HOKA - Gaviota 5

I have Arahi's and they're good but my first choice is a gaviota 5, I felt really comfortable in those but couldn't deal with the way my heel sat in them, felt like i was riding too high and slipping like crazy so has to return them and get the Arahi 8.

I’ve tried about all the shoes mentioned here. Im 6’4 and was 315lbs when I started this search so ordered and tried a ton of wide shoes to help my plantar fasciitis and toe nueropothy . I’ve found the Altra Olympus has a nice wide toe box and great cushioning and support for off road moderate hikes and walks. I add currex hike orthotics and that somewhat helps the zero drop. I also have tried and like the topo shoes in wide as they also have some drop and also a wide toe box. I wear gaviota 5 with an orthotic also and they are super cushiony and stable. And also wide enough in the wide size because the upper tends to stretch a bit. But the most comfortable wide shoes I own are called Kuru. They’re about the same price as other high end shoes I’ve mentioned above but have An amazing heel cushioning system and support that blow away all the other shoes I own. I have the Atom and the Atom 2 and I can’t say enough good things about how comfortable they are. I know everyone has different needs and foot issues but for me these are my go to’s.

I think all exercises are great. I personally like to do clamshells too bc that targets the glute medius directly but the abduction I believe targets both. I’d fact check that. I don’t tend to go lower than 6mm but trend towards 8mm+. The lower the drop, the more load your ankles and calves take, the higher the drop, the more your knees and hips do. So it’s tricky, having stability issues and hip/glute opportunity would mean you’ll have to experiment. Im fortunate to have a larger rotation of shoes because of these issues I’ve had (and still have some of) and the way I structure it is like so: Brooks ghost max 2 (10mm) - medium length runs where I need protection and some stability Saucony Tempus (8mm stability shoe) - tempo runs and days where I need to prioritize stability because my ankles are sore or tired and need a little extra help Vomero + (~10mm) short and/or easy runs if I’m feeling strong at the hips and knees Hoka Clifton 9 (6mm ish) - easy runs to train my ankles for strength. I use these sparingly as I rather do tibialis raises and calf raises to strengthen but it’s good to have a shoe that somewhat challenges your areas of opportunity Every shoe is a tool and they all have a purpose. A lot of folks say “you only need 1 pair” but it’s shown that a variety of shoes will make your lower body more resilient and allow you to rest certain parts of your lower body as needed. It’s helped me a bunch but the key has always been strengthening, then the shoes. In short, try to get ghost max 2 from a retailer with a good return policy as I’m sure they’re not much in stores anymore and/or Saucony Tempus for stability and hip/glute opportunity. If you’re having a hard time finding the Tempus, I’d also explore the Hoka Gaviota 5, but those suckers are heavy and on the squishier side, but not as squishy as the Vomero plus.

I like the Asics GT-2000 and HOKA Gaviota 5. I have severe overpronation and find they work with my orthotics. The new Arahi 8 is comfortable but the stability isn’t that great.

If you want a Hoka shoe with stability, that would be the Arahi or the Gaviota.

Though ang cons ko lang is madulas sya sa basang tiles! Haha but kung road running naman lang talaga, oks sya. Gaviota ata yun isa na triny ko but mas ganda yun fit ng Arahi. Check out din also Brooks Adrenaline.

I think the Hoka Gaviota is a great beginning running shoe. Wonderfully plush, a lot of cushioning, and stability features, and those features are going to serve you better compared to a neutral show like.thr ghost.

I just ordered Topo Phantoms for similar training as what you’re doing (slow running, at least 5 miles a day) and I’m super excited to try them out. I tried them on in REI and loved them. I have been very happy with my Hoka Gaviotas besides the fact they wear out quickly for how expensive they are…if price were no factor I’d order these again but I am venturing out. Wouldn’t surprise me if I end up going back to them though. ASICS have never worked well for me, but I know people speak highly of the novablasts. Even wide ASICS seem narrow in the toe box imo. For reference, I like shoes with a good amount of cushion and a wide toe box. My left foot is a 10 and regular width, while my right foot is a 9 and wide. With that, I need shoes that are forgiving and can be adjusted well with laces. I have never quite figured out if I need a stability shoe or not so I’ve gone back and forth over the years.

I think it has to do with the degree to which you over pronate/ how flat your feet are? A couple of years ago I bought a pair of Hoka Gaviota just for walking/standing on my feet all day. I picked them because I liked the colors and they were wider/kore comfortable than others. Has no idea they were a stability shoe. Forward to this year and I get into running. The Gaviotas are old at this point so I started doing research and went to Fleet Feet to get analyzed. Learned that I have a bit of a low arch, but I don’t overpronate. All of the shoes recommended were neutral, not a stability shoe like the Gaviota.

Hoka Gaviota. If I'm running for ~ 4 hours, I'll take all the padding and support I can get