Revision as of 05:41, 31 January 2017

The Hoka Hupana is not your stereotypical Hoka. While it has the thick sole that Hoka are renowned for, its use of RMAT foam makes it much firmer than the awesome Hoka Clifton. Unlike many other Hoka shoes which are styled to look like their sole is even thicker than it really is, the Hupana disguises this thickness visually. The upside of using RMAT foam is that it lasts much longer than traditional EVA foam found in the vast majority of running shoes. Like most running shoes, and all the Hoka's to date, the Hupana has a horrible toe box that restricts toe movement. The upper of the Hupana is unusually thick and stiff, as well as somewhat abrasive. I've rated the Hupana as "Recommended", mostly because I think it's longevity is likely to reduce the cost per mile quite a bit. (I use The Science of Running Shoes as the basis of how I test running shoes and what you should look for in a running shoe.)

Hoka Hupana top	Hoka Hupana bottom
Hoka Hupana inside	Hoka Hupana outside

1 Characteristics

• Cushioning . The Hupana is not cushioned like a classic Hoka; The Hoka Clifton weighs nearly exactly the same as the Hupana, but the Clifton is vastly softer. These classic Hoka shoes have massive, pillowy soft midsoles that not everyone liked, but became a big favorite with ultrarunners. The Hupana is more like another recent Hoka, the Tracer, with moderate cushioning and a relatively light weight. Both the Hupana and Traer have similar cushioning, though the Tracer is 1.5oz lighter. The big difference between the Hupana and the Tracer is the type of foam used in the midsole. The Tracer is like the vast majority of shoes on the market, and uses EVA foam. This is the popular choice for midsole foam because it provides great cushioning for its weight. The downside to EVA foam is that it breaks down remarkably quickly. The Hupana on the other hand uses RMAT, which is a foam with higher density but much greater resilience. I see the Hupana as a competitor to the Saucony Freedom which uses TPU foam. Both TPU and RMAT produce a heavier shoe for a given amount of cushioning, but the cushioning lasts for many more miles when compared with traditional EVA foam. The early versions of RMAT were far too heavy and firm, but the Hupana suggests that this material is coming-of-age. Running with the Hupana on one foot and the Freedom on the other, the shoes feel surprisingly similar, and the Hupana is noticeably lighter. One interesting cosmetic oddity of the Hupana is that Hoka have painted the uppermost part of the foam midsole to match the upper, giving the visual appearance of a more traditional running shoe with a thinner midsole. While EVA foam can take a few miles to warm up and soften, this seems rather more noticeable in the Hupana.
• Drop. The Hupana has about a 7mm drop which is rather more than I'd like. Not only does the increased drop make it more likely that I will land more towards my heel, but it produces a shoe with a lot more cushioning on the heel than the forefoot.
• Structure. This shoe is made of a single type of foam without any attempts to manipulate running form.
• Flexibility. The Hupana is somewhat inflexible, but there is a nice degree of springiness rather than simple rigidity.
• Outsole. The Hupana is all exposed foam, with no harder rubber outsole. The idea here is that the RMAT is hard wearing enough that the hard outsole is not needed. In the first hundred miles of testing, I've seen no indications of abrasion at all. The RMAT phone also has good grip on most surfaces.
• Shape. The Hupana has the typical Hoka shape, which includes a horribly constricted toe box. This is a common problem in many running shoes, and I'd recommend [Shoe Dissection| cutting open the toe box]]. (I recommend cutting open the toe box of virtually all running shoes, with the exception of a few shoes like some Altra shoes. When you have some worn out shoes, you should try cutting open the toe box. I've found that it's a big improvement, allowing my toes to move naturally and engage for toe off, as well as reducing the possibility of blisters.)
• Upper. The Hupana upper is rather strange. It's far thicker than any running shoes that I can recall, and this is reflected in a noticeable lack of breathability. Even though I've cut open the toe box, and I'm running in freezing temperatures, I'm still noticing the lack of breathability. The upper is so thick, I found that I need to completely cut away the toe box rather than leaving a flap in place. The material is rather more abrasive than many other running shoes, so I wouldn't consider running into them without socks. The upper is unpadded except for a moderate amount of foam around the ankle opening.
  
