Hoka One One (pronounced hoka owe-nay owe-nay) is a phrase from the ancient Maori language that means, roughly, "now it is time to fly." This is also a relatively new brand name in the running shoe market.
Our Hoka shoe rep showed (shoed?) at our Monday running group with some demo shoes to try. They look bulky, a little gimmicky, and definitely grab your attention as they sit on the wall. But you've got to take these shoes for a spin.
Hoka Clifton
I'm using my laptop and having trouble getting pictures to post here.
The Hoka Cliftons have 29 mm of cushion in the heel, 23 in the forefoot. This gets away from the standard of roughly 24-12 in many shoes (with a differential of about 8 mm between heel and forefoot). It makes for a very smooth ride and a very smooth transition through the stride.
You might think these shoes would be bulky and awkward on the road. This was not the case for me. I never felt off balance during the five miles I ran in them, I believe due to the deep heel cup in these shoes. They're also very lightweight, 7.8 ounces, which doesn't jive with how much cushion these shoes have. After a mile or so, I hardly noticed what I had on my feet.
I even think that if you treat the shoes well, they could stretch well beyond standard shoe life. I don't own a pair, but they are fantastic and I would recommend them.
