Changes

The [http://www.zappos.com/hoka-one-one Hoka] shoes started the 'maximum cushioning, minimum drop' style of shoe with their thick, softly cushioned soles. They reduce the pounding on the soles of your feet, but they are not without their downsides. The Hokas are one of my [[Shoes| recommended running shoesHoka Clifton]]is one of the most impressive shoes I've come across recently, but I think the [[Altra Olympus]]/[[Altra Paradigm]] is with remarkable levels of cushioning at a 'better Hoka'light weight. I've included some recommendations to help you evaluate if Hokas are right for you.

Hoka One One, pronounced "Hoka O-nay O-nay", means "now it is time to fly" in [http://www.maoridictionary.co.nz/index.cfm?dictionaryKeywords=hoka&search.x=0&search.y=0&n=1&idiom=&phrase=&proverb=&loan= | Maori]. These shoes have midsoles that are much thicker and softer than traditional shoes. The soles are also wider to prevent the higher soles making the shoes unstable, like stilts. However, the sole is not as thick as it appears from the outside, as you can see from the image below. The foam in the midsole comes up the sides of the shoe much higher.{| <gallery widths=300px heights=300px class="wikitable" |- valign="topcenter">|[[File:HokaHalfs.JPG|none|thumb|400px|The Hoka Bondi cut in half, showing the outside and inside views. You can see that the midsole foam is a lot higher on the outside than the inside.]]|[[File:ShoeHalfs.JPG|none|thumb|400px|This image compares the Hokas with other shoes.]]|- valign="top"|[[File:HokaRocker.jpg|none|thumb|400px|Here the outline of the foam midsole has been highlighted in red. This helps reveal how the Hoka midsole narrows at the front and back to create a 'rocker' effect, making it easier for your foot to roll. ]]|[[File:HokaOlympusSlice.JPG|none|thumb|400px|A comparison between the Altra Olympus and Bondi. You can see the difference in the way the midsole tapers towards the front of the shoe.]]|}</gallary>

* The Hokas have far less of a drop between the heel and forefoot than a traditional shoe. The Hokas have claim 3-4.5mm of drop, but measurements suggest it's more like 6mm. Compared with a traditional running shoe like the [[Asics GT 2000 ]] which has 9mm tend to have 9-14mm of drop, the Hokas seem quite flat. I've found that running in Hokas is a little like running barefoot on a padded track, which is quite impressive.* The Hokas are remarkably light for their size, and other than the Mafete, they are comparable with a slightly heavier traditional running shoe. The [[Hoka Clifton]] is actually quite a light shoe and comparable with some [[Minimalist Running Footwear| minimalist shoeshoes]]s.* The thick sole tapers from the forefoot to the front of the shoe, creating an effect that encourages a good forward lean and toe off. I've been surprised how much this has helped my biomechanics. (See the section on 'meta-rocker' below.)

* Even though the cushioning of the Hokas is far softer than other shoes, the thickness makes them quite stiff. This reduces the natural flexing of the foot, but it also puts extra stress on some areas of your foot. The skin on the back of the heel has more friction and the tendons under where the laces are tied have more pressure. I've found that [[Lacing]] the Hokas loosely limits the tendon stress, and my [[Blister Prevention and Socks| favored sock combination]] mitigates the [[Blister Prevention| friction]].

[[File:Hoka Blisters.jpg|nonecenter|thumb|300px|An image of a runner with the distinctive Hoka blister pattern I saw at the [[2013 Umstead 100]].]]

[[File:Hoka.jpg|nonecenter|thumb|300px|Click for a larger image.]]

# Try one of the trail Hokas, like the [http://www.zappos.com/hoka-one-one-stinson-evo-grey-white-red Stinson Evo] or even the [http://www.zappos.com/hoka-one-one-mafate-2-citrus-anthracite-white Hoka Mafate 2]] if you want more protection(it's an outstanding trail shoe).

I'd suggest getting your shoes from somewhere with free shipping both ways, like [http://www.zappos.com/ Zappos], who also have one of the best selections of Hoka shoes I've found. (While [http://www.roadrunnersports.com/ Road Runner Sports] has the advantage of letting you run in shoes and still return them for an exchange, they don't stock Hokasbut the return shipping is not free.)

