I good luck with some, and bad blistering with others (often simply going to the "newer and better" version of the same model)- eventually I switched over to Altra for base mile and trail shoes and a certain bouncy shoe which cannot be named for racing.

I have also had good outcomes with some Hokas and not so good with others. I've had them in the rotation for about 6 years. I'm a 40 year runner, mid 50's, on the heavy side for my height, coach college runners part-time. Traditionally I like lightweight/flexible shoes - my favorites over the last couple decades have been the Brooks Burn, Reebok Inferno, Asics Gel Lyte. As a daily trainer for the past 5 years or so I've been in the Brooks Ghost. I got a pair of the Hoka Bondi 2 when they came out, through a race production sponsorship, and was very skeptical at first because they are not flexible and they were such a major change from what I had been wearing. But from the first run I liked them because of the profile of the sole - it allowed me to easily roll up onto the ball of my foot during my stride. A graded shoe.

The next year I got a pair of the Hoka Huaka, They were okay for me, not great. I felt that the slightly lower profile combined with the less drop (compared to the Bondi 2) had me feeling like I was running flat footed. They were more work to run in but did okay. The upper fell apart fairly quickly (big rips). I'll give this model a C grade.

Then I went to a pair of the Bondi 4. These are my favorite Hokas to date. They had the good sole profile, plus they were more durable for me than the 2's were. A+ grade.

Next year I got a pair of the Hoka Speed Instincts. That was supposed to be a trail shoe. I thought it would be good for me because I do a lot of fast hiking with some running thrown in. Nope, bad call. The upper was way too stretchy and sized at least a full size larger than marked, made descending a major chore. But I wore them for job 3 which is 8 hour shifts on my feet and they felt decent for that. D grade

Back to the Bondis this year, Bondi 6. This model isn't really doing it for me. It's okay. The sole seems flatter than previous Bondis, it doesn't put me as far forward. It's been decent for slower paced training runs. C+ grade. Maybe a B- if I'm feeling generous.

I recently got a pair of the original Mach on closeout. So far I'm liking this one. It's a lot lower profile than the Bondis, but feels like more drop than the Huakas. Not a lot of miles on it yet but I'm liking it. Preliminary grade is an A.

I've run in a lot of different brands over the years. I don't think I've ever been so hot and cold on a brand. The Hokas I like I really really like. The ones I don't seem way below mediocre.

johnnybefit- This is exactly what happened to me wearing the Hoka's. The top area of the arch in the forefoot, where there is a little bony area. And it is still bugging me a week later. It feels like it is moving around when I walk after sitting for a while, then feels ok. Did you ever recover? What did the sport med doc say? Thanks.

I did recover when I stopped wearing them and switched back to Brooks Glycerins. The doc said it was the way the Hoka locks the foot in place was causing an unnatural twist when I ran. I loved the cushioning but the built in stability control was not for me. If Hoka built a truly neutral shoe without this built in stability I would consider it but I went through a lot of pain because it was not the shoe for me.
John

Hokas were too narrow in the forefoot for me. I run in Altras now and love them.

I have clifton 6 - bought them for slow runs - and like the cushioning - however the insole edge bothers my arch and after 10-12km i get a small blister forming...

wonder wehnthe i can cut out the insole - bit worried might make it worse

2 years ago I bought the clifton 5's: I ran them a couple of times (16 miles total) and got bad blisters under the arch on both feet. I've been running for almost 30 years, used almost any brand on the market, and never suffered from blisters before. I got rid of the hoka's and never looked back

I'm having the same problem but it oddly didn't develop right away it started after several months.

Hoka's don't work for me. I don't like the heel drop and the toe box is too wide. I have a narrow foot and have to use something like Brooks or Nike. The Hoka cushy feel is nice but the fit was all wrong for me.

