HOKA Rincon 4 Men's Road - Running Shoes review
I was pretty lazy during the whole summer training. It took me forever to finally run 100 kilometers in these HOKA Rincon 4 shoes. Here's what I think about 'em:
1. Look
The blue, white, and gold color combo is really cool. It's got that old - school, elegant look that I'm really into. And it matches my Tracksmith classic vest like they were made for each other.
2. Size
I got the size 41 in the standard width, which is US 8. I heard a bunch of people say that the standard width of this HOKA model runs narrow. I had the same issue with the Clifton 8 before. When I first put these on right out of the box, my toes were squished. I almost swapped 'em for a wider pair. But I really wanted this color (it's only available in the men's standard width), so I thought I'd tough it out. Maybe I could just wear 'em for work if they didn't work for running. But guess what? Not only did it get better, but now, because the midsole's kind of sunk in, the shoe doesn't hug my foot as well as it used to.
3. The Upper Part
It's got that knitted upper that HOKA uses a lot in their jogging shoes. Feels similar to the Clifton and Mach shoes I've had. The air flow isn't great. But now that it's getting a bit cooler in the fall, it's actually not too bad. At first, it felt snug, but now it's a bit looser. Still, the shoe keeps its shape pretty good. The tongue's separate, no inner boot. And it doesn't hold my mid - foot as well as my old Mach 5 did.
4. The Midsole
The midsole's made of CMEVA. It's the same stuff they've been using. But it looks nicer than the version in the Rincon 3. The company says it's 30mm in the front and 35mm in the back, with a 5mm drop. When I run, it feels okay. But don't expect any crazy performance. The shock absorption was good at first, but it's already wearing off fast, even the insole. Now the front of the midsole's starting to sink, and you can really see that "embedded shoe - bed" thing they were talking about.
5. The Outsole
The outsole is rubberized EVA. It's probably like the one on the Mach 5, but it's softer and not as tough. Whether it's dry or wet, it doesn't grip all that well. When I'm doing interval runs and push off, I can feel my foot slipping a bit. But if it's not raining and I'm just jogging, it's good enough.
6. How It Feels Overall
These shoes are great for an easy 5 - 6 minute - per - kilometer run. The lighter you are, the better they feel. If you're heavier, the midsole starts to give out quicker. They work with different ways of landing your foot. I tried rolling from my heel, and it felt pretty decent.
7. The Downside
Honestly, these shoes aren't a must - have. I mostly bought 'em 'cause I thought they looked cool. It's more of an impulse buy than something I really needed.
