[wildernessed]

I came across the lightweight, flexible, cushioned Hokaa One One Tor Mid hiker while browsing the internet last November. I had a pair of Hokaa Stinson Tarmac maximalist running shoes which I switched out to from my Brooks Ravenna 5's when I needed some extra cushioning from impacts after hiking, backpacking, or just plain running more with old legs. Thinking to myself I wondered if they made road and trail runners did they make a hiker and I found this video.

Looked good so I scanned the internet not finding much more than that video at the time only to discover that those hikers were not available in the U.S. I changed Google to a shopping search and found the hiking shoes on Amazon where an independent retailer in England was selling them through Amazon and in no time they were at my front door. I started wearing them in December 2014 and have put about 45 hiking trips on them encompassing hundreds of miles, tens of thousands of feet of elevation gain, every type of terrain ( on and off trail with microspikes and snowshoes class 1-3, mud, snow, dirt, scree, talus, boulders etc...) I have hiked to a jog and even ran with them in a day pack and they have been about the best boot I have ever worn, maybe the best in the end. The Tor Mid I purchased weighed just 12 oz. each (remember a lb. on your feet equals 5-6 lbs. in your pack) had a tough fabric upper with an Event lining and a vibram sole with some good size lugs on them. My feet never got wet submerged in snow, in puddles, or with light rain, the upper and laces are in near the same shape as when I originally put them on. My feet were never uncomfortable, my ankles were well supported, I never had a blister going up steep inclines even off trail, and the cushioning was something I had never experienced in another hiker. I never felt a rock or any protruberance through the soles. Your foot sinks down into the foam so your not riding on top of a stiff sole your feet are sitting in it and the shoe conforms to your foot just as the malleable sole conforms to the terrain underneath leaving you with more sole in contact with the ground vs. traditional boots. I absolutely love these hikers which are also used as runners but now six months in I think I wore the foam out much like leather and the soles seem to have lost some of their structure. About the only noticeable con I can think of is while side hilling on steep terrain the fabric upper and sole don't seem as secure as you might want but you could level that claim against quite a few thin leather, or especially leather / fabric boots. The boots in there current form are not available anymore except overseas where they are being closed out to make way for Hokaa's new Mountain series which will offer both leather / fabric hybrid low, mid, and high top boots and a solid leather version to. The release date in the U.S. for these boots is July 2015 and while there is limited information on the boots right now there is some.

Hokaa One One Goes Hiking Hokaa One One Ultra High WP information TOR SPEED WP (old version I am reviewing) Tor Speed Description / Information on ultramarathonrunner.com

[I'm Pysht]

How would you characterize the toe box (narrow, wide, neutral)?

[wildernessed]

[wildernessed]

[DIYSteve]

I have lots of miles on Hoka running shoes, use them for all my road and trail running. FWIW, I have needed to repair all the uppers of my 4 pairs of Hokas. A local shop owner advised that these Hoka hikers would be hitting the market.

[mike]

[Randito]

One of my ski buddies busted his ankle trail running in One Ones - the thick soft soles cushion the impact, but I think they also demand a tiny bit closer attention to foot placement . Of course as Whymper once said "Look well each step.."

[DIYSteve]

Interesting. My Hokas don't seem to promote ankle roll any more than other trail shoes. I have est. 2,000 miles on Hokas and AFAIR have never rolled an ankle in them. Although Hoka shoe midsoles look thick from the outside, the foot is positioned down in a cradle.

[wildernessed]

I found the Hokaa One One Tor Speed Mid on Ebay via a retailer ordered a pair to hold me over until the Mountain series new versions come out. About 100.00 cheaper and brand new. This one is a leather upper or so it says, looks the same. Bonus Music video !

[Slide Alder Slayer]

Just purchased my first pair of Hokas!

[wildernessed]

Have another pair of the old version (2014) that should be here any day that were 100.00 off and preordered the 2015 new Mountain series high top.

[wildernessed]

Best of Gear 2015 Retailers Show

[DIYSteve]

to Andrew's Skurka's comment re allegedly "waterproof" shoes and the guy calling out the "Best of Gear" FAIL re Kingpin binding. Again, FTR, I like my Hoka running shoes. Too bad they junked this up with an ePTFE membrane.

[wildernessed]

I think it's the same membrane I used all Winter and Spring without getting wet feet in snow, ice, rain, mud with microspikes and snowshoes and the older version Tors were fabric. I would wait for experienced reviews before criticizing them.

[DIYSteve]

So, is this Hoka ePTFE membrane different from the 10+ pairs of ePTFE membrane footwear I've used, all of which quickly failed and didn't breathe worth a damn? If not, Skurka and I need not wait for reviews of this specific application to opine that ePTFE footwear sucks.