Gaviota 6

Topo Aura, especially in wide. 5-drop. Topo usually has extra arch support, plus wide anatomical toe box. Saucony Guide 18- 4E is really wide, try on before ordering. 6-drop. Saucony Hurricane 25- wide, meaning 2E, 6-drop. Hoka Gaviota 5, or the new 6- again, wide is 2E, and they are 5-drop. Lots more options if 8-drop or stable neutral are options.

Hello pals, Just dropping my review of this IMHO amazing stability trainer from Hoka, which immensively helped me to recover from an IT band injury. 1) Context of the review After 108 km of running in them, I believe I can give you a nice overlook of pros and cons of these amazing shoes. I am not affiliated with the brand or sponsored by it 2) Context of the runner (me) Amateur runner, 176 cm tall (5'9 for the non metrics), 71 kg ( 156 lb for the non metrics). My feet are size 10.5 US, 44.5 EU. Narrow feet and narrow ankles. I am a mid foot striker. I over pronate a bit, as a result of weak arch support. Normally I can use neutral shoes provided that I put orthotics insoles in my shoes. I love to race 10 km and half marathons. My race pace is 4'30 min/km for the 10 km races and around 4'50-5'10 min/km for the half marathon. 3) Why did I buy these shoes? As a new fun hobby I decided to try trail running... but running downhill got me an annoying injury to my IT band, which got inflamed and made it impossible for me to run more than 3 km on flat road (or treadmill even). With the physio and the orthopedic doctor, we decided to switch to stability shoes to help offsetting my mild over pronation during recovery. After a bit of research, I decided to buy the Hoka Arahi 8. 4) What did I use these shoes for? These shoes were intended for easy run and long recovery run. But then I tested them also for shorter and a bit faster workout. Pace ranging from 5:10 min/km to 6:50 min/km, distances from 6 km to 16 km. 5) Short review (for longer see below) Pros: - great design with a first soft midsole that absorbs impacts and a second H-frame stiff midsole that provides stability - very lightweight for a stability shoes - beautiful rocker geometry that helps you flowing in long runs - outsole with a ton of grip, even in difficult conditions Cons: - upper is warm and doesn't provide much transpiration - impossible to push tempo runs 6) Overall judgement ( long review) These shoes are phenomenal stability shoes: they are light (265 grams) - much lighter than the competitors, but very stable. I would say almost as stable as the last iterations of the Asics Kayanos or the Nike Structure which weigh around 300 grams for my size. They have a generous rocker that puts your feet into a flow state. The bottom of the shoes is not super firm, but the stability is provided by this H-frame midsole of very hard EVA compression molded foam (or should I call it rubber at this point?). As a result the shoes doesn't feel clunky or dead as many other stability shoes (except the Kayanos maybe) even if the foam is not "bouncy" or "springy". Thanks to the rocker geometry, the feet roll one step after the other and long runs happen very easily. The rocker is just amazing and it is able to pick up pace pretty well... Until you hit a wall because there is little to non energy return. I tried to do some tempo runs with them, but faster than 4:50 min/km I felt like I was using all the energy in my feet and calfs to try to bend a brick. It's not what they are made for. These shoes work well for all possible striking patterns and that for me it's a must because I tend to strike on the heels when I run slower than 6 min/km, while I strike well in the mid foot as I pick up the pace. The outsole has an amazing grip, even in wet or muddy conditions, because it has "lugs" similarly to gravel shoes. The midsole is the classic EVA foam, which is thick enough to dampen most of shocks, but hey, it's not a Superblast 3! I would say it is average softness, similar to Hoka Bondi. It really absorbs shocks, but the energy return is very low... It acts a damper. The H-frame is what makes the shoes stiff and stable. Not the midsole. Stability is also boosted by a very plush and stiff heel cup. With these shoes I always feel safe that my ankle are protected against spraining. The upper is durable and well put together... But it is warm and there is not so much transpiration. I live in north Europe, so that is almost a positive feature, but for milder weather, you might sweat a lot. As a bonus, the upper is equipped with several light reflecting patches.

Yes, I tried them (gaviota 6) and compared to Arahi 8 they were: - slightly heavier - less soft/ less shock protection (the stack is definitely a few millimeters shorter than Arahi 8) - fit is much wider. My narrow feet were floating inside them - they felt to me as the classic blocky bricky stability shoes I think though, they might be a better option for those with wider feet and/or heavier weight

I currently own just about every stability shoe on the market. Although the Saucony Guide is a lighter shoe, that's kind of where it ends for me. It returns very little energy and the cushion is built for daily miles, not longer runs. If you liked Gav 5, Gav 6 is even better. Mine weigh about an ounce less. The toe box is generous, the upper is more plush, and the lighter weight makes it easier to turn over. I also like my Sauc Hurricane 25s. They weigh around the same as my Gav 6s, but the foam has more pop to it. Not quite as roomy, but adequate. My current favs.

I own just about every stability model on the market. I prefer a roomy toe box and midfoot. Hoka Gaviota 6 is the clear winner. The standard width feels as wide as some 2E shoes. It has flat waisted geometry and a firmer (in a good way) ride that provides plenty of support. Saucony Hurricane 25 and Asics Gel Kayano 32 are runner ups. I prefer the Hurricane in this matchup. It fits better, feels lighter on foot, and has more pop.

Unfortunately the stability market has very few choices. For a while there, Saucony and Brooks introduced light performance models, but discontinued them. If you can still find a pair of Saucony Tempus 2 in your size, it's a narrow shoe that packs some super foam and an efficient rocker. One of the best shoes I've ever run in. Nailed a few PRs in them. Asics updated the GT 2000.14 with a Novablast style trampoline pod and Flytefoam Blast Max. It's a lightweight stability shoe that fits narrow. I know you have a negative experience with Hoka Arahi. I have a new pair of 8s that I'm loving. I've run in many versions of Arahi. For me, Hoka nailed this one. I've also run in Gaviotas but as you said they fit wide.

Yes, they feel like low drop shoes. RunRepeat's measurements often come in higher than the manufacturer's measurements. The Mach's foam is designed to compress and spring back, giving you that extra energy return and bounce. When your foot strikes the ground, you compress the foam a couple of millimeters, effectively lowering the drop. I've run in Mach, Clifton,.Bondi, Skyflow, Arahi, and Gaviota. Hoka's drop was 5mm across all their models at the time (Hoka recently updated some to 8). The stiffer shoes like Skyflow, Arahi, and Gaviota felt like high drop shoes compared to Mach. Mach felt the lowest of the bunch.

The Gaviota 6 should work for you. It can usually accommodate most of our customers who have a wider forefoot and midfoot. It’s pretty rectangular, doesn’t taper in the midfoot much. Another option is the Ghost Max 3–wide throughout the shoe, has stability features although it is a neutral shoe and does come in a wide

I have severe flat foot and find the arch support in the Gaviota 6 a little obtrusive. My foot is particularly messed up from having a collapsed ankle, so it may be more tolerable for other people. I liked the Hurricane 25 though. Not as wide as the Gaviota.