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During a particularly unpleasant trip to my podiatrist a few months back, I winced as he deciphered x-rays of my jacked up feet. I’d struggled with plantar fasciitis for months (here’s a story about how to banish that injury to the dust bin) but this was confirmation the condition had an equally painful bedfellow: degenerative arthritis.
As a pretty active (and, ahem, fairly young) person, the news was upsetting, but there was a slice of hope, if bittersweet—I could continue all of my favorite outdoor pursuits as long as I switched to orthopedic footwear. Keyed in to the fact that I was busy envisioning amorphous, beige, velcro-strapped frankenshoes, my foot doc uttered what turned out to be a saving grace: “You might like Hokas.”
I had never worn a pair of Hoka One One shoes before, but I was familiar with their famously fluffy frame, a sort of luxury foot hotel complete with a wide toe box, soft sole, and a slight rocker shape meant to help your stride ease on through with a bit less effort. As it turns out, my guy was right—with a pair of Hoka Speedgoats laced to my feet, I was substantially more comfortable during trail runs and day hikes. One problem solved, then, but what was I going to wear for backpacks and peakbagging trips?
Well, my podiatrist would be pleased, because earlier this year, Hoka One One debuted a collection of hiking boots. Despite my experience with the Speedgoats, however, I was skeptical—would the brand’s iconic rocker shape and mega-cushion translate to effectively (and painlessly) covering big miles, carrying a heavy pack, and traveling across unforgiving terrain where underfoot sensitivity is key? I grabbed two very different pairs and hit the trails (and, um, the not-trails) to find out.

The Toas: waterproof, comfy, light—but they don’t breathe as well as the hot-footed might like.
I eased into the Hoka hiking party with the Toa, a lightweight, waterproof, mid-top day hiker that tries to straddle the line between minimalist boot and maximalist runner. The brand positions this as a fastpacking shoe of sorts, the kind of thing you wear when you’re carrying just a little weight and want to move through the landscape with ease and speed.
Typically I’d wear a trail runner for these types of outings—something light, breathable, and nimble. But honestly, I’d probably ruin my Speedgoats if I did so—they just aren’t made for hauling weight. To my surprise, the Toas felt like a not-so-distant cousin. They were light enough (13.2 oz), comfortable straight from the box (the result of a thickly cushioned sole and heel wrap), and the moderately lugged Vibram Megagrip sole held across a variety of terrain, including gravel, sand, dirt, and mud. Even though the Toas don’t offer the same bouncy responsiveness as the Speedgoat (they’re hikers, after all—they’re not going to offer quite the same toe-off as a runner would), I still felt comfortable breaking into a short jog during one Sierra outing.
Honestly, the Toas would have become my new number one if not for a single feature—they’re waterproof. This would be a notch in the plus column for a lot of folks, but one of the main reasons I hike and backpack in trail runners is that I’m a prolific sweater and want a shoe that dries quickly when wet. Sure, the Toa does a stellar job of preventing water from getting inside, thanks to a waterproof eVent bootie liner (trust me, I tramped around in multiple water sources trying to break the seal), but I did find that my socks were slightly damp (and my toes slightly wrinkled) every time I removed my shoes following any hike over a few miles.
Enter the Hoka Arkali, a non-waterproof hiking and scrambling shoe. To be honest, I still haven’t come around to the aesthetics, something between an approach shoe and a basketball shoe, but the fit and performance more than make up for any misgivings over style. Much like the Toa, the Arkali felt comfortable from the first lace-up. It’s the same weight and features the same drop (only 4mm), but offers a more customizable fit with two velcro (velcro!) straps, one at the heel, and a fatter one at the ankle. Coupled with a stretchy tongue, the shoes hugged my feet and held their ground with zero slippage, even while crossing jagged talus and descending steep slabs.

The Arkali’s styling isn’t for everyone, but the performance is on point.

