HOKA Speedgoat Mid 2 GORE-TEX Trail Running Shoe Review

The HOKA Speedgoat Mid 2 GORE-TEX Shoes are perfect for running in the snow during the winter months. This was the first pair of HOKA One One shoes I have tested, and surely won’t be the last.

GORE-TEX Shoes

Don’t let snow and cold be an excuse for you to stop running, luckily the HOKA Speedgoat 2 GORE-TEX Shoe is the sort of footwear you can run in regardless of the weather.  From rain to mud to snow and ice the HOKA One One Speedgoat Mid 2 has proven to be one of the more popular and reliable shoes for running in less than ideal conditions.

HOKA HOKA Laces

When I first went to put these shoes on, I figured I could just undo the laces and slide my foot in. I was wrong.  To get into the HOKA One One Speedgoat Shoes you need to undo the laces a good bit, slide your foot in, and then re-lace everything back up.  At first, I wasn’t really a fan of not being able to slip my running shoes on and off.  However, I had zero heel lift when running and the shoes really stayed in place for the length of my runs, so I can see why the shoes fit this way.

Laces, Laces, Laces.  I’m not sure what HOKA is using here (we will reach out to the brand for more info) but these are the best laces I have ever used.  The hiccup becomes getting the shoes on and off as mentioned above.  These laces stay in place, they have unique material and an outer coating that won’t slip.  That being said you really need to lace these shoes differently than any other footwear you have worn before.  If you try and pull the laces through to tighten all at once it won’t work.

Take the extra few seconds and really dial in the fit.  And be sure to remember it takes a little time to remove the HOKA One One Speedgoat 2 GORE-TEX Shoes.

While running in the HOKA One One Speedgoat’s one gets the feeling of floating on air.  I tend to strike with the front of my foot while running so I wasn’t sure how these would perform.  Once I started going I was pleasantly surprised.  It almost felt like I was using less effort to run than I normally would?  Do these shoes really float?  I think so.

Best Terrain

From hard-packed to ice, snow, gravel, and everything I threw at them the HOKA One One Speedgoat 2 Mid Shoes have been able to handle the terrain with ease.   The bottom of the shoe comes with Vibram® Megagrip rubber that seems to offer almost as good of traction as traditional spikes do.

Overall Impression

I’m not going to lie, the shoes look weird.  Your ego will need to take a backseat while wearing the HOKA One One Speedgoat 2 GORE-TEX Shoes ($170). Once you get past the look of these shoes, the feeling you get while using them will surely have you wearing them more often than not.

Do keep in mind, when you finish running in shoes that make you feel like your floating, you’re going to walk very awkwardly at first, sort of like when you get off a boat and have sea legs.  HOKA One One has something unique in its secret sauce.

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