Hoka

Tecton X 3

Men's

The volume of the shoe is perfect and fits true to size for me. In many narrow shoes I need to size up 1/2 a size, but these work for my somewhat wider feet very well. I especially love the roomy toe box and stretchy vamp which adapts well over longer efforts. I have used these for a 40 mile technical run in the Sierras. I had zero issues with blisters and never needed to readjust anything. It is amazing to not get any rocks in the shoes due to the built in gaiters. I use these for any runs longer than 10 miles. I would probably use them for every run if they weren't so expensive. Compared to the Tecton X 2s, these are way more comfortable and plush. The 2s gave me serious lace bite issues going downhill but I have zero issues with the 3s even though there isn't a tongue. It's magic. I also feel that the 3s are faster than the 2s and I definitely feel the supershoe sensation from the 3s. I think the 3s are strictly better than the 2s. These shoes are also ridiculously fast downhill. I have a lot confidence running downhill in these and the plushness helps take the edge off the muscles when running faster on steeper descents. These are also not too stiff when running uphill. Some other plated shoes feel counterproductive when running at grades of 15% or more. These feel no worse than my favorite nonplated trail shoes (Saucony Xodus Ultra 1s). My only minor complaint is that I have punctured the exposed foam between the arch and heel. This was likely due to some sharp jagged rocks. Small rocks started collecting in the puncture hole. I fixed this by stuffing some packing foam into the hole and haven't had any issues since. I can't comment on the water absorption that some folks are complaining about since I haven't submerged them.

Bought these to pace someone during their 100M effort and then subsequently used them for a R3 excursion. Plush the whole way on all efforts. I've had some wider toe box shoes recently so these felt a little narrow but that caused no issues. The amount of cushion, depth of lugs, and sock like gaiter combined for an unbelievable foot experience. These shoes are so comfortable and I'd say they're not just for "trail racing" like they're engineered for. I'm a slow mid packer at best and these work great in a slog, grind it out, just get to the finish line ultra marathon, just as much as a run fast mountain 10k. These are a little less stable than some shoes I've worn and I do think you need to feel them out for a while to know what to expect and how quickly you can take switch backs but that's a small concession. I would definitely these so far. I'm about 100 miles run in them and so far durability is good. Typically my Hoka foams deflate within about 200-250 miles so we'll see how durable these end up being but so far so good.

These shoes were so comfortable right out of the box. I was really intrigued by the gaiter because I tend to get quite a few pebbles in my shoes on my long runs on our local trails. No more stopping to clean out my shoes! The gaiter is super functional, but also makes the shoe so comfortable. It hugs the foot well without being tight. This eliminates the need for a runner's knot or lace bite from having to really cinch down the laces. The shoe seems stable on the steep and technical trails and really wants to cruise on the flowy single track. In addition to the carbon plate making the miles go by faster and easier, it acts like a rock plate, dampening the force of landing on sharp, pointed rocks and roots. Overall, I couldn't be happier with this purchase.

I have a ton of Hoka shoes including the Tecton x2. Totally different feel. Legs, feet, knees love these shoes on rock and asphalt mix roads. Great job.