HOKA have a niche in the road market, thick, cushioned EVA based trainers. They deviated from this recently with their Skyward X which featured some super foam to add some pep to the step. The Skyflow is its little sibling. Does it cut the mustard?
HOKA Skyflow Introduction:
A Plateless Wonder?
HOKA, the max cushion specialists, have released their unplated sibling to the Skyward X. The Skyflow boasts a similar geometry to the Skyward X but without the superfoams or the trampoline inspired plate. A shoe for daily miles and extra comfort, the Skyflow has super-critical EVA underfoot and a jacquard mesh upper to hold everything in place.
How does it work and fit in with the rest of the HOKA line -up?
Specs:
Weight: 10oz | 283g
Stack Heights: 39.0 mm (heel); 34 mm (forefoot)
Heel-to-toe drop: 5 mm
Retail price: £150 | $160 | €170
HOKA Skyflow Upper:
The Highlight of the Shoe
Andy: My prior experience of HOKA shoes has always been that they are comfortable and the Skyflow is no exception. The jacquard mesh upper has a pleasant hold on the foot and offers no irritation or rubbing. Whilst the mesh looks and feels on the thicker side, I didn’t experience any overheating on the run in the summer months. However, when the Skyflow got wet, the mesh did take a while to dry.
Around the rather stout heel cup, we have a decent amount of padding which helps with the lockdown of the Skyflow. To further assist this, the tongue is fully gusseted. I think, overall, that the tongue is my only point of complaint about the upper. It is very thick. Whilst this stops lace pressure and aids to the security of the fit, it feels cumbersome and unnecessary. Although, this may be a personal peeve rather than a real issue of the shoe.
That said, the upper is mainly a very comfortable piece of engineering which does the trick for a daily shoe. It is comfortable, secure and allows the foot to breathe.
Surprisingly Breathable
Maisie: My thoughts and experiences relating to the upper are similar to Andy’s. I shared the same concerns in relation to breathability. The jacquard mesh is on the thicker side and I had also thought this may lead to overheating. I was proven wrong and had no issues with this. However, I wore these for several very wet runs and, as Andy notes, the shoes hold water and take a long time to dry. This may not be an issue for some, but for a UK based runner in Autumn, this is less than ideal!
Comfort wise these shoes generally ticked the boxes for me, the more bulky padding suits my preferences for an easy miles shoe and even the thicker tongue didn’t concern me. Compared to previous HOKA shoes I have tried, the fit seemed a bit roomier. Especially across the width of the foot and toe box, which again suited my preferences. Overall, a comfortable and true to size fit.
Midsole:
A Perfectly Fine Experience
Andy: After running in the Skyward X, I was a little worried about the ride of the Skyflow. Where the Skyward X was particularly demanding about where it wanted the foot to land, it led to some muscle pains for me where my foot strike changed radically. However, the Skyflow is much more egalitarian when it comes to gait cycle. Even with my more forefoot oriented strike, the ride felt ok.
Sadly, this is about as far as I can go with the superlatives for the ride. The midsole foam doesn’t have the bouncy feel of New Balance’s FuelCell nor the dampening of Brooks’ DNA Loft foam. It isn’t an unpleasant foam but when compared to shoes of similar price brackets, it feels a little lacking to me. The ride is rather stiff and, despite the rocker, I never felt that it made the run easier.
Whilst it is by no means a bad shoe, I found it was never one which forced itself to the front of my rotation. If you are looking for a shoe which can run a range of distances in comfort and with some level of stability, this is well worth a look. If you are looking for something with a little more zing that can be a bit more versatile across a range of paces, then it may well be worth looking elsewhere.
Recovery Only
Maisie: For my first few runs I was not sold on the ride of the shoe and, being honest, I actively disliked how it felt. It is hard to describe but the words that come to mind are ‘stiff’ and ‘flat’. The limited flex in the sole is a detractor for me and I think limits them, even as a daily trainer.
For me the shoes also feel a bit heavy and bulky on foot. I preserved and the more I wore them the midsole did seem to soften slightly, or perhaps I did. But I did warm to them eventually and found myself reaching for them a bit more, but for recovery miles and nothing more than this.
HOKA Skyflow Outsole:
Not The HOKA Norm
Andy: The outsole on the Skyflow is a little more durable than others which I have experienced on HOKA shoes. Rather than being some rubberized EVA, it has a high-abrasion rubber compound. After my testing miles in the Skyflow, it is showing very little evidence of wear.
To save weight, HOKA have aimed the rubber at the high-wear areas of the outsole. The entire perimeter of the sole has coverage aside from a small cutaway just behind the midfoot point. To increase flexibility and bounce, the centre portion of the midsole is left without rubber. That said, there is very little sign of wear there on my set aside from road dirt.
Andy: Not much more to add here as Andy has hit the mark perfectly. I found the Skyflow to be a durable shoe with good traction over surfaces and varying weather conditions. I have put some good mileage into the shoes and so far, they are showing very minimal signs of wear.
HOKA Skyflow Conclusion:
A Decent Running Shoe
Andy: The Skyflow is a comfortable running shoe with a slightly stiff ride. That said, it is a shoe which will probably work for a range of runners who want something dependable across a range of distances. Whilst it isn’t a shoe which will cover every pace, it will be at home over most distances. Heel strikers and those who are more in the Clydesdale category of runner will probably enjoy the depth of cushion and width of the platform. Whilst it may be the sibling of the Skyward X, it doesn’t really feel like a close relation in the ride. For me, that’s no bad thing!
Maisie: I don’t want to do the shoe an injustice, it isn’t a bad shoe but for me it was just a bit uninspiring. As Andy notes earlier on, when compared to similar shoes with equivalent price tags it just isn’t quite hitting the mark for me. Having said that, if you are after a comfortable, dependable and long lasting durable shoe for easy/recovery running it will likely tick those boxes for you.
Maisie
33 years old
155cm (5”1) – 50kg (110lbs)
Midfoot striker
Mild pronator
@maisie.runs