Customer Reviews Hoka Gaviota 2

I have worn the Gaviotas since they came out. This is my go to shoe! I have had my feet reconstructed and ankle repair and wear custom orthotics. I'm a triathlete and cyclist. I love the new look of the shoe! That said, there is something different about the upper of the shoe that makes it not fit the foot as well. It doesn't hug the midfoot as well as the last version. The last version hugged the midftoot and then opened up on a big toebox, which is nice. This one seems wider and/or looser overall with the laces and the lasts around the midfoot so it creates a heel slip (even with bunny ear ties) that the previous version did not have. LOVE the new look but super bummed about the newer fit.

I have narrow feet, I am flat footed and I overpronate and I have struggled off and on with plantar fasciitis. I have struggled to find a running shoe that works for me and decided to try the Hoka brand. I purchased the Hoka Arahi 3 and the Hoka Gaviota 2 to see which model would work best for me. I definitely liked the Gaviota 2 better as it is slightly narrower and my heels don't slip. I walked around in the Gaviota for a few days and then took them out for a 3 mile run. My feet were so happy! The rocker bottom helped me with my stride and I thought they were very stable and supportive. I usually order an 8 1/2 in running shoes but as per other reviewers comments I ordered an 8 in the Gaviota. They fit perfectly and after my first run I didn't have any injury related issues. If you wear orthotics or have a normal to wide foot you might be happier with the Hoka Arahi 3.

I was so disappointed in these. I have tried on Hokas at my local store and did not care for the crazy colors because as most reviewers note, they do look bulky and the wild colors, to me, draw attention to that. I am 58 and although I need them for comfort and walking and at this point the overall design/bulky look is secondary, I still wanted something more of a neutral color. I ordered these in the drizzle/white. The color is amazing. They are so pretty. But unfortunately super uncomfortable. After just walking around the house for a few minutes my big toes were going numb and also my heels were hurting very bad. Even sitting down and not walking in them I could feel the pain in my heels. I wish they made other style Hokas with more neutral colors as this drizzle/white. I am shipping these back ASAP.

Size: I usually wear an 8.5 wide in most athletic shoes. Not so much because my feet are wide but because of bunions and orthotics. With this shoe I should have bought in an 8 wide. It felt good at first but stretched out some. They are the mesh uppers. My smaller right foot slipped more at the heel in this shoe more than others. I'm hoping to find a way to correct that. Other: They are very deep which accomodate my orthotics. Very cushiony and very supportive.

Let me start by saying that I have had 3 foot surgeries which, among other things, have left me with significant pain in the ball of my foot. My podiatrist told me to get some Hoka shoes. I first tried the Bondi, which felt instantly WAY TOO HARD on the bottom of my foot. (They were supposed to feel like marshmallows?) Then, the Arahi, which felt soft and springy...but, with less cushioning, I worried if there would be enough shock absorption for long days and long walks. The jury is still out, but the Gaviota 2 seems to be the sweet spot - less cushioning (and softer) than the Bondi, but more cushioning (and therefore more lasting comfort) than the Arahi. The Gaviota 2 outsole is also wider and firmer than either the Bondi or the Arahi, providing excellent stability.

Amazing!! This is my first pair of Hokas, and they are super comfortable right out of the box. It feels like you are really walking on air. They feel a little large, but they are perfect with my inserts. They give me the support I need to deal with my newly diagnosed PF. Love them!

I wear a 9.5 in women's Asics, which is what I've usually used, and the 9.5 fit like a glove in these, as well- so I'd say true to size. As for the performance, I just looked at my gear tracker on my Garmin watch yesterday and saw that I have now run over 300 miles in these shoes, so I thought I've waited long enough to write a review. These are, without a doubt, the best running shoes I've ever owned. I'm 39, have been running my whole life, and I even have a small bunion on my right foot that I have to be extra careful with. These shoes don't just 'not hurt' when I run- they feel plush and dreamy. No exaggeration. I live at the base of foothills, and have even comfortably trail run in them several times when my run winds up into the hills without me planning it and wearing my trail shoes. I feel that this is the best investment in the well-being of my feet that I could possibly have made and I will continue to buy these as long as they are made like this. And as to durability, as I stated, I've passed the 300 mile mark and they still feel brand new in terms of springiness and cushion, so they get an A+ in that department, too! Overall the perfect shoe, in my opinion.

