The Great Hoka Experiement

I have been on the hunt for the perfect shoe for a while. My Brooks Cascadias have been sufficient for trail runs, but not perfect. They are stiff and sometimes downright uncomfortable. I have been intrigued to try the Hoka Kool-Aid. It seems that everyone that wears them swears by them.

On 10/26 I bought a pair of Stinson Evo Tarmac Hokas. I usually wear my running shoes a size bigger than normal. That didn't seem to work, so they put me in an even bigger size. At the store they felt great. I liked the "springy" nature of the shoe and how it felt on the short run outside the store.

The next day I ran in them again, and hated them. They were too big and sloppy. They uppers felt huge and rubbed on the top of my foot. My heels slid around. I put them back in the box and decided Hokas may not work for my feet. I was pretty disapointed.

Fast forward to today, my first opportunity to go back to Laces Running Company in Poway, where I bought the shoes. The store manager (Mike) brought me the same shoe, in 1/2 a size smaller. (They didn't have this size when I was there last week).

The uppers were a huge improvement and the shoes felt all round more like they fit. I took them out for a run again and my heels were sliding pretty terribly. We tried lacing them tighter and that just made my foot throb.

As I was talking to Mike, he came up with an idea. He laughed that there was nothing duct tape won't fix, and went to work. This is what he came up with:

He added these little elastics and extra laces to hold my foot in place.

The shoe on the left has the added support. Shoe on right does not. See the difference?

I ran again, to compare the two different laces. It was a great solution. My heels don't slide, my feet stay put, and I have the benefit of the ultra comfy Hoka ride.

I will put them to the real test this week when I put some miles on them. I hope I love them. I hope they are for me what they have been for so many. I really want to love them!

I have to say that I was very impressed with the time and energy Mike spent making me happy. He didn't charge me for the extra laces or the Swixx elastics. He told me to come back if they don't work and we'll try something else. I left the store very optimistic. If these aren't the answer, I know I can go back and try again. 

Stay tuned for the full review!

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Update 11/13/12

I tried. I really did. I tried to love them. I wanted so badly to love them. It just wasn't meant to be. The cushioned ride of the Hokas is amazing. I loved the way my feet and legs felt running in them. The uppers are the problem. They are too big and bulky. I could feel them while I ran. As you ultra experts know, the more miles I put on them, the more that feeling would be exasperated. Mile 70 is not when I want to find out the shoes are a nightmare.

SO... I took them back. I gave back the kool-aid. Maybe a different design down the road will be better. Laces has a small selection and nothing that worked. Mike offered to call me to join him the next time the Hoka rep was in his store. I just may take him up on that. For now though, it is back to Brooks.