Hoka Tecton X 2

I have gone back and forth over what to say about this shoe.  Overall, I am a fan of it in so many ways.  After a very bad experience with the Speedgoat 5, I gave up on Hoka for over a year.  I was afraid they had given in to the trend of ever wider shoes, and for a narrow-footed runner it was a no go.  However, a few weeks ago I started to notice some complaints that the new Tecton 2 was “too narrow”.  This was my sign that I needed to give Hoka another shot, so I order a pair from REI. 

My initial impression of this shoe was excellent.  It is really a fun fast feeling shoe to run in.  It just feels snappy, and over the course of shorter 5-15 mile efforts they are pure running bliss.  I also got a chance to feel them out over a longer distance, when I used them in the last 60 miles of No Business 100.  It was during these miles that I felt many of the short comings. I’ve since found some strategies to overcome any of the faults.   

Upper:

There is a lot of good to be said of the upper of the Tecton X 2.  For starters, Hoka used Matryx.  This is a material I seek out in running shoes for its durability and the fact it holds its form well without getting stretched out.  My first introduction to Matryx uppers were in the Evo Speedgoat and Evo Mafate and I loved its performance in both shoes.  The Tecton performs much the same in the upper as both of those shoes.  It is comfortable and breathes well. 

Where the upper falls short literally is in the tongue.  About a quarter inch more tongue and most of the issues I have with the shoe would be solved.  Over the course of a 60-mile run there was just no way to get the tongue up high enough ton protect the top of my foot from the laces.  Though, I think though much of the discomfort I got from the laces could have been mitigated with better lacing.  When I changed into them it was cold and dark out and I already had over 40 miles of running in. In my subsequent runs I have been able to do a runner’s knot that gets the laces a bit further down the tongue and eliminates the pain on the top of my foot.

Midsole:

What makes this shoe worth it is the midsole.  Hoka uses two foam layers with a carbon plate in the construction of the midsole.  The first layer of foam is soft and squishy while the second layer is a bit firmer.  This makes for a really comfortable ride and switching to these shoes 40 miles into a 100 mile race, at least temporarily, provided a much needed bit of comfort for my already aching feet. 

The other element to this midsole is the carbon plate.  This is really my first experience with a carbon plate in a trail shoe and I like it.  I love running in shoes like the Endorphin Pro on the road, but I have been skeptical as to how a plate would perform on the trail.  Particularly, I was concerned about it from a stability standpoint.  Hoka, has put a plate system in the Tecton that is flexible enough to keep you upright on the most technical of trail and provides a bit of a snap when you a barreling down buff trails and roads.  Honestly, my favorite place to experience the plate is on brief road stretches between trails. 

Sole:   

There is one other material I always seek out in trail running shoes, and that is Vibram Mega Grip.  It is hands down the best rubber that can go on a shoe, and as one would expect of a $225 trail shoe, the Tecton has some nice 3mm lugs made of Vibram Litebase Mega Grip.   One issue I have had with Hokas of yore was the place meant of rubber on the heel combined with the exposed EVA foam.  Often this exposed foam would result in foam ripping in the heel or anywhere there was a break in the rubber. There is a fair amount of exposed foam on the bottom of the shoe, but at least the heel rubber extends closer to the middle than it does in earlier models like the EVO Speedgoat. 

I think that really the only thing that should deter someone from buying this shoe is the price.  I get that $225 is a lot more than many people want to put into something like a running shoe, but even lower end shoes these days are running $150 and for an addition $75 Hoka gives you one heck of a package that has all the best technology and materials.  I would consider this a great choice for any trail runner that is looking for a comfortable high performance lightweight shoe.