Hoka - Torrent 3

I love my SpeedGoat 6s. My favorite trail running shoe. Edit: To add some detail, I prefer the six over the five. Regarding other shoes I like the torrent three and Clifton nine as well. The speed goats sit at 300 miles and are going strong. Hope that helps.

I'm on my third pair of Mach 6 (wide) for road runs and I'm looking for something with a similar fit for trail runs. I owned several pairs of the Torrent 2 and loved them, but swear they got narrower when they redesigned them as the Torrent 3 and haven't really found a trail shoe I love since. I recently tried Speedgoat 6 in wide, and I generally like them, but after a 70-minute run with about 2k ft of vert in the Marin Headlands, my pinky toe is kind of busted (even with heel lock lacing). Curiously, I ran up Mt. Tam (\~2500 ft, 3.5 miles) then back down a rather steep trail and didn't have issues. I ran the Double Dipsea (14.5 miles, 4.4k ft vert) in the Saucony Peregrine 13 (wide) and got bad blisters on my heels (even with heel lock lacing). I still wear the shoes for long walks on the weekends and like them -- just didn't seem to do well on all those stairs. I haven't had much luck with Topo or Altras. Any recommendations?

It’s the thing that stops that shoe from selling. I’ve said it here before, the Torrent has always been Hoka’s best shoe in my opinion, but lack of Vibram like the rest of the range renders it obsolete for trail running.

I prefer speedcross on technical courses and really muddy/wet. I like how they closely huh the foot from toes to heel and their grip is great. I trust them in bad and hard conditions. But for more normal trail runs that aren’t technical or wet/muddy I go with Hokas torrent like which are a little looser in the toe box and a bit more cushiony.

First, there is nothing that wrong with using road shoes on trails. 25 years ago there was no such thing as trail running shoes and people did fine. If you do want specific shoes and like Hoka then: Hoka Challenger if they are smooth trails or mixed road trails. Hoka Torrents if they are rougher trails.

Wow I find Torrents stiff...the Dynafits must be boards.

Nike alpha flys for my short loops! Kidding kidding I’m a brooks guy, caldera is what I use and keep in rotation. I need something soft to avoid fatigue. Hoka zinal for speed sessions. Hoka torrent for race day, they do wreck my legs though but in fastest in those. Ohh I use to use a lot of inov-8 but they don’t last for me at all, terrible for me and Altra don’t last either My next venture is asics. I did get Nike Pegasus trail this year as a gift, so we’ll see

I prefer relatively light weight low to medium stack shoes with cushioning on the medium-firm side like the Peregrine, Torrent, and Topo MT. There are lower stack and lighter shoes out there but the above are just the ones I've used and liked. Most snow in my area is soft even when packed so shoe cushioning isn't needed. Lower stack for better balance, firmer cushioning for less energy loss to the ground so it doesn't feel like I'm slowing down too much. Light weight to partially offset the penalty of spikes/traction device for snow that is hard frozen and slippery.

I’ve really enjoyed my hoka torrents. Low profile and very cushioned

I use Hoka Torrent's, I buy two pair at a time when they are on sale. I used to do a lot of trail running and have tried many brands and these have always felt best. They aren't water proof but I'm in So Cal and don't need water proof. As for lasting longer I'm going to disagree, the aggressiveness of the tread means that they can wear out faster than sneakers with basically no tread. They don't always but every other pair I blow through pretty fast. That said I prefer them because of the tread and I don't mind spending the money on them.

Conversely, don’t get hamstrung over Vibram if your environment is dry for much of the year. Or if you have multiple pairs in rotation not all have to be Vibram. Said another way, this is my rationalization for my Hoka Torrents. 😃

I find Dynafit shoes to be narrow, stiff, and hard. I prefer to rotate between my La Sportiva Jackals and Hoka Torrents. I do enjoy Dynafit skis and boots though!

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.