Hoka - Tecton X

I have tried GoreTex and Seal Skinz and found that shoes or socks that have a membrane end up just as wet by the end of the run because my feet get all sweaty and maybe even heavier because they don't drain for shit. As far as brands go, here is a quick review NNormal (Tomir) started falling apart after 30km. Not impressed with fit, look or durability. Hoka: SG4 fantastic shoe, had 3 pair SG 5, never felt stable in my foot ran maybe 20km before I retired them to leisure shoe. Tecton/x V1 and V2 Super comfortable shoes, dog shit in the mud but I love them on the dry days. V3 blew apart in the forefoot after only two runs. I fixed them but they are not super stable either... we see how much I end up using them in the future. Altra: Lone Peak and Olympus...meh OnClouds went straight to goodwill, Saucony: Peregeine / Endorphin Rift again not impressed with durability and no good for mud and wet roots. Speedland: GL-PDX I looove them, just yesterday I was heading up the mtn and caught my foot on some hidden rebar, this would have destroyed the toe on any other pair of shoes that I own and I was sure I would look down and see a hole... nope, not even a mark. I am greatly impressed. They drain well and have nice traction as good or better than Vibram. GS:RAR Initial impression is that they fit well and after some minor adjustments to lugs are comfortable to run in on the treadmill, nothing outside yet as I will use them in the snow with crampons and in the summer. when it is dry. No experience with Norda, I don't like how they look imo Keep in mind that wool insulates even when wet and if you are going in a long run maybe bring a dry pair along for a pit stop ✅ I recommend this over membranes any day. For reference I run in Southwest Norway where we get around 300 days of rain yearly. Happy Trails 🤙🏼

I really like the Hoka Tecton X and X 2. You can still find those online at a few places for really good prices. I haven’t tried the X 3, which have good reviews but are $$$

Hoka Tecton X. I haven’t tried the newish X 3, but the original X and the X 2 have been great for races with lots of runnable trail plus road sections. I’ve run in other trail shoes that felt awful when I had to cover road sections, but the Tectons are great.

I thought I would hate the built in gaiter on the hoka tecton x, but it turns out I love them and the shoes stay on my feet better than the previous two model years of the Challenger I wore. I've been wearing hokas for over 10 years.

Hello. As a lot of people say, a good road shoe will be good on the hard packed trails as well. But if you want a bit more traction and security, go with something that has a good foam and a smaller lugs. Options I’ve run in and like include: - Hoka Mafate Speed 4 / Tecton X - Salomon Genesis / Ultra Glide - La Sportiva Prodigio Pro - Merrell Agility Peak 5 - Brooks Catamount 4 - Saucony Xodus Ultra 1 / 2 (avoid the 3) For reference I am 85kg and usually run 30km / week.

I have the Saucony Endorphin Edge, the Nike Ultrafly, the Adidas Speed Ultra, S/Lab Genesis, S/Lab Pulsar, Hoka Tecton X1 et X3, etc. I have over 60 shoes, trail and road. Each of these super shoes is very different ... For 12km technical races, I've been using **Pulsar SG** for the past few years because it's the lightest + most nimble + deeper lugs. But it's not the most versatile imho, it's quite narrow and I would not run longer distances. I would say my top 3 so far : 1- Tecton X3 : first pick for training and for races over 25km, if it's not too technical 2- Endorphin Edge : first pick for less than 25km, if it's not too technical 3- Nike Ultrafly : first pick for soft midsole, training any distance I'm not sure what I would use for a technical 12km+ race. Maybe S/Lab Genesis but I've not tested enough. Regarding, Adidas Speed Ultra, it's a very narrow shoe, not a fan so far. Tecton X1 is fine for training. I tried Norda 001 but returned it, I was not really impressed for the price. I will probably try Norda 005.

I live in AZ and a lot of the races I’ve done have been in the desert. I really like the Hoka Tecton X (haven’t tried v3, but I’ve had several pairs of the v2) paired with gaiters to keep the sand out. Even with the rocky desert terrain, I can get 300+ miles out of these shoes, which is way better than some others I’ve tried (cough, Speedgoats).

Hoka Tecton X. Great energy return, breathable for summer.

Not a different brand but you should try on a Hoka tecton X, they're not too tall and pretty stable.