They fit and feel fabulous. I am 74 suffering with spinal stenosis and have had plantar fasciitis which recurs if I don't wear the proper shoes. My legs, back and feet immediately felt better when I put these shoes on. I would highly recommend them to anyone who suffers with leg, back or foot pain. An added bonus is that they are cute and colorful. Since I can't wear flats or heels anymore, at least I can have cute athletic shoes. Thank you, Hoka. Love 'em.

I have been wearing Hoka shoes for running and walking for years (first Clifton and then Speedgoat 2), but I do NOT like these shoes. I have extremely sore feet/heels after trying to wear them running a few times. They are really wide and my feet slip around in them. Totally mad about basically throwing $160 away as I will not be wearing these shoes again.

I recently got into running but noticed that after 10 minutes there was a sharp pain in my right ankle. Turns out my right foot over pronates so I needed shoes to fix that problem and these were the perfect solution! No more ankle pain. I will say though that the first few times wearing them my toes' circulation was being cut off, but I'm fine now that it's stretched out a bit. The cushioning is excellent and the shoes themselves are not too big so I definitely would buy these shoes again.

Red alert! These are THE best shoes I've had in years since Saucony stopped making the Stabil version I so loved. These gaviotas offer stability and motion control for those who suffer from PF due to overpronation. This is the kind of shoe that you put on and realize how uncomfortable you'd been in your old shoes for such a long time. You get what you pay for, and these certainly fit that phrase. Worth every penny! I bought 2 pairs.

For the first time in my purchase of Hokas (my 2 previous purchases have been the Women's size 11 Bondi), I feel that the Women's Gaviota 2 is actually true to size and true to width. I wear a women's size 11.5, and fitting of Hokas always difficult because only these styles of Hokas currently come in Women's sizes 11 and 12, with no 11.5 available. The Bondi was a fine shoe for me but I felt that the size 11 ran more like a size 12 for me, and also is fairly wide, requiring that I put an added insole into each shoe to take up extra length and width for a better fit for my usually size 11.5 foot. The Gaviota 2 by contrast is a much more true size 11 - my usually-11.5 size foot fits into it comfortably with just the original insole inplace and the shoe in width fits much, much better, which is better for my fairly narrow foot as compared to the Bondi. However, I am finding the stability of the sole of the Gaviota 2 to be extremely less forgiving than the cushion and mobility of the Bondi. I was looking for a more "stable" shoe than the Bondi this time, but only time and running will tell if this big change in sole stiffness and stability is more or less helpful for me than the soft absorbing sole of the less stable Bondi.

I LOVE these shoes! Even though the look is a bit bulkier than other brands, it is worth it to me. I live in a city and walk everywhere. My feet overpronate, so support and stability are critical. I have narrow feet and very skinny heels. I use my orthotics and the lace locks, and they fit like a glove. The toe box is a little roomy, but it doesn't bother me. Even the laces are awesome, because they stretch a bit and don't slip at all. I can't see buying any other type of walking or running shoe.

I wanted to like these, but alas the arch support hurt my foot. I need stability control (I overpronate due to having almost no arch) but I collapse in so much that the arch support in this shoe hurt after wearing them around the house for a while. Love the cushioning in this shoe, but wish Hoka would make a shoe for us flat-footed gals who can't tolerate a strong arch support. Back they went....

So soft and squishy! I have bunions and ovepronate and these are great. The arches arent as high as Chaco arches. I cant wear Chacos because the arch is so high its painful.

This shoe fits true to size and is really attractive--I prefer the muted color of the White/Drizzle. Sadly, they are going back because there's not enough room in the toe box for my poor feet with collapsed arch (which makes my toes spread further than normal. I'd recommend these to anyone looking for a shoe with great arch support. Love, love, love Zappos easy return policy.

They fit my feet perfectly. Running in them felt great. I have been wearing saucony hurricane and battle with plantar fasciitis. These feel even better on my feet. I love the color also not as loud as all the other running shoes.

