Hoka One One Kaha Hiking and Trail Running Shoe Review

Hoka One One Kaha Hiking and Trail Running Shoe Review. I have been trusting and using the Hoka One One Kaha and its counterparts for over seven years now. My latest version of these shoes is in a Hoka 2 low-cut variation. I was not paid by Hoka (or anyone else) for this review of the shoe!

One of our friends daughters joined a backpacking club in Ohio (AWESOME!) and she is getting her first taste of the woods with a weeklong backpacking trip to Olympic National Park in Washington State.

(Anyone else jealous besides me?)

Her Dad was asking us about gear questions and to us the most important piece of gear when hiking or backpacking is shoes.

I gotta admit these shoes look super clunky (especially for trail running) but I was shocked at how amazing they were and how I would become a lifelong fan of them.

My latest version of Hoka’s (that I still LOVE) is the Hoka 2 Low GTX.

Pro’s of the Hoka One One Hiking and Trail Running Shoe.

1. Multi-Purpose.
   They serve me well as trail running shoes, hiking shoes, and nice walking shoes when it’s muddy/snowy out. Look what Jim from Columbus Running Company had to say about them when I reached out to get my new pair…
   “Thank you for thinking of us again. You're spot on with that Kaha. If I was hiking the AT it's the shoe I'd want.”
   I have also worn these shoes up to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, ran the Rocks and Roots Winter Trail Series in Ohio, and walked every morning in the Mojave Desert in them.

2. Durability.
   I am hard on these shoes. But they last 2-3 years. The general rule of thumb on a good pair of hiking shoes is 500 miles. I would say I go well over that with these and my typical time to get a new pair is when the side part falls apart or the soles lose all of their traction. For me this around the 2-3 year mark and I am getting 1000 miles on them easily. If I were doing a straight thru-hike I would flip them out more frequently.

3. Comfortable.
   They look goofy and clunky but they feel great. I have never gotten blisters when breaking them and they work with wool socks, liners, and even low cut athletic socks.

4. Trust.
   I see a lot of other peeps on the trails wearing and raving about them. It’s not just random that they work. Hoka seems like a trusted company when I talk to others in the hiking community.

5. Waterproof.
   These shoes are waterproof, and they stay waterproof!

Cons of the Hoka One One Kaha Hiking and Trail Running Shoe Review.

1. Cost.
They are $200.00. They aren’t cheap. But you often pay for what you get and aren’t unfairly priced from the rest of the market.
2. Options.
I struggle at times to find the next version of the high top in the same grade. They switch them around a little and it makes me nervous I won’t find the next variation but it has worked out so far.
3. Travel weight.
They are a bit bulky to travel around in or haul. I find myself wearing them when I fly and when we are hitting the road they take up a lot of space if they aren’t on my feet in our Nissan Rogue.

Overall Grade:
These shoes work well and I give them an A. You can’t hike many miles if your shoes don’t feel good. on your feet. They don’t give me blisters, they have prevented ankle sprains, I don’t have to “break them in”, and I am super hard on them and they embrace my pounding on them!
I honestly don’t think I would look anywhere else unless Hoka stopped producing them. Hopefully this article and my thoughts help you think about your hiking shoes and what you are looking for in them.

Thanks for reading this article friends! Comment below with the shoes that work for you.

Happy Dirt Trails,
Mike R

Hoka One One Kaha post hike.