Customer Reviews Hoka Kawana

I think I already reviewed this but here goes. This is a very comfortable shoe but the soles troubled me. I only wore them walking twice and noticed the outside pads just lowered from the toe on both shoes were a softer material than the rest of the sole. The material was shredding and I could pull little pieces off. I sent them back and received a full refund quickly. I also need to say I bought a pair of the Bondi 7 shoes at about the same time from a local store and love them. No problems at all on the soles. Probably the best running shoe I have ever owned.

I do 5-6 HIIT training classes a week and these are the best pair of HOKAs I've had yet, I'm taking delivery of my 2nd pair now. They fit good and have good, even lateral support for a shoe with so much cushion. Other Hoka's were too soft and I'd tip. They held up well too. they are a little ugly but im hooked inspite of it.

I love the way they hug my feet! Back and foot pain is all but gone! I've never had a pair of sneakers feel like heaven on earth until now! Highly recommend giving them a try!

Working in healthcare it is hard to find a shoe that puts up with the long hours, this shoe is great for 12 hour shifts. They do run about 1/2 to 1 size big, so order accordingly. I wear a size 12 normally and the 11 fits perfectly.

I switched to the Kawana from the Bondi 8 because the B8's are just horrible. It's a terrible "upgrade" from any of the previous Bondis. It's just a big, heavy, and now clunky shoe. The Kawana has just as much cushion if not more, definitely lighter, and much more responsive. I have a feeling that the Kawana is just an earlier version of the Clifton rebadged, but they'll do as I finish out the fall training for my 100-mile ultra. I will wear these in that event. As for the negatives that made me give it only 4-stars: the lacing goes to high, which I had to unlace down a notch. I'm not a fan of the way the tongue is anchored down, it seems like a potential hot spot for chafing. And lastly, whatever it is they are putting at the heel inside the shoe, please stop it. It's uncomfortable and just adds extra weight. Just contour the heel better to fit the foot. I should be designing shoes. Anyway, the Kawana has kept me in the Hoka-wearing club for now, but they better not lose sight of what made them great - the cushioning. And across the board, the cushioning is getting worse.

The shoe lace hole ripped when I tightened the shoe laces to tie them. This was surprising. I would return them but I have to pay the shipping cost. So, not worth it. Disappointed that this would happen to a shoe made by Hoka.

I really like my new Kawanas. They are great for the treadmill which i use daily, great for everyday wear, and they look great. They cost less than the Bondi model. In the future I'll be buying more Kawanas.

The Kawana's are great shoes. I don't know why kawana's don't get more love for being a great gym/workout shoe too.It's great for the gym. My big mistake was getting white vs the blue or black for the gym and everyday use.

I really wanted to upgrade to another Bondi for the plush ride, but decided to try another modal purely due to the lack of good color/design options. Like many of my friends, I really struggle with some of the Hoka color combos or design choices in some of models and not liking this year's Bondi lineup. So tried this model which seemed to be similar enough - and had a more palatable color scheme. The ride is definitely not as plush but it still has ample cushion and more of a stable/supported feel to it. Need to put some more miles on them to see how they perform but so far so good. I would definitely recommend.

As a long time Clifton user, I wanted to "try out" a different variant of Hoka - and the Kawana didn't disappoint. Ride is comfortable and while some may feel the extra weight upon comparing them in hand to another style there is no noticeable difference while running in them. The only thing I would suggest for the Kawana is a snugger heel-hug.

As usual this shoe is extremely comfortable but I will have to return it because it is uncomfortably narrow. But HOKA shoes are like no other!!

Have have purchased various version of HOKA shoes in the past and have been extremely satisfied with them. I purchased these shoes to work out in at the kick boxing class. In the beginning of the workout they are great. Towards the end of the sessions I notice the fit causes slight discomfort in the toes. None of my other HOKA shoes have done this. I have switched shoelace positioning trying to get a slightly more comfortable fit but still uncomfortable at the end of class.

The first few pairs of Kawana's that I purchased were very comfy. Lots of cushion. (5 stars) The newest pair does not have that same "cushiony" feel (gray/blue colored pair). (3 stars)

I liked the shoe but because of having foot surgery I needed a wide so I had to return them. I wish they made all shoes with the wide option.

I bought the shoe for my Zumba workouts. It has good cushioning but the tread is too strong on the floor, so it does not feel good for the knees when dancing Zumba. I expected a shoe with smoother tread to make it easier to twist and turn on the floor.