I love my original Gaviotas, and they are no longer available so I got this Gaviota 2 in Dark Shadow/Lantana. The original Gaviotas have stiff fabric upper, which required break in, but that stiffness is great at keeping my feet stable in the shoe. The stability of the original Gaviota has enabled me to walk 3 miles without knee pain and knee joint instability , which is a miracle! This Gaviota 2 model has a mesh upper fabric, which is breathable, and the shoe feels a bit lighter, but it allows the foot to move around more than the previous model. The sole has the same stability and is very cushy and comfortable. I am a 6.5 street shoe, and wear a 7 in both Gaviota models. They feel a big long, and my heel lifts slightly, but a size down would be too tight. And even though I have wide toes and a narrow heel, the regular width fits well. I think a wide would be too sloppy on my foot. The huge sole feels like you’ll trip on it, and looks a little dorky, but I quickly got used to it. It’s a trade off for the stability that I need. So as an over-pronater with plantar fasciitis and patello-femoral syndrome and a problematic ITB band, and wide tie/narrow heel picky feet, these shoes work well. The blue shoe is the original Gaviota model. I prefer it, but Gaviota 2 is an acceptable alternative.

I LOVE these shoes!! I'm in my late 50's and have hip and low back pain associated with arthritis and have had a hard time finding a shoe with both cushioning and stability. I work at a zoo and see alot of people wearing them. One of my zoo coworkers was wearing them and I asked her about them. She loved hers so I did some research on them and finally let go of the $ to order a pair. I have moderate overpronation and also have weak ankles and easily can step wrong and turn my ankle out; I've even fallen this way. These shoes are wider at the base of the sole and provide the stability I need. I put them on, laced them up, stood up and took a few steps and was crazy in love with theses shows! Cushioning under my foot and around my ankles, roomy toe box, tongue that stays in place.... Wow!! My only negative is they are clunky looking on my size 11 feet, but oh, boy, its a trade I'll make for comfort. I will never own anything alse ever but a Hoka One One!!

Hoka One's are a wonderful shoe. I'm on my 6 pair, and my 3rd wearing orthotics. My orthotics were made from a mold taken at the podiatrist and are bulky, causing me to go up a half size. But as long as my feet don't hurt, I 'm good. My podiatrist is a runner and at my suggestion he tried a pair and fell in love.

Shoe fit great and the decrease in pain from plantar fasciitis is so noticeable, I wish I had known about these shoes sooner. I did mark the style with three stars because the general look/appearance is not something I would normally pick because I’m short and the sole of the shoe is so thick. However, the pain relief reminds me the shoe is all about foot care. Finally the ordering process and shipping with Zappos.com was amazingly easy and fast.

The Gaviota 1 is probably the best fitting and most supportive shoe I ever experienced. I've been putting my G1s to heavy use for almost a year and it was time to move them over to the older shoe pile as they loosened up a bit. Still excellent for most pursuits, including working around the house and yard, I just wanted that new Gaviota feel in the gym. I'd never experienced such stability as in that shoe and I credit them with healing a weird foot injury I had last year. I'm normally a 9 in every shoe, but in Hokas I am an 8,5. I like the wide fit and seek out the 8.5 wide combination having just turned 50 and knowing the need for great fitting shoes. I like the new Gaviota 2 and anticipate it being of great service to me just as the G1 was. However, it was not love at first try on the way it was with the G1. The footbed is the same incredibly stable, firm yet cushioned masterpiece I believe. It just doesn't cup MY foot exactly the same way. Something about the G1 was just mystical in its fit for me. The G2 is slightly less that, but again, all that you expect in Hoka's most stable running / training shoe is present. The updates in the appearance of the shoe are mostly on the upper and more in line with other Hokas in terms of the materials used. I think they'll prove perhaps slightly more breathable, but I've hardly put them to the test yet.

Great support and amazing cushion. It took my feet a couple of times wearing them to get used to the amount of arch support, but it has helped tremendously.

I have read the reviews on this site, and I must say, I am shocked! I purchased a pair of the Gaviota 2's at a local retailer mainly for using indoors on the treadmill. The Hoka's were not the only shoes the salesman had me try out, but were definitely the pair (as I told the salesman) that "make me want to dance". My feet have never been so comfortable in a shoe! After a few months of using them only inside on the treadmill, I decided to see if I could find them online a little cheaper because I would love to have a pair to wear outside of the house. Now maybe it is because I purchased mine from a physical store where the gentleman tried the different sizes and widths to get me the best fit and comfort, but these shoes are amazing and I am so sad to hear not everyone has had the same wonderful experience with this shoe as I have. Unfortunately, my online search has not shown me any better pricing, so I guess I will head back to the store I purchased my original pair from to purchase my "outdoor" pair.