The Hoka Torrent 4. All photographs: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
I lately obtained my toes into the latest Hoka Torrent 4 ($130) and put greater than 140 miles on them over a number of weeks. I used to be first launched to the Hoka Torrent a few years in the past at my native working retailer after I was looking for a substitute for the discontinued Pearl Izumi Path N2, which had been my best choice for a number of years whereas I used to be getting began in ultrarunning. The shop worker really useful the Torrent as the subsequent closest mannequin, so I gave it a whirl and instantly turned a loyal fan. Over 4 years, I wore the Torrent nearly solely on trails, together with two 100-mile finishes and numerous ultras and journey runs.
In the end, I craved a extra sturdy and secure path shoe, so I switched to the Hoka Speedgoat. Nevertheless, returning to the Torrent felt like placing on a pair of comfortable, well-worn denims — solely, this newest mannequin comes with some good upgrades.
The Hoka Torrent 4 has an precise weight of 9 ounces (254 grams) in a U.S. males’s 9, and a 5-millimeter heel-to-toe drop, with claimed stack heights of 33- and 28-millimeters (males’s) and 32- and 27-millimeters (girls’s) on the heel and toe, respectively.
Key updates to this mannequin embody a brand new midsole foam and 2-millimeter bump in stack top, redesigned lug sample and elevated outsole protection, and a webbing loop on the heel.
Learn on for all the small print on the Torrent 4.
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Hoka Torrent 4 Higher
A lateral view of the Hoka Torrent 4.
The Hoka Torrent 4’s higher carries ahead the single-layer mesh design of its predecessor, and it additionally incorporates 35% recycled polyester. Likewise, the evenly padded gusseted tongue reveals little change from earlier variations of this shoe. Hoka added a webbing loop on the again to assist drained runners tug their sneakers on and off.
This shoe’s higher additionally consists of what Hoka calls a “scorching soften assist cage,” which seems much like the TPU overlays utilized in earlier Torrent designs. This assist cage provides some construction to the higher, and helps give the shoe a safe, locked-in match.
Whereas testing the Torrent 4, I ran on a mixture of non-technical singletrack trails, gravel roads, and steep, rocky, technical mountain terrain. These sneakers supplied a safe, snug match by 140-plus working miles, and the higher reveals solely minimal put on to date.
I’ve a protracted, low-volume foot, with a medium arch and slim heel, and I desire a roomy toebox. Hoka’s sneakers typically match my toes effectively, and the Torrent 4 follows swimsuit. The toebox supplies sufficient room for my toes to splay, whereas my midfoot and heel stay locked within the shoe.
The higher felt sufficiently breathable, its laces and tongue stayed put, and I skilled no scorching spots or discomfort in these sneakers. Notably, certainly one of iRunFar’s testers mentioned that this model of the Torrent felt wider and roomier than earlier iterations.
Hoka Torrent 4 Midsole
A medial view of the Hoka Torrent 4.
The Hoka Torrent 4 comes with an all-new midsole foam. Earlier fashions used dual-density EVA foam with Hoka’s proprietary ProFly development, and the shoe was designed for each a cushioned touchdown and a responsive toe-off. With the Torrent 4, Hoka strives to take care of this stability of cushion and responsiveness, whereas shifting to a single-layer EVA midsole and two additional millimeters of stack top underfoot.
Hoka additionally reshaped the midsole to incorporate a wider base across the heel for added stability.
My expertise within the Torrent is that it supplies a pleasant stability of cushion and responsiveness. Whereas there are actually extra cushioned sneakers in the marketplace, in addition to extra responsive sneakers, I’ve discovered this mannequin to be snug for 100 milers and capable of carry out effectively sufficient in a coaching exercise or 50k race. This latest model additionally feels extra secure.
A couple of years in the past, I had two key causes for shifting away from the Torrent and choosing the Hoka Speedgoat as a substitute. One was that the Torrent sometimes felt packed out after about 100 miles of wear and tear, and I used to be growing a behavior of shopping for a brand new pair of sneakers for each race — and typically shopping for two at a time as a result of I used to be sporting by them so quick. My different challenge was that I used to be rolling my ankles too steadily in these sneakers. I hadn’t had points with rolling my ankles earlier than, and the issue went away after I switched to the Speedgoat.
Regardless of these gripes, I nonetheless had sufficient fondness and nostalgia for the Torrent mannequin that I used to be excited to offer the fourth iteration a contemporary attempt. After 140+ miles, the midsole doesn’t have the packed-out mushy really feel that I got here to anticipate from earlier variations of the Torrent. Furthermore, I’ve not skilled a single ankle roll, even on steep, unfastened, and rocky trails.
This latest Torrent midsole design certainly feels extra secure — and to date, extra sturdy — than these prior. I’m curious to see simply what number of miles I’ll get from these sneakers.
Like earlier variations of this shoe, the Torrent 4 doesn’t embody a rockplate. Nonetheless, the shoe gives enough safety on very rocky terrain, corresponding to scrambling up a mountain ridge, or working on trails with sections of lava rock.
Hoka Torrent 4 Outsole
The outsole of the Hoka Torrent 4.
With the Hoka Torrent 4, Hoka made some key updates to the shoe’s outsole. Among the many adjustments is a brand new, multi-directional lug sample for improved grip on uphills and descents — a design that considerably resembles that of the Hoka Speedgoat 6. The lugs additionally acquired a 1-millimeter enhance, going from a 4-millimeter to 5-millimeter depth. Lastly, Hoka elevated the floor space lined by its rubber outsole, with an intention to enhance sturdiness and stability.
I’ve been testing this shoe in the course of the hottest, driest a part of the 12 months within the Pacific Northwest, so I haven’t put in a ton of muddy miles within the Torrent 4. That mentioned, I’ve worn them on all kinds of path surfaces, together with unfastened rock, a mixture of technical and non-technical trails, chunky gravel, and splashing by creeks or hopping from rock to rock at a water crossing.
By all of those circumstances, the Torrent 4 supplied dependable grip and stability, and I used to be capable of confidently belief my footing.
Hoka Torrent 4 Total Impressions
A high view of the Hoka Torrent 4.
Total, the Hoka Torrent 4 is a high-performing on a regular basis path working shoe, and nice worth. It performs effectively over a wide range of terrain and working distances. With its approachable price ticket, this shoe is an effective selection for newbie path runners, but it’s featured sufficient to please seasoned runners who aren’t searching for a particular design, corresponding to a carbon-plated race shoe or maximal cushioning for extremely distances.
In different phrases, specialty sneakers will outperform the Torrent 4 within the explicit circumstances for which they’re designed, however they’ll additionally probably include the next value.
Lastly, whereas earlier Torrent fashions left one thing to be desired when it got here to sturdiness and assist, Hoka made key updates to model 4 that tackle each these points. The Torrent 4 is noticeably superior to its predecessors in stability efficiency, and to date, it’s holding up significantly better than I anticipated from this shoe.
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