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Created page with "{{DISPLAYTITLE:Hoka Tor Ultra Review}} The Hoka Tor Ultra is a hiking boot from a company made famous by its massively cushioned running shoes. I was impressed and surprised b..."
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Hoka Tor Ultra Review}}
The Hoka Tor Ultra is a hiking boot from a company made famous by its massively cushioned running shoes. I was impressed and surprised by how good the [[Hoka Mafate]] provided grip on a wide variety of trails, even gripping slick, wet rock surfaces, so I was keen to try this hiking boot. While the Tor has a few shortcomings, it is a huge improvement over every other hiking boot I've tried. If Hoka would only design their footwear so that it would fit a human foot, the Tor would be nearly perfect. It provides a level of cushioning that I think is perfect for a hiking boot. It's much firmer than the best of the Hoka running shoe range, but I believe that's appropriate in a hiking boot. The [[RMAT]] foam that is used in the Tor should also provide good longevity, which is just as well given the price tag. The waterproofing is as good as any boot I've tried, but you should expect to have sweaty feet in warmer weather. I wouldn't try to run far in this, or any other boot, mostly because it will limit the natural movement of the ankle. I'm impressed enough with the Tor to give it my "Best of the Best" rating as a Hiking Boot.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Hoka Tor Ultra-top.JPG|none|thumb|300px|Hoka Tor Ultra top]]
|[[File:Hoka Tor Ultra-outside.JPG|none|thumb|300px|Hoka Tor Ultra outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Hoka Tor Ultra-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|300px|Hoka Tor Ultra bottom]]
|[[File:Hoka Tor Ultra-inside.JPG|none|thumb|300px|Hoka Tor Ultra inside]]
|}
=Characteristics=
* {{H:cushioning}}. The Tor is well cushioned for a hiking boot, but it's more like the firm [[Hoka Conquest]] than the soft [[Hoka Clifton]].
* {{H:drop}}. The Tor has only 4mm of drop, which is a huge improvement over most hiking boots that have high heels.
* {{H:structure}}. The Tor uses both [[RMAT]] and EVA foam, but I didn't notice any interference with my walking stride.
* {{H:flexibility}}. The Tor has a little more flexibility than most hiking boots, which is not saying much. However, the thick foam midsole has some give that allows the foot to bend reasonably naturally.
* {{H:outsole}}. The Tor has both [[RMAT]] and Vibram Megagrip on the outsole. Both materials provide remarkably good traction on a wide variety of services. I found remarkable levels of grip even on wet rocks. Rather like the [[Hoka Mafate]] the Tor inspires more confidence in the available attraction than any other footwear I've tried.
* {{H:shape}}. The Tor is not as bad as many Hoka running shoes, but it's clearly not designed to fit the human foot. This is a particular pain in a waterproof hiking boot, as you don't want to cut it open for fit. I didn't have as many problems as I would in a running shoe, mostly because I typically wear to relatively thick pairs of hiking socks which gives a little more flexibility in terms of fit.
* {{H:upper}}. Most of the upper is covered in leather, and I found it took a few hours of hiking for it to break in and mold to the shape of my foot. The upper is broadly comparable to other hiking boots, but is obviously much thicker than you'd expect from a running shoe. I found the upper reasonably comfortable, with no seams to rub, though the very top edge of the boot can bite in a little. I suspect this is an attempt to improve waterproofing by creating a seal against your legs. I think this would probably rub rather badly if you had socks that were short enough to allow contact between the top of your boot and your skin. Like most hikers I tend to wear longer socks, and rely on waterproof trousers coming down over the top of my boot to ensure they don't get filled with water. The waterproof membrane on the Tor is eVent, and it seems to work reasonably well. No waterproof, breathable material is going to breathe enough to prevent your feet getting wet with sweat in warmer weather, but to the eVent is comparable with other materials I've tried like a Gore-Tex.
* {{H:tongue}}. The Tor is a tongueless, booty style upper for most of its length, dividing out into a traditional tongue just above the crook of the ankle. This means it's waterproof to around 5 inches.
* {{H:lacing}}. The laces are rounded, and are less than ideal, so you have to pay a little more attention when tying them to prevent them coming loose.
* {{H:heelcounter}}. As is typical for a hiking boot, the heel area has a rather firm [[Heel Counter]], but I have not had any problems with it.
