Anyone with narrow feet hack your Hokas?

Triathlon Forum
1

First run in Cliftons felt great, but with runs 2 and 3 the shoe is stretching and left-right lace holes are nearly touching and my foot (heel) still slips around in the shoe. Cornering or running downhill feels awful.

This stretching happens with every shoe I wear, but to a much much lesser degree.

I ain’t gonna be able to tie these any tighter as is. Tried an extra insole, no help and just gets me higher up and a little more of that tipsy foot feeling.

My running is all road. Cliftons seemed to be the perfect long run shoes.

If I can get my heel locked in I’ll be happy. Snug, no-slide heel with roomy toes is perfect.

Any lacing tricks anyone uses for situations like this?

Poke an extra lace hole near the ankle?

Something more extreme?

Give up and return 'em? These felt so good I’d hate to do that, but any rec’s on another model to try? Bondi’s and Rapa Nui did not feel good in the store. Kinvara’s are not good for me.

2

How’s the length? Sizing down may be an option.

3

You can try this:

http://asimplehabit.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Heel-Lace.jpg

If that doesn’t work, you can poke an extra hole (I don’t know why the Clifton doesn’t come with the heel lock hole already), and try this:

http://sportsmed.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/heel-lock.jpg
.

4

I’ll give that lacing a try first, but may be poking those extra holes soon.

Length with the 11.5 size I have is good. Could maybe go smaller, but I’m not sure sizing down would even give me a narrower shoe, width may be same.

5

Do those heel cups ever work for you? I agree with your thinking that if the heel was locked in, that the rest would probably be fine. What do you do for street shoes when not training?

6

I Too have narrow feet. The Cliftons feel like there is an apt room in the toe box. I haven’t done more than 6 miles in them, but I kinda like them now

7

Anyone hack their Hoka’s to make the toe box larger?

8

Anyone hack their Hoka’s to make the toe box larger?

I switched to Altra’s instead, much more comfortable toebox.

9

I made my toe box larger by not crossing the laces. The laces go straight across and don’t make Xs on the way up.

The way the laces go up is underneath on the undersides. Start off BAU and then on one side go up one hole underneath and then straight over. On the other side go up two holes and then straight over. Continue to go up. At the top it might come out even if the number of holes are right or you can tweak it at the top.

Arthur Lydiard thought this method of shoe lacing kept the pressure off the metatarsals. The shoe feels like a slipper and the toe box seems wider too.

10

Anyone hack their Hoka’s to make the toe box larger?

I switched to Altra’s instead, much more comfortable toebox.

Love my Altra’s, but would like to get some use out of the Hoka’s :slight_smile:
.

11

Or simply use the normal lacing pattern but alternate over/under with the laces so you can pull the sides a little closer together.

As shown here (and there may be other good ideas at this site) → http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/overunderlacing.htm

12

Anyone hack their Hoka’s to make the toe box larger?

I switched to Altra’s instead, much more comfortable toebox.

So did I, and Hoka has noticed.

Out this week - The Hoka “Constant” (high volume toe box). Look forward to trying them out.

13

I’ve never tried a heel cup insert. For work, over years I have found a couple pairs of dress shoes that work well with run shoe insoles inserted. Otherwise I walk around in retired Asics DS racers, train in same for runs under 90mins. They’re a good skinny foot shoe.