[[File:HokaOlympusSlice.JPG|nonecenter|thumb|x300px|A comparison between the Altra Olympus and Hokas.]]While Hoka was the first company to produce the Minimax Maximalist style of shoe, but Altra has started to produce comparable shoes. The Altra key selling points are zero drop (no high heel) and a shape that matches the human foot. Initially the Altra shoes were minimalist, with thin, firm midsoles, but they have introduced some thicker, softly cushioned shoes such as the [[Altra Olympus]]. At the same time, Hoka has moved to thinner, firmer shoes such as the Rapi Nui, Conquest or huaka. I've run in both Hoka and Altra shoes, even swapping between them during 100 miles races. As you can see from the picture of the dissected shoes above, the shoes are quite similar, but the Hoka has a much more abrupt taper of the midsole at the front of the shoe. By comparison the Altra tapers more gradually from further back. I find the Altra a better Minimax Maximalist shoe than the Hoka range, but things may change as each manufacturer evolves (or devolves) their product range. [[File:HokaOrAltra.png|nonecenter|thumb|500px300px|A tongue-in-cheek look at the different shapes of the Hoka and Altra shoes.]]=Comparison The Meta-Rocker=Because of the Shoes in the their thickness, Hoka Range=Here's shoes have to have more of a short summer taper towards the front of the shoes in shoe. They call this the Hoka range.* 'meta-rocker''[[Hoka Clifton]]'''. This newer shoe has replaced the Bondi is my favorite and place it in various different parts of the Hoka rangeshoe depending on model. It feels just like A late meta-rocker has a Bondi, but is significantly lightermore abrupt taper under the toes, and early meta-rocker has a little more durablegradual taper starting just behind the ball of the foot, and the balanced meta-rocker is in between. Like all HokasHowever, even the Bondi early meta-rocker has a horribly small toe box, it's easily [[Shoe Modifications| modified]]far more abrupt and late taper than some of the Altra shoes.* '''[[Hoka Bondi]]File:CliftonStinson.''' Until Hoka produced the Clifton, the various Bondi shoes (Bondi B, Bondi 2, Bondi 3 and Bondi Speed) were my favorites. * '''JPG|center|thumb|300px|The [[Hoka Stinson]].''' The Stinson is above, which has a little heavier and thicker than late meta-rocker with the Bondi variants, and is available in road (Lite) and trail (ATR) versions.* '''[[Hoka Mafate| Hoka Mafate SpeedClifton]]that has an early meta-rocker.''' The Mafate is a huge shoeIf you look at the front of the midsoles, and you can see the heaviest and thickest blue foam of the HokasStinson tapers rapidly and more extremely. ]]=The Hoka Range=Hoka have started to use a new type of foam called [[RMAT]] that lasts much longer than traditional EVA foam, but it's heavier and much firmer. The result is a shoe that looks like the usual Hoka, but is far too firm. You can find shoes weighting the same that are vastly softer, or shoes that are similar in cushioning that are vastly lighter. I avoid any Hoka that uses RMAT in the midsole, but RMAT can also be used in the outsole, where it can provide remarkable grip on pretty much any surface. (Some of the Hoka range are only available through specialty running stores, while others are targeted at large chains like sporting goods stores or department stores.)* '''[[Hoka Clayton 2]]'''. The Clayton just edges out the Clifton as my favorite Hoka, though it's really close. Both are reasonably light, and have outstanding cushioning-to-weight ratios. They're both nicely neutral and smooth to run in, but the Clayton trades slightly less cushioning for slightly less weight. However, there're more to it than simply a cut down Clifton. The Clayton's outsole is RMAT, which includes:provides better grip, especially in the wet. However, because RMAT is heavier than EVA, the Clayton's upper is rather more minimalist than the Clifton, so some runners may prefer the added comfort of the Clifton. Like all Hokas, the Clayton has a horribly small toe box, it's easily [[Shoe Modifications| modified]]. * '''[[Hoka ConquestClifton 3]].''' While this . The Clifton was a breakthrough shoe for Hoka, and was the bestselling running shoe at Running Warehouse in 2014. It feels just like an early Bondi, but is as big significantly lighter, and heavy as a little more durable. The Clifton and its variants are all have an early meta-rocker.** '''Challenger ATR'''. This is the trail version of the awesome [[Hoka BondiClifton]], but it doesn't have much more aggressive outsole than most road shoes, so look to the overly firm RMAT foam ruins the Mafate if you want a trail shoe.** '''[[Hoka HuakaOdyssey]].''' The Huaka, like Odyssey is superficially identical to the conquestClifton, uses RMAT but with a thicker sole (35/30mm) and firmer foam that . The Odyssey is hard wearing, but excessively firmsold in larger chain stores.