I've found that the fit and shape from one Hoka model to another can be wildly different. I first tried on a pair of Cavu's a couple of years ago on the recommendation of my local running store, and loved them instantly. I've been running in Cavu's ever since. I was in an REI about a year ago and they were blowing out some Cliftons so I figured they'd be equally aweosme. I must have tried on 2-3 different sizes and HATED all of them.

The Hoka Mafates also killed my feet! I have been walking and running in them for a couple of weeks, and every tine I take them off, the bones in my feet feel like they need to settle back into place. My feet are hurting so much that I have gone back to my old worn out pair of Brooks and am sending the Hokas back to the company. They offered me a gift card to buy, you guessed it, another pair of Hoka shoes!

did you think they were going to offer you a gift card to buy some nikes?

of all the hokas you could've gotten, i wonder why you chose the mafate. that shoe is more like a battleship than any other hoka. if you run on the road, you might want to use your gift cert for a lighter road show. carbon x. mach 4. what do you have to lose?

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I chose the Mafates because that is what the Running Company offered when I told them I spend more time to on trails than on the road. Maybe they are too stable, like you said.

i run exclusively offroad (except when i race), and i run exclusively in hokas. but run exclusively in road shoes. the features of offroad shoes that make them offroad i don't need. i don't run through rivers. i don't climb up steep muddy hillsides. i just run on dirt. there are road shoes that aren't good offroad shoes, for sure, but i think the Mach 4 is just a terrific shoe (it's a surprise hit for hoka) and i've run in that shoe offroad for sure. but that shoe is a little bit light for me (or i'm heavy for it), so i'm currently running in the bondi X, which is not due out for sale until october. but let's say you're 130 pounds. the Mach 4 may be a very good shoe, even for offroad. here's a pic of the outsole of the Mach 4, and it's almost the same footprint as the bondi X, which is a pretty big shoe.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

When I 1st got the Mach 4s I went on a snowy rocky mountain run in them brand new. 2 hours. I was amazed that a soft road shoe with a slick looking tread did so well. I was sold! Rincon and Mach 4 are my training shoes on area surface or terrain.

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David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

After many high hamstring tendonopathy issues & a torn soleus back around 2014/15 I finally went to HOKA for the relief in pounding and extra protection. At first it helped. Then over time, I found out it did a couple things not good...the drop was such that I developed several other issues that eventually became injuries. I was on Adidas before that without issues. One of the issues I found was that the high amount of cushion seemed to screw with my natural run stride. In short, the SHOES were doing some of the natural spring work of the legs and I was running differently & getting sore joints from a more straight legged landing/push-off. Despite more cushion, yes, even sore calves were coming into play. I really think they take away from your natural run form to a degree--some of that could be the drop change as well.

I went back to an 8 drop shoe and all the issues magically cleared up in 1-1.5 months and I haven't looked back. Although I'm using Nike now, for example, Tempo & Peg T2, the lack of arch support can cause issues as well...so I change up with my orthotics & Vomeros which have a more robust chassis to support good running form. Also, the "carbon plate" stiffness I've found will actually cause my toe joints to be achy if I don't rotate the shoes. Going back to a non-plated shoe solves some of the pronation and sore toe issues due to that extra support. I can't use the orthotics in the Tempo as the insoles are glued in unlike the Vomero & Peg T2. The othrotics I have are semi-custom made for running, from a place called "gravitusinsoles" based in Evergreen, Colorado. I usually use them whenever I start feeling my technique getting sloppy but the HOKA concept while cushy, just makes things worse for me. Don't let the shoes do the running action for you, make sure you keep that natural "spring" in your stride. Not saying it will happen to you, but from my 4 pair of HOKAs I've had (Clifton 2 & 3, the racer whatever that was called --yellow and black, and Bondi 5)...I plan on steering clear of the HOKA brands from my experience with all of them. The worst shoes I've ever owned were in fact, a tie between the HOKA Bondi 5 or the Adidas Marathon Trainer back in the 80's.