{{FastBlr|Hoka /Tor -iv-1331|1331|Hoka Tor }}
=A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes=
{{:Shoes-include}}
The Hoka Tor Ultra is a hiking boot from a company made famous by its massively cushioned running shoes. I was impressed and surprised by how good the [[Hoka Mafate]] provided grip on a wide variety of trails, even gripping slick, wet rock surfaces, so I was keen to try this hiking boot. While the Tor has a few shortcomings, it is a huge improvement over every other hiking boot I've tried. If Hoka would only design their footwear so that it would fit a human foot, the Tor would be nearly perfect. It provides a level of cushioning that I think is perfect for a hiking boot. It's much firmer than the best of the Hoka running shoe range, but I believe that's appropriate in a hiking boot. The [[RMAT]] foam that is used in the Tor should also provide good longevity, which is just as well given the price tag. The waterproofing is as good as any boot I've tried, but you should expect to have sweaty feet in warmer weather. I wouldn't try to run far in this, or any other boot, mostly because it will limit the natural movement of the ankle. I'm impressed enough with the Tor to give it my "Best of the Best" rating as a Hiking Boot.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Hoka Tor Ultra-top.JPG|none|thumb|300px|Hoka Tor Ultra top]]
|[[File:Hoka Tor Ultra-outside.JPG|none|thumb|300px|Hoka Tor Ultra outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Hoka Tor Ultra-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|300px|Hoka Tor Ultra bottom]]
|[[File:Hoka Tor Ultra-inside.JPG|none|thumb|300px|Hoka Tor Ultra inside]]
|}
=Characteristics=
* {{H:cushioning}}. The Tor is well cushioned for a hiking boot, but it's more like the firm [[Hoka Conquest]] than the soft [[Hoka Clifton]].
* {{H:drop}}. The Tor has only 4mm of drop, which is a huge improvement over most hiking boots that have high heels.
* {{H:structure}}. The Tor uses both [[RMAT]] and EVA foam, but I didn't notice any interference with my walking stride.
* {{H:flexibility}}. The Tor has a little more flexibility than most hiking boots, which is not saying much. However, the thick foam midsole has some give that allows the foot to bend reasonably naturally.
* {{H:outsole}}. The Tor has both [[RMAT]] and Vibram Megagrip on the outsole. Both materials provide remarkably good traction on a wide variety of services. I found remarkable levels of grip even on wet rocks. Rather like the [[Hoka Mafate]] the Tor inspires more confidence in the available attraction than any other footwear I've tried.
* {{H:shape}}. The Tor is not as bad as many Hoka running shoes, but it's clearly not designed to fit the human foot. This is a particular pain in a waterproof hiking boot, as you don't want to cut it open for fit. I didn't have as many problems as I would in a running shoe, mostly because I typically wear to relatively thick pairs of hiking socks which gives a little more flexibility in terms of fit.
* {{H:upper}}. Most of the upper is covered in leather, and I found it took a few hours of hiking for it to break in and mold to the shape of my foot. The upper is broadly comparable to other hiking boots, but is obviously much thicker than you'd expect from a running shoe. I found the upper reasonably comfortable, with no seams to rub, though the very top edge of the boot can bite in a little. I suspect this is an attempt to improve waterproofing by creating a seal against your legs. I think this would probably rub rather badly if you had socks that were short enough to allow contact between the top of your boot and your skin. Like most hikers I tend to wear longer socks, and rely on waterproof trousers coming down over the top of my boot to ensure they don't get filled with water. The waterproof membrane on the Tor is eVent, and it seems to work reasonably well. No waterproof, breathable material is going to breathe enough to prevent your feet getting wet with sweat in warmer weather, but to the eVent is comparable with other materials I've tried like a Gore-Tex.
* {{H:tongue}}. The Tor is a tongueless, booty style upper for most of its length, dividing out into a traditional tongue just above the crook of the ankle. This means it's waterproof to around 5 inches.
* {{H:lacing}}. The laces are rounded, and are less than ideal, so you have to pay a little more attention when tying them to prevent them coming loose.
* {{H:heelcounter}}. As is typical for a hiking boot, the heel area has a rather firm [[Heel Counter]], but I have not had any problems with it.
{{FastBlr|Hoka /Tor -iv-1331|1331|Hoka Tor }}
=A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes=
{{:Shoes-include}}