  

  The upper of the Hupana with a light inside to show the breathability (or lack thereof.)
• Tongue. The Hupana has a classic tongue rather than a tongue-less sock style of upper. The tongue has a moderate amount of soft padding and I found it to be comfortable and stay in place.
• Lacing. The Hupana uses flat laces which stay tied.
• Heel Counter. The Hupana has only a typical Heel Counter, and while it didn't cause me a problem, I much prefer shoes that do without this waste of material and weight.

Please support this site This review was made possible by readers like you buying products via my links. I buy all the products I review through normal retail channels, which allows me to create unbiased reviews free from the influence of reciprocity, or the need to keep vendors happy. It also ensures I don't get "reviewer specials" that are better than the retail versions. Buy Hoka Hupana at Zappos Buy Hoka Hupana at Road Runner Sports Buy Hoka Hupana at Kelly's Running Warehouse Buy Hoka Hupana at Charlotte Ultra Running Company

2 A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes

If you're looking for "the best of the best" running shoe, here are my top picks. Of course, the answer will depend a little on what you're looking for, so I have recommendations for various categories. Best All Round Shoe. The Altra Escalante is my current all-round favorite. It has plenty of cushioning for its weight, it has a very springy midsole, it lasts well, and it has a shape that's closer to the shape of a human foot than most shoes. It's a great shoe for any runner, including those Starting to run. It's also a fairly easy shoe to find due to its popularity. Best Maximalist Shoe: If you want something massively cushioned, then I'd recommend the Saucony Kinvara 8. It's remarkably light and remarkably cushioned, beating Hoka at their own game. Best Optimal Shoe: For those looking to trade cushioning for speed, the Nike Zoom Streak LT 3 was my top pick, but the latest version (LT 4) falls short of it's predecessor. There are lots of great optimal running shoes, which provide just enough cushioning with light weight and minimal frills, but all have their weak spots. Probably the best option at the moment is the Altra Vanish-R, which offers great cushioning for just over 5oz/150g. Fastest Shoe: If you really want speed, then check out the Nike Vaporfly 4%. It's light, massively cushioned, and has a carbon fiber plate. Nothing comes close, not even the now defunct New Balance RC5000‏‎ or New Balance RC5000v2‏‎. There are a number of caveats; it's really expensive, it's really hard to find, and there's a significant injury risk. Best Minimalist Shoe: Merrell Trail Glove. I recommend the trail glove for road running in spite of the 'trail' moniker. It's not a fast shoe by any means, but it's comfortable and will last well. All Terrain Shoe. For trail running, I've become a fan of Altra, and I think their best shoe is the the Altra Timp, though the Altra Lone Peak is really close. Honorable Mention: It's not really a running shoe, but the Vivobarefoot Ra is comfortable, minimalist and can more or less pass as a dress shoe. I've worn mine to weddings with a suit and they've not looked out of place. You can run in the Ra, but the leather means it doesn't breathe well.

For a more detailed on running shoes see the Recommendations for Best Running Shoes. This table lists the key attributes of What to Look for in Running Shoes. For more detailed information, on the shoes see detailed shoe comparison.

It's not a running shoe, but I love the Hoka Tor Ultra hiking boot and I've tested the Altra Lone Peak Boot, the Hoka Tor Speed 2, and the Inov-8 Roclite 325 hiking boots
Older shoe reviews: Saucony Hattori Review, Mizuno Cursoris Review, Skechers GO Bionic 2 Review, Hoka Clifton Review, Saucony Virrata 2 Review, Brooks PureCadence 3 Review, Brooks PureConnect 3 Review, Brooks PureFlow 3 Review, Skechers GO Bionic 2 Review, New Balance 980 Review, Brooks Transcend 2 Review, Hoka Huaka Review, Patagonia EVERlong Review, Asics 33-DFA Review, Hoka Conquest Review, Saucony Cortana Review, Puma Faas 100 R Review, Saucony Fastwitch Review, Nike Free Review, Asics Gel Lyte 33 Review, Skechers GOmeb Speed Review, Skechers GOrun Ultra Road Review, Nike LunaRacer Review, Altra Paradigm Review.