Ran dirt roads and ridge trails.
The Hoka test went very well. They really feel like 4WD shoes. Usually I pick my way, trying to find the smoothest route in rough areas, but when there are just smaller rocks, no reason to do that at all in these shoes. Pretty amazing. So the next worry is, but that means you don't feel the trail as well with your feet. Will you twist ankles more? I don't think so because the stability of the shoe is great. I can still feel the trail, but I just don't feel the smaller rocks, I feel the bigger rocks that could cause me to twist. So I discount that worry.
Tripping? I think I may trip less. The toe kind of angles up. My problem is always catching the left toe while bringing it forward. The jury is still out on this one.
Blisters. Feels very good, didn't feel hot spots.
Wide enough? I have sesmoid problems, and need a wide shoe. These might put too much pressure on them, but I can probably make adjustments with the insole to get more room if needed.
Foot protection. Wow! I expect foot fatigue to really go down. They protected my problem tendon insertion point very well.
Toe Box. Plenty of room. I usually run in size 10. I got a 10 1/2 because I wanted more room in the toes. The heels slip a little but I solved that with some tape in the shoe behind the heel.
Shoe laces. Feels good, and you can change the tention fine.
Downhill running. I tested them out on some pretty rugged stuff in the dark. I can tell right away that they will help increase my confidence on the downhill. I felt very in control.
Speed on the flats. Yep, these shoes are light.
Hill climbing? I had no real issues. On the very steep stuff the shoes creased against my big toes but I expect that to go away as the shoes are broken in.
So, so far, thumbs up. If they hold up for 600 miles, they are worth the price.
Mud and water? From all that I hear, this is not a shoe to use during a muddy, wet race like Big Horn 100. They don't have the mud traction you need nor do they dry out fast enough. I plan to only use them for dry stuff. They would have worked fine for Wasatch and Bear. | 