a the the top of a hill my fist steps are always downhill, this for me has always been a steady potter to the bottom ( i call it a warm up :) ) but with the Hoka I can just bound down the hill to the bottom, knee and ankle impact is absolutely minimum.
Once into my stride the shoes feel very soft and forgiving, i used to spend the first 1km panicking about my joints and the stiffness i felt while getting warmed up, but now I'm into my stride from the off.
The biggest plus is the feeling after a run, yes i'm tired as you should be but tired in the right places not hobbling back like a cripple and I can run day after day.
Build quality seem fine I've no issues not a massive fan of their speed laces and will swap them for race time.

SO for me as a big guy who hates running who's heavy on his feet this tick a lot of boxes, don't get me wrong if I were to run a 5km track race (which I never will) I might opt for the Sketches but for anything else I going Hoka
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Re: Hoka One One

Postby Woody » 07 Dec 2013 11:51

Interesting! I don't think I'll go down the line of Hoka's (famous last words) but I know a few Ultra runners who swear by them! I think for long runs on compact ground, for heel strikers, they're great but off road I'd be paranoid about twisting an ankle!
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Re: Hoka One One

Postby Tritans » 06 Jan 2014 17:34

Can't believe I missed this. They sound perfect for me. I'm going to investigate further.


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Re: Hoka One One

Postby JoddyBear » 06 Jan 2014 17:39

[quote="Tritans"]Can't believe I missed this. They sound perfect for me. I'm going to investigate further.[quote]

Alright Ade, that's enough, stop it now
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Re: Hoka One One

Postby Bopomofo » 06 Jan 2014 22:54

Cheers. Very interesting indeed and I've made a note to have a look into this.

@Woody : not sure why you would be concerned about twisting and ankle? They're not stilletos or high heels.. just a shoe with a bit more roll and cushioning.

Generally speaking I don't like running shoes but I find the best I can. I used to run barefoot but don't / can't anymore. So I'll go with any solution that feels good and hurts me less. I'm going to test these Hoka things at some point.

Cheers, Moose. Appreciate your time & effort in posting. How about some updates to say how you are getting on, how the shoes are holding together etc? 8-)
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Re: Hoka One One

Postby Tritans » 06 Jan 2014 22:58

JoddyBear wrote:
Tritans wrote:Can't believe I missed this. They sound perfect for me. I'm going to investigate further.

Alright Ade, that's enough, stop it now


:-)

Don't worry, I'm over it now.


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Re: Hoka One One

Postby Woody » 15 Jan 2014 17:51

Interesting, I tried a pair of the Hoka Stinson Trails on today. Had a minute or so on the treadmill and was quietly impressed. So much so that I'm considering these as shoe of choice for MdS due to the relentless pressure my legs/knees are going to go through (and the fact it's a knee injury putting any real running on hold at the minute!)
Things that surprised me are that they're pretty light and they're neutral trainers with extra cushioning essentially. The Stinsons are pretty built up but the heel is 'cupped' in so seem stable.
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