Had my TX3s for around 60km now. There’s a lot to like but also some fairly fundamental issues that means I’ll most likely sell em. The fit is perfect - the upper fits me so much more comfortably than any other Hokas I’ve owned. I have a wider forefoot and have no issues in terms of either volume or big/little toe pain. The built in gaiter works well, and is super easy to get in and out of - I don’t know why this sorta thing is not standard on trail shoes. The issues for me are completely ride-based. I’m a forefoot striker and run at quite high cadence. I’ve found this quite hard in these. The bounciness/rebound is just too too much for me. It almost feels like the shoes want to take off with each step. Whilst climbing this is a very helpful aspect but on descents it just feels wrong. With all the foam under your feet you’d think descending would be fast and easy - I’ve found the opposite. Heel striking feels heavy and awkward. I put well over 1000km on my TX1s - they are still in light use - and I ran and raced in them with pleasure. IMO they are simply better trail running shoes than the 3s. I’ll be sticking em on eBay soon.

No but had the v1 on the Tecton. Upper worked well for, but the midsole was a bit harsh. I forgot to mention that the vista doesn't come out until the summer, but Topo also has the Ultraventure which might also work.

If you back yourself to navigate the mud relatively well I’ve found the Tecton is the best shoe I’ve worn for jumping between techy/rocky trail and running on the road. I’m also England based and have used it in the mud a lot (obvs) and while it’s not ~great~ it holds up well enough that the benefit you get on other surfaces is worth it.

Yes, absolutely. For me it’s how likely I am to clip the outside of my heel. Lower height and zero-drop shoes make me run more on the forefoot, much safer on technical terrain. I run in Speedgoats on my easy weekday runs, Tecton X’s for the more technical weekend

I agree that Speedgoats are more ankle-rolly than my Tecton X’s or eg Altras. Chunkier heel = more chances to catch the outside edge of the heel. But your (my!) technique is the more important factor.

There isn’t a shoe that will work well in fells and road. You’ll have to sacrifice one or the other. There’s unfortunately no shoe that does it all. NVII Terra TT, VJ Xtrm have a bit nicer protection than Inov8s while being a proper hill shoe with superb grip. Various Scott Supertrac versions have more cushioning but they often have a very “dead” feeling on the road. Saucony Peregrine ST are very decent in mud but not so good on the rock and feel a bit burly. More than decent on the road as far as shoes go. Hoka Mafate/Tecton are great on more groomed trails but wouldn’t be my choice for most hill races in Scotland. Ditto on Saucony Xodus.

I personally really like Hokas for the trails. I've put 500+ miles into every pair of Hoka Speedgoats I have owned--really just the lugs start to wear down after a while. The Hoka Tectons are the more responsive racing shoe and I like them for flatter, faster trail races. What are your preferred road shoes? Some brands have a trail "sister shoe" that is basically a re-soled version of the road shoe with a rock plate

I’m not sure what I’d use them for over the tecton. I find the tecton on the slightly wider side for me anyway and these look wider still? I’m just not sure I can justify the rocket x trail when the tecton can do their job and more?

I think it's meant to be a straight competitor to the agravic speed ultra. The tecton is still biased towards comfort whereas this seems to be no compromise performance first. If it's more stable than the ASU it might win some people over. Lugs are a personal preference. I find they work on my ASU and the only scenarios they didn't are situations where any other shoe would have struggled aswel. (ankle deep mud soup or wet flat rock slab).

I’m on my 3rd season of switching to trail runners over hiking boots. Everyone may have a different experience but for me, my feet have never been happier (Hooka, Speedgoat 5).

I’ve switched almost entirely to trail runners including on a lot,of rugged terrain. I did find that when I was using Hokas that I had an increased tendency to roll my ankle after about ten miles. I like the padding, but have found lower drop shoes to be better for this. Altras are good, but I destroy them in about 300 miles. Trying Topos right now. Not as padded, but low drop with a wide toe box and they seem to be holding up better.

Trail runner will be fine. I was talking to a guy recently that said the AT requires real boots. But even by his argument, trail runners will be fine. The thing with trail runners is when you are tired, it is easier to roll your ankle. I have only found this to be a concern when I was using Hoka. Altras and Topos have less to zero drop and they don’t have this occur for me. Though Altras kind of suck for durability (expect 300 miles unless they fixed things). And Topos have less padding and are not as comfortable.