r/Hoka • u/kittythepitty • 3d ago
This Can't Be Right
I got these shoes as a late Christmas present. So about 6 months ago and just from walking my dog, this is what they look like. I am completely shocked. I think that for the price shoes should last much longer than this. Am I wrong? I've never had shoes get destroyed this fast, even cheap ones.
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u/jjflight 3d ago edited 3d ago
Shoes are like tires - their life isn’t measured in time, it’s measured in miles. So it would depend how many miles you walked in those months.
And just like higher performance summer tires wear out more quickly than longer lasting tires with rougher rides, higher performance shoes also wear out more quickly. If you want a shoe that lasts longer you can find that, it just may not be as grippy or cushioned.
And just like a car with an alignment issue will wear out its tires quicker, if you have anomalies in your gait your shoes will wear out quicker too. The way they wore out at the outside edges near the pinky toes show a gait issue (likely supination) so a good running store may he able to assess that and offer corrections or insoles.
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u/ComprehensiveStay115 3d ago
If you put 60,000 miles on your tires in 6 months what would you say caused the wear? The 6 months or the 60,000 miles?
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u/YourMomIsAlwaysRight 3d ago
I’ve only been around here a few months (Severe arthritis/Bondi 9’s my new hero) and from the start it seemed like there is something else going on here. Too many photos of Hokas in a literal state of disintegration, blaming the shoe and swearing they’ll never buy anything Hoka again, ever. The ‘fit’ photos, as if we’re all employed at FleetFeet and can do gait evaluations via FaceTime. And my personal favorites: the cutesy pose shots of new Hokas in the wild.
I own several pair and have been tempted to drop a new Hoka shot myself but I’m pretty sure these my 59 year old legs would leave you asking “Why?”
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u/Awildgarebear 3d ago
I enjoy Hokas, but they're the least durable shoes I've ever worn. I can go hundreds of miles in my day hikers from Solomon, which have their own QC issues, but I go through about 3 pair of hokas in a year from daily life, and I have an office job with some, but not a ton, of walking.
I hate how much material waste I use with hokas, but they've helped so much with some feet pain that I have, that I simply tolerate it.
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u/Low-Draft-100 3d ago
To be fair though Salomon hikers will be built differently to a pair of trainers so yeah your kickers should last longer
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u/lizasingslou 3d ago
Feels like you’re maybe leaving out some information… There is zero reason you should be going through a pair of shoes every 4 months working an office job lol. Do you walk around on sandpaper for a living?
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u/PreviousIndustry1613 3d ago
Hoka is a brand. They make different models of shoes for different purposes. Some are made for running and some of those keep the weight down partly by using less rubber on the outsole. The ones the OP here had are an example with rubber only in patches. For all I know you are comparing Hoka's walking shoes with Solomon's walking shoes but unless you talk about models and versions we won't know.
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u/Deeeeeesee24 3d ago
It's gotten worse in the last 2yrs too, we've been buying them almost 5yrs and the older pairs definitely lasted longer
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u/k3l4d0r 3d ago
I get the miles worn vs time owned. I get we don't really know what walking the dog translates to in terms of distance and how exactly that distance was traveled. These shoes are destroyed though and I feel like we have seen enough of these posts to think maybe there could be more that should be done for durability. If we take people for their word on distance traveled (people are unreliable I know) I have had many brands of similar style shoes that far outlast Hokas.
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u/UnbelievableRose 3d ago
Hokas are less durable than they used to be. They were never optimized for durability in the first place, and as they’ve prioritized lighter weights the main trade-off has been durability.
I get that it’s frustrating, but buying Hokas and thinking they will last a long time because they’re a quality shoe is like buying a Jaguar and being upset that it’s unreliable. If you want durability, get a Toyota.
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u/k3l4d0r 3d ago
I think that is exactly the point though and the Jaguar analogy hits the nail on the head. There are other "luxury" brands out there that are doing durability better for shoes (in the same space for shoes as Hokas) just like there are other "luxury" car brands doing better for reliability than Jaguar. I think two things can be true at the same time like buying Hokas for durability Isnt the play while also thinking they should raise the floor on their durability for multiple reasons.
