Customer Reviews Hoka Gaviota 2

After wearing the toe box cramps up the foot.

There was way too much vertical heel movement with each step; so I returned the shoe. Where the tongue is stitched into the upper was too tight across the top of my foot. Hoka got the insole, midsole and outsole on this shoe correct; but Hoka did not design the upper on this shoe well at all and that's a real shame. Fix the upper and this is a great shoe for flat-footed over pronators.

I have had very serious knee pain since I started wearing these shoes. I was hoping it was something else, but they seem to causing me a lot of pain.

My feet hurt with these shoes. I followed the guidelines for which shoes is for you and it's wrong.

Too small / not wide enough. Tongue was already damaged after 2 days, so poorly made.

I absolutely loved the Gaviota 1-(had 7 or 8 pairs) fit comfortably right out of the box and the support was perfect. Never an issue - The Gaviota 2 feels like a different shoe and even the sizing is different (G1- size 6 and G2-size 5.5). My feet are sore while I wear them and arch support is off. They feel tight in some places and loose in others. Trying to give it a chance but they are not working! They make my feet throb from walking.

I've worn the Arahi shoes for years but went through them pretty fast. I also noticed my joints have started to hurt more as I've gotten older. So I thought I would try this shoe for a change since it had a little more cushion than the Arahi but still gave the same support. These were horrible for me. It was too much cushion that I felt like I had no support. I actually gave up on these running and tried walking. No luck there. In fact, my joint pain got so bad I had to take a break from running. Note that when I switched off the my Arahi pair, everything went fine on my run and same with the day after (in terms of pain). So now they are just sitting in my closet collecting dust until I muster up the courage to just pitch them.

Shoe eyelet broke after 3rd time tying. I had to make a "new" hole to put the lace through. Poor build quality.

My orthopedic surgeon recommended stability shoes after foot surgery and suggested that I consider Hokas. I got Gaviotas. The good part is that they're comfortable. But the center forefoot treads of the soles in my 3 week old shoes are already showing significant wear. And they were not cheap. I walk for exercise but am not a runner. Very disappointed.

So I exchanged them for Bondi 7. They are very comfortable and a lot of cushion & support.

So many rave reviews on Hoka, I had to try. I purchased slides earlier in the summer and don't know how I've lived without them, so thought I'd try running shoes. Perhaps I chose wrong style for my needs, but they just didn't work for me. Had to return.

Didn’t wear or try them. They were obviously worn...came with lint and toenails included!

My son swears by his Hoka running shoes, so I gave them a try. I was excited to receive them and expected some breaking in time might be needed since they have a different feel than the Adidas shoes I've been running in daily. The first day out, my legs felt heavy like I had bricks on my feet. I gave them another try a few days later and this time had to cut short my run due to shooting pains in my calves and up my back. Didn't experience either problem when I went back to my old shoes. Hated to send them back, but they just didn't work out for me.

I bought these because of the description - they seem short, not at all cushioned and after wearing for several miles my toes actually hurt. This is the first and last time I put them on. I wish the descriptions of shoes were more accurate because there is no cushioning in these shoes anywhere.

I gave these a try for a few weeks and realized I had developed foot pain from wearing these shoes. I would love a refund.

I am very flatfoot, and according to Hoka One One's 6x2 design system, my condition should have been well-served by the Gaviota. But a few miles in to an 8-mile run (I'd already used the shoe for several 3-4 mile runs with no noticeable issue), one leg started developing cramps. I pushed through, because the discomfort (not pain outright) was intermittent. But by the end of the run, I'd damaged a tendon behind my knee so badly, it hasn't healed now for 3-4 weeks.

I am very disappointed in the Gaviota 2 because you made a change to the uppers and this new shoe has made my toes extremely sore. When I reached out to you about this concern I was told to return them if they were unbearable. Also, the toe area is a little more narrow than the previous pair I have. What you don't seem to understand is that this is the only shoe I have been able to wear for the past 2 years and now I have no options open to me. I don't know what I'm going to do. I wish you would have called the change Gaviota 3 and left the 2's as they were. Please consider this option.

I've tried two different pairs of Hokas - one neutral, one for stability. Both were super cushy and lovely HOWEVER when I tried to run or even walk at a fast, my ankles rolled off the sides of the shoes. It was like they were too soft to support any impact and collapsed underfoot.

I have blisters while running this shoe. Such a bummer.

comfortable but makes my feet look like boatd

I've had this Gaviota 2 shoe for approx. 9 months. I purchased them at a local retailer. There is a horizontal plastic piece on the inside of the left shoe opposite the ankle. The plastic has worn through the interior fabric and now rubs against my sock causing discomfort. The shoes otherwise are in outstanding condition. I find that if you purchase these shoes from a retailer you are bound by their warranty period (which was 3 months). I can send it back to Hoka One One for evaluation, but at my expense for shipping since I didn't purchase them directly from Hoka. If you purchase these shoes online, my understanding is the warranty is for 1 year and Hoka pays for the shipping. Too much money for problems this soon and lack of support for retail outlets.

This shoe felt light and comfortable when I put it on, but after walking only a short distance the right heel began to rub. After completing my 2 mile walk, I had a terrible heel bruise. These are not the "cushioned" shoe I expected so am returning.

I had been running in the Arahi's for about two years now and was recommended to try the Gaviota's instead. I was apprehensive to mess with something that had been working for me, but alas, I caved and ditched the Arahi's and went with the Gaviota's. Big mistake. I think the sole of the shoe itself was too thick. It literally felt like I was wearing platform sneakers to run! They also never felt secure on my feet which prompted me to tighten them more and more and that ended up hurting too! I think that the thickness of the shoe also inhibited my feet from moving properly and that impacted my ankles and leg. My tibialis anterior has been so sore ever since I switched to the Gaviota shoe. At first I thought I just needed to break them in but it's been almost a month and the pain has yet to subside. If you're an avid runner and have been running in Arahi's and are thinking about switching to the Gaviota's, I would highly suggest sticking with the Arahi's.