HOKA RAPA NUI  - MY NEW BFF

I drove up to Tyndrum last weekend to stay over for the Hoka Highland Fling training weekend.  I love the Highland Fling race - it was my first time on the West Highland Way, and my first proper off-road ultra.  I was lucky enough this year to have a fantastic race and finish second, just behind GB team mate Tracy Dean and good enough to make me Scottish Ultra Ultra Trail Champ.

Obligatory group photo

I rolled up on Saturday morning and met up with Lorna and Keziah who had stayed over in one of the Hobbit huts the night before.  The plan was to run over to Bein Glas and back, about 24 miles.  Hoka, who sponsor the race, had kindly come along and brought numerous boxes of brand new shoes for us to try.  I've always been pretty sceptical about the Hokas.  As a novelty though, I thought I'd give it a go and just run the 24 miles in them.  I've never really had any issues with new shoes before so I'm not very cautious in this respect.  Plus it meant I wouldn't have to clean my shoes after as we'd be running through the notorious cow poo alley.  The weather was fantastic as we set off - I got into a group with Debbie (GB and Hoka athlete), Marc Casey, Bob and Davie, and we stormed off.  

The first thing I noticed about the Hokas (once I figured out the laces - or Debbie kindly secured them for me - thanks mum :) - was just how cushioned they are, especially compared to the usual minimal type shoes I run in (Brooks PureGrit and PureFlows).  I felt like I was bouncing along.  They also looked pretty snazzy - wearing oversized shoes make your legs look skinnier I discovered :D  They are also surprisingly light - pick up a box and you might be forgiven for thinking it's empty - another surprise given the bulky look of these shoes.

Hoka Rapa Nui

I'm going to list the main preconceptions I had prior to running in Hokas along with what I actually discovered:

1. Hokas are too chunky and heavy  Yeah, they are chunky.  But they don't make you trip over your feet like I thought they would.  Sure, I kicked the inside of my ankles a couple of times - but I'm notorious for doing that anyway, even in my PureGrits (....harks back to West Highland Way Race 2012, mile 87, when I thought I would cry if I kicked my ankle one more time....).  And they are so incredibly light.  Not just for the size of them, but period!  They are actual clouds.....
2. Hokas are like platform shoes!  They are unstable to run in and make you go over your ankles / fall  Ok, they are oversized, built up, look a bit like moon boots.  But they are also surprisingly stable. I really thought I'd be going over my ankle in these shoes.  I'm so used to running in minimal type shoes now that even when I run in slightly build up ones like the Brooks Cascadia, I find myself going over my ankle more.  But, apart for a couple of wee turns (which I think was probably down to the user rather than the shoe), I had no issues at all running on the undulating terrain.  And the biggest surprise of all - the heel to toe differential is only 5mm.



Marcus Scottney (left) rocking his Hokas on the Sunday run

3. They promote heel strike and go against a minimalist running style  I like to think of myself as a minimal runner who forefoot strikes.  In reality, I'm a wannabe minimal runner who starts a run forefoot striking but progressively heel strikes as I get tired.  Anyway, Hokas do not promote heel strike.  I had an interesting conversation with GB international and Hoka athlete Marcus Scotney who I ran with on the Sunday (at his "easy pace" aka my 10k race pace.....jeeez) and who has a very obvious forefoot running style. Things I had read about Hoka talked about the shoes promoting a rocking motion, which I automatically interpreted as landing on your heel and rolling onto your forefoot.  But you really can run with a minimal style - the heel to toe differential as mentioned above is only 5 mm (not too different from the 4mm I've got used to with the Brooks  PureGrits) so much less than I thought.  It's basically minimalist running but with cushioning!  And when I do get tired and start to heel strike more.....the rocking action still propels me forward. Genius.

So, in conclusion, I've been proven wrong.  Hokas are actually very cool and practical.  They allow me to still run with a minimal style, with the added bonus that I feel like I am actually saving my joints.  I probably wouldn't wear them on a seriously technical and muddy/hilly run, but for more trail type runs they are perfect.  Where I think they will really come into their own is on longer ultras of 100 miles plus, and on roads. I'm thinking 24 hour events and how much my joints would thank me for enveloping my feet in a pair.  Maybe the next 24H I do will be in a pair of Hokas......time to write to Santa.