Hoka - Stinson ATR 7

Hoka stinsons give you the best of both worlds for trail running shoes and walking. I would also recommend the Altra Olympus if you like zero drop.

I love my Hoka Stinsons. They feel very similar to the Gaviota, which is my road shoe.

I’m NYC based too but I grew up having to run in the winter in Chicago where there’s obviously a lot of snow and slush. I personally find the longer nubs and more rubber incompatible with how much asphalt/cement we have here. Pumas have the best grip/traction I’ve found in road shoes by a nautical mile. I know they have a winterized version of the velocity 4 with a GoreTex upper. I know GoreTex isn’t breathable but it’s been wet and slushy enough that the benefit of keeping your feet dry at the temps we have had is worth it. This is what I’d recommend for maximum usability beyond snow seasons.  Beyond that you’re probably looking at a road to trail shoe or a gravel shoe. These would be the Hoka Stinson, Mount to Coast R1, and Salomon probably has some offerings too. I’d steer clear of more technical trail shoes because if you use them for any volume here in nyc you’re just going to wear down the nubs and cleats and make them less effective as a trail shoe while having an ineffective road shoe. 

There's a variety of 'ATX' shoes or light trail shoes which fit this well. Hoka do the Challenger and the Stinson (stability) as this kind of all terrain crossover, for example. I often use the Stinson for light trail or longer light trails that I might use a road shoe on in the summer for example.

Not a bigger guy, but I run in Hoka Skyward X. It’s not really a trail shoe, but I have run on some trails with them. I have also used Hoka Stinson, that was like the monster truck of trail shoes.

I did it in 2013 and arrived the day before. I ran in Hoka Stinson Trail and swapped to Salomon Speedcross for more grip at the halfway point because we got hit with a bad rain/hail storm and the course got muddy. Start slow so you acclimate as you go, breathing will be difficult early into running. I do caution though, prepare for wild weather swings even if the forecast doesn’t call for rain, etc. When we started, it was sunny and mild with temps in the mid 50’s. I began the race with a singlet, shorts and arm warmers. Only other piece of clothing I carried was thin light packable jacket. Well the weather swung wildly with torrential rain, high winds and hail not once but twice. Temps also dropped I’d estimate to the mid to low 40’s. Soaked and cold to the bone I had no choice but to keep moving. Several runners had to be rescued by fire fighters along the course. I refused to quit and kept going even when firefighters tried to get me to stop. lol. When I finally crossed the finish line, I was hypothermic and shivering beyond control. Thankfully race organizers provided heat trucks/cabs to throw us in. I was stripped completely naked and covered in blankets to get my temps back up. It was not a pleasant experience, however, it’s one race I always look back upon fondly. The folks in Leadville are amazing and know how to put on a good race. Good luck!

I think the long distance community is sleeping on the Hoka Stinson. Great shoe

I wear non-waterproof trail runners (mine are Hoka Stinsons). I wouldn't recommend those particular shoes to others -- I'm fat and have arch and joint issues, which those big squishy shoes mask. But in general, yeah, I don't want waterproofing on my shoes for two reasons. The first is that it fails anyway. Either via sweat or leaking, water is getting into those shoes. When that happens, the water sucks at evaporating through the membrane, and the shoes never dry out. My sock choice is usually a very thin synthetic liner, which dries well when the weather gets better. These also tend not to rub and cause blisters, which is what I'm actually trying to avoid. (Leukotape is good on hotspots and macerated areas and is my primary anti-blister backup.) The second reason is that modular waterproof options exist! I use an older pair of Goretex socks that are no longer available, but bread bags, Sealskinz, and other brands of waterproof breathable socks are out there. These go on over my normal liner socks. You still get the "wet from sweat" effect, but I'll usually have at least a couple of hours of dry feet, even in drenching rain. When my feet become wet, I can either swap in a dry pair of socks underneath the waterproof socks, or just take the waterproof socks off and embrace the suck. Basically, for a small weight penalty, I get the best of both worlds and the worst of neither. I reserve the WPB socks for trips with relentless rain or lots of plodding through snow (they excel at this), but when I need them, I'm grateful to have them.

I loved the Hierrov 7 too. When they were discontinued I tried the Fresh Foam X More Trail V3 (lol, a mouthful, who comes up with these names) and found it was too unstable. The Hierro 9 looks like the More Trail v3 ... About Hoka, I have tried many of their shoes as well, and while the Stinson is a wobbly high stacker, the Challenger and Speed Goat are a bit more moderate (Speed goat being more narrow, but both available in wides). Sadly the Caldera 8 is not available in wide.

Hey! I hiked the PCT last year - also started in the Altra Lone peaks and ended up with plantar fasciitis. Then, also switched to Topo Ultraventures, which improved the PF but didn’t quite cure it, and I got some blisters. I ended up in the Hoka Stinsons. Wider toe box than the Speedgoats. I now swear by them. Shoes are highly individual though as everyone’s feet are different. Based on our similar experience, maybe these would work for you. As for blisters, try adding injini toe sock liners under your socks. This helps to decrease friction. If you don’t have gaiters, they can help keep out debris (which also causes friction). Keeping your feet as clean as you can will also help w blisters. If you have more than one pair of socks, give the pair you aren’t using a rinse and hang dry them on your pack during the day so they have less dirt in them (also a friction culprit).