Hello There.
I am thinking of giving up walking in my boots this year and changing to Trail shoes. Does anyone know anything about Hoka? I do need a very solid sole. Thank you.

Not used Hoka.

I have used inov8 trail shoes since 2010 on all my Challenges.
Won't be going back to boots any time soon.

As to sole.

Shoes are the ones that work for you.
Inov8's I use are not that stiff , being a trail shoe rather than an approach shoe.
Really, you need to test them thoroughly on long walks and multi days to see what is right for you.

Some put superfeet insoles in rather than the standard ones.
I used to but prefer the ones that come with the shoes.

Hi Jean

I've been looking closely at Hoka shoes. My wife has a pair of Clifton's and a good friend a pair of Mafate Speed's. The Tor Summit WP's have the most solid sole and are light but just don't feel right to me. Speedgoat's have good grip but are quite spongey for scrambling or really rough ground. Their sole is grippy but does not look like it will last that long due to the deep grooves in them, they have a narrow toe-box. The Mafate Speed's are very comfortable but I think would be too soft for scrambling and the sole looks as if it could tear apart under hard use - they are designed for trail running rather than mountaineering.

By comparison Inov 8 Roclite 280's are light, fairly grippy, but very basic with relatively little cushioning. La Sportiva Ultra Raptor's have less cushioning than the Hoka models but have a grippier and more solid sole.

Hoka's would be super-comfortable for tracks, roads and paths but less good I think for scrambling etc. I'll almost certainly use my Ultra Raptors.

Willie

I did last years Challenge in a pair of Hoka Tor Ultra Hi WP boots which I found to be ideal for me. A very grippy sole which I found great on both rock and soft ground. I will probably be wearing the same pair on this years Challenge, judging by the amount of wear I would expect to get at least another 2 Challenges out of them. If you go on to Hoka's website they sub divide the footwear into different categories, anything from the mountain section should be fine for the Challenge if it fits you properly.

Ian C.

Another possiblity is a company called Altra. They have a thick sole like Hoka ad a footshaped toe box.

Chris Townsend wore a pair of Altra 'Lone Peak 2.0' on the Challenge a year or so ago.

Earlier this year they brought out Lone Peak 3.0 which I am considering after success with a pair of Altra road shoes; it will be those or Inov8's again.

Their Trail shoes have a 'Gaitor trap' at the heel and forefoot which takes their custom gaitor - interesting!!!

Thank you all for replying. Will go and have a look and try.

Call me crazy, but my kids got me a pair of football boots for Christmas, and I haven't fallen over once while playing football recently.

You can keep your innov8's - I'm taking studs!

Could anyone tell me what Hoka or Altra shoes are like in terms of width of forefoot? They would have to be wider that Inov 8 shoes for me.

Thank you!

I find Altras much wider than inov8s and much more comfortable as they are wide at the toes and yet still cup the heel better than my inov8s. The zero drop takes a while to get used to, but now I wouldn't wear anything else.


Shap

Thanks, Shap. Sounds interesting.

Hi Emma

I have wide feet and have a pair of Inov Roclites which are comfortable (in a large size for my foot). Hoka Tor Summits and Mafate's are quite wide. Speedgoat's narrower. Altra's are famous for their large toe-box but I haven't tried them. You really need to try them of course and some materials mould to your foot better than others.

Willie

UPDATE: I tried on a pair of Altra Lone Peak 3.0's the other day. The fit was spot on for my size 9's. They are wider at the toe than Inov8 Roclites and are now a top contender for this year's Challenge.

They also come with neoshell waterproofing in a low and a mid fitting, but I will stick with non-lined version if go for them!