If we’re being honest with ourselves, the most common place to encounter a pair of Hoka shoes is in the city, and who can blame people for wanting to take advantage of all that plush foam when they’re pounding pavement? That doesn’t mean that shoes from the fastest-growing brand in trail running skimp on technical details, however, and the latest hiking shoe drop looks ready to take you from town to trail.
First, there’s the Hoka Elite Terrain System Tor Summit which takes the rugged details of both classic hiking boots and work boots and melts them down into a sneaker style shoe. With its hairy suede upper and earth tone colorways, it looks a little bit like an old-school hiking shoe upper on top of a modern Hoka midsole, and we can’t say that’s the worst idea we’ve ever heard.
Metal hardware and a rubber mud guard reinforce this hiker for rough trails, and needless to say it’s built with a Vibram Megagrip outsole for spring conditions, but it’s still styled with Hoka’s increasingly legendary cushioning making it functional for any long days on your feet, whether you’re hiking or not.
The Hoka Elite Terrain System Tor Ultra Lo is also all-gender and looks a little more discreet (meaning, it doesn’t scream “I’m a hiker!”) but it doesn’t lack in technical details, featuring the same rubber toe cap and outsole. A Gore-Tex bootie and non-wicking mesh are added for splash-proof performance on soggy adventures, and we think this particular style would make a more seamless transition from work to the wilderness once the days get longer.
