Rock Box Torrents Torrent Might Benefit

Rock Box Torrents Torrent Might Benefit

Whereas the SI2 upper arguably had too much stretch (I switched out the stretchy laces), I think the Torrent might benefit from a little more give to it.

Hoka One One Torrent - A Breakthrough, Versatile, Light, Great Fitting Trail Race and Training Shoe.

Tread is substantial, but not overly done, looking to be versatile on a variety of surfaces and still work in rough terrain.

The upper is minimal yet secure and the yellow color is classy and not overly bright.

I have long been a fan of Hoka and there have been a handful of top hits for me (Huaka and Speedgoat 2 come to mind), but I have often found minor nitpicks with just about any of the shoes.

T he Torrent seems to have solved most of the minor quibbles I have had in the past and lets just say I am quite impressed, this is a legit contender for shoe of the year, certainly at or near the top of all time hits.

I think Ive said this a bunch of times, but in my mind Hoka is a brand that either works with you or it doesnt.

Ive struggled with a few of their shoes such as the Clifton 5 or Cavu, because for me they are way too soft and lack a quick heel to toe transition.

So, with that said, I was not expecting much out of the trail line from Hoka.

Well, boy was I wrong Why do I like the Torrent It doesnt feel like a Hoka.

My size 9 is spot on and I have had the ability to put this baby to the test on both the West and East coasts.

I loved the lime-green color, which reminded me of the original Montrail Rogue Racer.

Overall, shoe is fast and fairly light, consistent with Hoka positioning it as successor to the Speed Instinct 2.

The forefoot has a nice balance between ground feel and rock protection.

The rear is slightly overbuilt for my taste, but obligate heel-strikers may like this.

Despite being a tremendous Hoka fan, Ive been a wee bit let down by some of their less Hoka-ish Hokas, and I was curious as to how this one would stand up.

Out of the box, the Torrent was light, with a nice, airy upper, an aggressive outsole, and nothing unnecessary to its construction.

The rubbery overlay around the perimeter should help with durability, and minimises water ingress if splashing through puddles.

Its possible that this may make the shoe slow to dry after full immersion, but I havent had a chance to test this.

Id feel confident traipsing through any manner of mud, muck, brush and bramble in the Torrent.

Foothold is excellent, in the heel, midfoot and this despite the added room in the forefoot, I dont have any problems with my foot sliding, even when running fast on steep, technical descents or off camber terrain.

This helped avoid toe bang on steep descents, replacing it with toe squeeze instead.

Toe bang is less of an issue because the upper fabric is no longer stretchy.

I did find that I needed to tighten the laces a little more during steep descents.