I took the Hoka Arahi 6’s for a few runs, from an easy 3km to a tempo 8km – and overall I was very impressed with the shoe.
This was my first experience running in the HOKA brand and although have heard generally positive reviews, I was curious what the feel would be like with the thick EVA foam cushioning. The shoes did not disappoint with a plush comfortable ride. Although I am a neutral runner and the Arahi 6 is a stable shoe, it didn’t feel too rigid or stiff during the run.
The rubber on the sole seems hardy with softer foam in between – I’m not sure how this will impact longevity of the shoe but doesn’t impact the feel of the running experience. The grip was solid with good traction on the tar, I even took them on some hard-pack gravel and they held up surprisingly well.
The shoes look great with the dual coloring on the EVA foam outsole coupled with the blue mesh on the upper which I feel makes for a good looking shoe.
The tongue is soft and cushioning but not overly so and the lacing is able to be tight and hugs the shoe to my foot. I often have heel lift in running shoes but these are great with no heel lift experienced. The little tab on the heel is a nice touch to make the shoes a bit easier to put on before heading out.
They felt a little tight around the midfoot at first but once I started running it wasn’t noticeable and the toe box was roomy enough. I don’t have a wide foot but it is possible that these would be a little tight for those wide-footed runners out there.
The Arahi 6’s are not the lightest shoes I have ever run in, but given the extra cushioning and support, I didn’t feel that they were overly heavy and felt they were fine for the shorter faster runs and probably even better suited for longer steady effort runs where the cushioning adds to the experience.
- Marc Erasmus