Hoka One One made a brilliant strategic decision to focus on marketing a unique product: a thick'n'wide-soled all-terrain running shoe that's relatively light-weight. As painful injuries due to the current minimal shoe craze skyrocket, more runners are forced to look for creative solutions.
In the video below, ultrarunner Karl Meltzer talks about his love affair with Hoka shoes. It seems they are married for life now.
I hardly go out for a run without my Bondi B's these days. I've logged over a thousand kilometers in them, and they are still as good as new, if not better. A lesser shoe would be finished by now, but I expect to squeeze another 1000K out of them. Hokas may seem expensive, but they will be good value for money in the long run.
I completely agree with the Bondi B review below, but I'd add one more thing: if you have plantar fasciitis, some runners (myself included) have gotten rid of it with a little help from Hoka. The new colors look great for sure, but the shoe design has stayed essentially the same.
Especially if you're planning to run any ultras, keep an open mind and give Hokas a fair chance. By the way, now would be a perfect time to buy new shoes, as shops are clearing their shelves for new 2012 spring models. For example all current Hokas are on sale at the Mountainshop.com in Chamonix. If you choose Bondi B, I'd size up a half. I have no experience with the other models yet, but a pair of Mafates is already on its way to me.
No comments:
Post a Comment