A closer look at the Back to the Future-esque velcro closure.
Like the Toa, the Arkali is outfitted with a Vibram sole, though a more aggressive version, perfect for chewing through uneven terrain—I felt surefooted moving off-trail across downed logs, wet granite, steep gravelly slopes, and boulder-filled stream crossings. What’s more, the ankle strap features a stretchy pocket that hides the knot of your laces, which prevents them from becoming undone or getting tangled up in underbrush. And thankfully, so very thankfully, they are not waterproof. My feet were soaked through a few times while fighting through dewy brush, but they dried out quickly as I hiked.

The Vibram soles, as always, grip and grip and grip.
As with most shoes that aren’t explicitly orthopedic, foot pain sufferers may want to consider replacing the insoles with something more therapeutic (I regretted leaving my favorite pair behind during one gnarly off-trail adventure). And though the brand touts the burliness of the Arkali’s toe cap, I stubbed the bejeezus out of my big toe during one rocky descent, since the actual cap doesn’t rise high enough on the underlying rubber rand to offer protection for anything other than a completely horizontal hit. But really, my gripes are minimal.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some peakbagging to do, arthritis be damned.
More comfy hikers we adore
Altras either work for your feet or they don’t but if you like a big wide toebox and no drop, you can’t beat the comfort. Thousands of thru-hikers can’t all be wrong. The Lone Peak are Altra’s rugged runner, with a rock plate and lots of grip. $130
For a more conventional shape, including an 8mm drop, the Salomon Sense Ride offer a lightweight shoe that can handle running and backpacking. $120
The Brooks Cascadia is a hugely popular trail shoe for a reason. Tough and light, they comfortably log big miles. You can get them now for about $130.
Colors aren’t quite right-too Sesame Street. Otherwise, as a foot problem burdened hiker runner biker, I’d try them.
They come in other colors, but all of them are fairly loud.
Ah, you shouldn’t been looking down at your feet when you’re running anyway.
I actually have a pair of Speedgoats that are dark gray, so not all Hokas are so bold.
I think the Arkalis also come in black; per usual, the women’s colors tend to be a little brighter and louder overall.
Does the Arkali have a generous sized toe box? That’s the reason I’m hiking in Altra Olympus. I’d consider the Hoka if the toe box has plenty of room.
I’ll let Shawnte answer that one – but I can tell you that the Hokas I’ve worn and own are the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever had, at least as far as runners are concerned. But I’ve never thought of them as particularly roomy up front, at least, not as much as the Altras.
Wait for the Speedgoat 4s coming in early 2020, they’ll have a bit wider toebox even in the regular width, plus they’ll be available in wide widths. That’s what I’m doing.
Hey, Sean – yes, they do! I used to backpack in La Sportiva Wildcats, then Altras, for the same reason. When I started running in Hokas, I appreciated that the toe box was equally wide – and it holds true for the Arkali, for sure.
Some of these pictures were taken at a spot I’ve been through very close to Moose Lake in Sequoia NP. The Black Kaweah and the Great Western Divide are unmistakable!
Great eye! I was hanging out at the small tarn south of the lake 🙂 One of my favorite spots in the Sierra!
I got the Arkali’s for a review about a month ago and didn’t learn about the “knot pocket” on the tongue until reading this just now! What a great little feature! I seriously love these shoes too, they’ve become my go-to mountain shoes.
Just sitting here, still waiting (excessively patiently) for Hoka to finally make something in 16. They’d be great for work….
Any thoughts on hiking mt whitney in the Arkalis with a pack? I love mine, and just hiked Gorgonio but only with a day pack. They are my favorite shoes but I am concerned about needing stiffer/thicker soles.
Hi! Sorry for the late reply! I usually backpack in Hoka’s Speedgoats, which are trail runners. But I’ve backpacked plenty of times with the Arkalis when I wanted something a bit sturdier – I found them to be just fine, and that includes a lot of off-trail scrambling / cross-country travel. I think they’d be great for Whitney!
Thank you!! That was the plan but our permits got cancelled due to the fire. We did a 5 day backpacking trip and the Arkalis were golden!