Customer Reviews Hoka Gaviota Leather

i needed a white sneaker to wear to go out. I had back surgery and i can only wear sneakers. I also overpronate and needed a lot of support. These had a wide base through out. I can not wear sneakers if the sole comes inward by, the arch feels though there is not enough support and these soles are wide. I returned them because these were not as cushiony at the heel.

This was a different version from the Gaviota 2 that I also ordered but did not feel as comfortable. Like that it was leather but there was definitely a difference in the feel of this version.

The size and width on these shoes were true to fit. I currently have a pair of the same style Gaviota only the fabric/ mesh version. This leather version was not as comfortable, so I returned.

They are dorky. I’m a 48 yo woman, and these look exactly like my dad’s shoes. You really notice in person, and you feel like they are very wide while wearing them. They’re also very hot, and they don’t breathe at all. I don’t care about being dorky, but the heat is killing me. The leather feels cheap and hard. If I spent less than $100, I might keep them given my knee and ankle problems- surgery on both in past 2 years. I had a fractured and dislocated ankle, then a meniscus tear on the other side. They are more cushy than my Brooks. But then again, they’re really hot and the tops are stiff. For $159, nope. My orthopedist told me to stick with Brooks anyway. I can imagine the cushion could irritate my ankle after a few hours as cushy shoes require more fine motor movement than my ankle can give, and these shoes have a deep heel. I have limited dorsiflexion.

I have both the Clifton 4 and the Bondi Leather in 8.5W, so I expected the Gaviota to fit about the same and hoped it would have the same cushioning in the sole. It fell short in both areas. The shoe felt wider than either the Clifton or Bondi and lacked the support of those two models. My bad knee started hurting immediately after trying them on. That usually tells me the arch support is wrong for me. I thought perhaps they needed some breaking in, so I walked around the house in them all day. My knee didn't improve and I felt the shoes lacked the cushioning in the sole that the Clifton and Bondi have. I hated to return them as I liked the color, but I just didn't think they were as comfortable as the other two models.

I have very high arches and have developed foot issues recently (ligament pain on top of foot and ankle). I saw an orthopedist who recommended Hoka because of the stability and rocker function (she said I need deep a heel cup, rocker bottom and a firm sole so my big toe doesn't have to hyper-extend). This shoe feels like a dream on my feet but the design is super-dorky. Fine for running but if you're like me and want to find a shoe you can walk around a city in and not look like the "stupid American tourist" these won't work. It's too bad because sneakers are so "in" right now, it would be so nice to find something nice looking that also helped my feet. In addition to this leather version, I tried the non-leather gaviota in "blueprint" which looked slightly better but still not wearable. My fingers are crossed they'll come up with some better color designs with non-white soles. In the meantime, I'm on the hunt for a supportive yet chic shoe (ideas welcome!) Sizing: I'm usually a 8.5 or 39 in shoes and an 8 in running shoes (Saucony, New Balance, On Cloud). These run large and the 7.5 fit perfectly. *note: the Hoka "Hupana" slip-on style is cute but unfortunately they don't have any stability,,,