* '''[[Hoka Rapa Nui 2.Tracer]]''' . The Rapa Nui 2 tracer is lightera firmer shoe, thinner and with a little cheaper worse weight-to-cushioning ratio than the other Hokasbetter Hoka shoes. You'd get more cushioning from the [[New Balance RC5000v2]] which weighs only 4.0oz. It's a good shoe, but it's not one of the greats. (I found it even know this is "damned with faint praise", but this really is a good shoe.)* '''[[Hoka Bondi| Hoka Bondi 5]].''' Until Hoka produced the Clifton, the Bondi was my favorite Hoka. They were well cushioned and lighter weight than you'd expect for their size, but later iterations seem to be firmer than and they are rather heavy when compared to the ConquestClifton or Clayton. The Bondi has an early meta-rocker. * '''[[Adidas Energy BoostHoka Mafate]] feels far more cushioned to me.''' The Mafate is a huge shoe, though it does not offer and the same level heaviest and thickest of protection from stones or uneven surfacesthe Hokas. The latest iteration is great on pretty much any surface, including roads, mud, cobblestones, and slick rocks. * '''[[Hoka Stinson]].''' The Stinson is a little heavier and thicker than the Bondi variants, and is now only available in trail (ATR) versions. The Stinson is one of the few Hoka has announced some new road shoes which should be available soonthat have a late meta-rocker. The Stinson is now on its fourth version and is a heavy shoe (way too heavy for me.) I'd recommend using the Clifton/Clayton for mild trails, as well as updates to the Conquest Challenger for moderate trails, and Bondi 3the Mafate for anything needing more traction. * '''Challenger ATR[[Hoka Hupana]]'''. The Hupana is uses the [[RMAT]] foam for the entire sole, not just the outsole like some other Hokas. This has the advantage that the Hupana lasts rather longer than shoes with EVA cushioning, but it also makes the shoe less cushioned for its weight than EVA shoes. The Hupana is fairly light, but you can get a much lighter shoe than the trail version of Hupana with the same cushioning. If you want longevity, I'd recommend looking for a TPU foam shoe like the awesome [[Hoka CliftonAltra Escalante]]rather than RMAT. * '''ConstantHoka Vanquish'''. This looks The latest version, the Vanquish 3, uses two layers of EVA foam, with a softer layer over a firmer layer. The Vanquish is rather heavier than I'd like a , but I may test this shoe in more detail; let me know if you're interested.* '''Hoka is trying Arahi/Gaviota'''. These shoes are intended to interfere with your biomechanics, aiming to add reduce pronation. The Gaviota has more intrusive mechanisms, using an RMAT medial post, making it more of a "motion control" shoe, while the Arahi uses firmer EVA foam in its medial post to prevent pronation. [[The Science I'm not a fan of this type of Running Shoes]] has shown these techniques are ineffectiveapproach, and more likely the typical Hoka tends to have enough passive stability without resorting to cause problems can helpmedial posts. I* '''Speedgoat'''d expect . This shoe is named after Karl Meltzer and his race, the [http://karlmeltzer.com/speedgoat-50k/ Speedgoat 50K]. It's a true trail shoe to be less cushioned , with 5mm lugs on a Vibram outsole. With a 30/35mm stack height it's a little shorter than the Mafate and heavierit's lighter, especially but even with my obsession with weight I'd go for the inclusion Mafate because of the dreaded its sticky [[RMAT]]outsole. * '''Hiking Boots. '''Hoka have started to produce hiking boots that look impressive. They all have a minimal drop, and use an eVent waterproof liner. This promises I don't think I'd want to run far in these, but I will be picking up a truly awful shoepair for my next hiking trip. ** '''ValorTor Summit. '''. This is lowest of the range, and is more of a Hoka with hiking shoe than a 30mm midsole, but no other details are availableboot. Given that most Hoka shoes are around 30mm this doesn't give much idea of what It has the shoe will beRMAT outsole, so it should stick well.** '''VanquishTor Summit Mid.'''. To me, This is a version of the description "responsive performance road running shoe" translates to "heavy and overly firm". There are some suggestions Summit that this is comes up the ankle a Conquest with little further and so provides a different upperlittle more protection from water coming over the top.** '''Odyssey. [[Hoka Tor Ultra]]'''The description as ". This is a lightweight, smooth-riding road shoe" high top hiking boot and is what styled a little more like a modified Hoka say about all their shoesrunning shoe than a traditional hiking boot. The only useful bit of information available is the price tank of $130I'm really impressed with this boot, cheaper and it's far better than many of the any other I've tried. =The Best Hokas={{FastBlr|hoka-one-one/clifton-2-1062|1062|Hoka Clifton 2}}{{FastBlr|hoka-one-one/mafate-speed-1085|1085|Hoka One One Mafate Speed}}{{FastBlr|hoka-one-one/bondi-4-1083|1083|Hoka shoes. One One Bondi 4}}