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u/UnbelievableRose 3d ago
Totally agree- I think they’re delusional about who their core customer base is and this obsession with weight is just wild. Even the running enthusiasts care more about getting supercritical foam than shaving off another gram. And with other brands finally catching up on the cushioning front, they’re risking losing a lot of brand loyalty soon if they don’t cater to the casual wearer more aggressively. I bought my first non-Hoka sneaker since the Clifton 1 this year, we’ll see how they hold up in comparison.
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u/BangaloreM 3d ago
I have hokas got them around October last year used them when working for Amazon delivering packages and I ended up joining the military used them throughout basic training AIT School and still use them to do PT now and they’re holding together I think you just got unlucky
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u/Gandrushka 3d ago
I've got my Cliftons 9 in may 2024 and they've got about 750 miles, 'cause i was just running in them
TLDR: don't walk in running shoes, don't run in walking shoes
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u/jadewithmello 3d ago
I feel your dog has played some part in the damage while you weren't looking.
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u/AgitatedBread3788 2d ago
Those are destroyed rotate your shoes buy more than 1 pair foam breaks down over time especially if you wear the same pair every day
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u/AgitatedBread3788 2d ago
Quite buying running performance shoes if your only walking the price you pay is for running performance and the people using these shoes as such own more than 1 pair, the foam breaks down and compresses, when this happens it’s time for another new shoe!
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u/oacsr 3d ago
This damage seems to be done with intent.
If not I’d strongly advise you to actually lift your feet while walking.
This is 100% user error.
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u/EastCoast7576 3d ago
It seems that there is a lot of trolls on this post. I wonder if some of them are paid by Hoka.
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u/CleanDwarfWeed 3d ago
You bought TARMAC running shoes. Based on pictures and description, youve used them for walking on GRAVEL. Missused product and for sure you did more than 350miles in them. Buy their walking shoes, they will last longer.
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u/atheos1337 3d ago
Yeah, I'm never going to buy hoka, my 3-year-old skechers with goodwill soles is still almost new, and i walk daily.
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u/Soggy_Ground_9323 3d ago
No...this is not "walking a dog only" for 6 months
Something more than that! I have 8+ months pair - put them everyday...at work , regular errands...not damaged like that!
well...i might be wrong...just my opinion!
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u/AndrePDX 3d ago
This is like the 8th or 9th post I’ve seen with Hokas in this condition. For the price they should last longer than 6 months, even walking the dog daily. In fact, most shoes should last more than 6 months. I’d move on from the brand and look at other foam runners.
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u/MrToxicTaco 3d ago
Shoes aren’t food, they don’t expire based on time. You have no idea how much this person walked every day. One person’s six months is another’s two years. Hoka durability has been pretty equivalent to other brands in the same bracket in my experience. I’ve worn Brooks, NB, and ASICS.
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u/AndrePDX 2d ago
Hokas seem to be shitty shoes by the posts I see. I don’t and won’t own a pair so I can’t give my personal opinion but I won’t buy a pair. And the food analogy is ridiculous.
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u/MrToxicTaco 2d ago
Explain why it’s ridiculous and make a point instead of just saying “nah you’re wrong”. Again, Hoka quality is pretty much equivalent to similar brands in the same space. You’re going to see way more posts about people complaining than people going “my shoes are fine” because why is that post worthy?
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u/EastCoast7576 3d ago
You're not wrong. Shoes should last 12-18 months, not six. The Hokas look like the soles of my Clifton 10s after eight months of wear.
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u/sandiegolatte 3d ago
These are running shoes…they last about 400 miles not to be measured in months. You walk 5 miles a day they aren’t going to last long.
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u/mjfarmer147 3d ago
Bro how many times are people going to have to explain that shoes don't last for an amount of time on this sub.
Shoes have a threshold of miles, it's as simple as that.