The much anticipated release of the HOKA Tecton X 3 is here. This is a major change from the X2 and feels very much like a new shoe. I wrote a quick flash review on my initial impressions here. If you look at all the key ingredients, you have a trail supershoe that is going to make a lot of trail runners very happy.
Pros:
- These are the most comfortable HOKAs I've tried to date. The sock gaiter + stretchy upper + super foam just feels so good.
- They are fast. With the carbon plates and responsive foam, they want to go.
- Great for moderately technical trail but can still get you up and down some of the heavy tech terrain.
Cons:
- Don't drain well, hold water, and felt hot.
- Lack of arch support. I'm usually not too picky about this but after a long run, I was wishing I had better insoles / arch structure.
- Sloppy fit and feel for technical trail. I could have seen this coming but I can now confirm that you'd be better off with a Speedgoat, Mafate, or Tecton X 2 if you wanted a White Mountain Trail Shoe.