Customer Reviews Hoka Gaviota 5

The very first time I put on one the shoes, the strap in the back broke.

Overpriced - Poor arch support - Walking on cushions, okay for walking but I would not do any distance running these.- I would not buy again.

I've been wearing hokas since the Garivota 2's every model I've bought multiple pairs of. This model i can't. The toe box is wider and fine, the mid foot however is tighter. I wear wides, I started to get terrible mid foot pain that I decided for the 1st time ever to cut the elastic strap in the tongue. It helped with the tightness, but now my foot slides, and the tongue is designed at a odd angle. Luckily I have a pair of the garavoita 4's that are practically new. I've tried to go back to the 5's several times, but can't. I did wear them for almost 2months initially

They thinned out the cushioning around the ankle, and they thinned out the sole. They decreased ankle stability by dipping the shell below the ball of the ankle. They then cheapened the look of the design. They basically cheapened the entire shoe. It now causes me back pack and knee pain to wear them, the exact symptoms I first purchased Hokas to prevent.

They felt great in the store but after a couple of wears I realized I needed a lot more support than they provide. A new set of power step insoles solved that issue. I use these as walking shoes, clocking 1-2 miles on weekdays and 4-6 on weekends. After 3 months a good amount of the black sole is worn away so the soft cushioning foam is now the wear surface. Reading other reviews I'm surprised to read that others thought the toe box is too wide as I found it to be very snug. Maybe they bought wide? While I initially loved them(after insole replacement) I won't buy them again. At nearly $200, I can't afford to replace them every 2-3 months.

They look like clown shoes , bozo shaped in the front But I have to wear them until I don't . I didn't realize the shape on line . Baggy in the front Good for crooked toes and webbed feet lol

Probably the worst pair of HOKA's I have ordered. I have really enjoyed the MACh 5's, Clifton 9's and RIncon's.

Had to check the tag twice to make sure I didn't order xwide or EE, even after adding an insole! I only wear the Bondi 8(7 was better) and I'm used to the cushioned heel. I saw that these have the same cushion rating so I tried them. WHERE'S THE CUSHION? My heels actually felt like they would drop lower than the rest of my foot when I walked. My lower back was hurting again in no time. If you need soft , supportive impact for your heels, these are not the shoe. Stick with Bondi 8.

I purchased a size 12 regular shoes are 1/2" to big epically at the heels. Shoe bounce up and down causing blisters on my heels. Big loss in the wallet.

I think these are beautiful shoes. Within the first week of having them, the strap behind the heel tore very easily when putting my shoes on. When switching from Nike, I was warned of poor craftsmanship and it feels like that's what I may have here. Don't want to go without running shoes and didn't expect to have to make a return so it's left me with a bad taste in my mouth for Hoka personally.

I normally wear wide shoes. And I have several Hokas. Something is off with these. Too wide. Not as comfortable as my other Hokas.

I wore the shoes for about 2 weeks but knew almost immediately that they weren't going to work for me. For almost $200 shoes I had high expectations and they fell short. They were comfortable however I didn't notice much of an improvement from Nike. Not sure if there was a defect in my shoe however when I walked on flat, smooth surfaces there was like an air pocket or something. Also the sizing didn't seem great because I usually run a 12 or 13 depending on the type of shoe. The 12 was tight and the 13 had way too much space. I got the 12.5 and those were still too tight.

The toe area is too wide for the shoe. An older pair fits fine. Not sure why Hoka is making the toe areas wider but it doesn't work.

Don't like the tung, it's not as cushioned as the others Also the rubber sole changed for the worse I just bought the Gav3 for 1/3 the price!!

Let me say first, I love Hokas in general. I have multiple pairs of Bondi 7 and 8s and a pair of Bondi SRs which may be the most comfortable of all of them. I have bad plantar fasciitis and Hokas are about the only shoes I can wear without terrible pain. I was hoping that the new Gaviota 5s would be a further improvement since they are plush but with stability. The big problem was the lining at the heel. It was very flimsy and buckled a lot so that one's heel and Achilles get a great deal of rubbing happening. If they would just use the material they usually use which is plush but firm enough it would be fine. Just terrible the way it is. Hard pass.

I much prefer the Gaviota 4 -- I find the Gaviota 5 too plush with cushioning and this at the expense of spring forward motion Hope you will consider not phasing out the Gaviota 4 -- been my staple for ultra long distance hiking for quite some time

Walking

The shoe fits and wears well. However, the looks degrade terribly after 5-6 months due to the tearing of the perforated vents on top of the shoe. This becomes a work/chore shoe very quick. We live overseas and order once a year when back in the states. I have tried two pairs of this model with the same result.

Unfortunately lacks cushioning that I expected. My feet are hurting by the end of the day.

If I had actually received the product, instead of having my order cancelled for no apparent reason, I certainly would have given this more than 1star!

Purchased in late February and have worn on four 3 mile runs and the sock liner has already ripped. Poor quality and am very disappointed with Hoka

I started wearing these shoes in the middle of December 2025. I bought two pairs of shoes to wear. I walk a few miles daily, don't run, nothing excessive. I have worn Nike asics and new balance for years but wanted to try these hoka after seeing more friends wear there. I really really like the shoes and they help my flat feet alot. But By the end February, the fabric in the heel at the ankle had really worn down in both shoes. I've never ever had this happen with any other brand, and I'm used to replacing shoes every 6-9 months for normal wear on the bottom of the shoes but never had fabric issues with other brands after just 2-3 months. I submitted a warranty to Hoka in early March and it was denied today for " normal wear and tear ". Really Hoka ? Your shoes wear down in 2-3 months? Who wants to have to buy shoes every 2-3 monthsI'm not a marathon runner just an average guy?! I'm very disappointed with the warranty experience because it says a year warranty not a 2.5 month warranty. Beware buying hoka, you will get stylish very comfortable shoes but they don't last and aren't worth $150!

Would not recommend purchase.

I got blisters on the inside of both my heels from walking in these shoes for about 10mi. I walk about 5mi a day every day and these are the only shoes that have ever done this to my feet. I returned them for a refund.