Customer Reviews Hoka Tracer 2

I've admittedly been skeptical of Hoka's products since the day I saw some running club mates awkwardly bounding about in them. However, I also believe one shouldn't "knock it if you haven't tried it," so I decided to try the Tracer 2's. When I received the shoes, I was immediately struck by how straight they appeared when viewed from above. By this I mean that shoes generally have contours where they taper in a bit at the midfoot, then curve out for the toe box. The degree to which they curve in and out depends on the shoe, but they are there. The Tracers don't seem to have these. Although they widen out toward the toe box, they do so in straight lines from the heel, without any intermediate contouring. Having read that these shoes runs large, I order half a size down from my usual size 8.5, but that was still too long. They seem to run quite wide even in B width, especially in the heels. Although I have very narrow feet, I've managed to get shoes with wider lasts to somewhat "hug" my feet by tightening the laces. These felt like boxes no matter how I laced the shoe, which I think is due to the lack of contouring. That aside, I could not believe how uncomfortable these were, easily the most unpleasant running shoe experience in 10 years of running at advanced levels on roads and trails. When walking, they felt like duck's feet or wooden planks, with little flexibility in the sole. When running, they felt like bricks with little shock absorption. The toe box also pressed painfully against the outside edges of my forefoot, which is a first for me. (I do not have any foot issues or deformities.) For reference, I normally wear neutral minimalist shoes that have low stack heights, low heel-toe differential and very thin, firm cushioning, so I'm no stranger to footwear that is less forgiving. Bottom line: I was extremely disappointed with these shoes and Hoka's customer service response to my questions. Now that I've tried them, I can say I will not be coming back.