Hoka Transport Review

As one of those all-purpose shoes that can seemingly do well in any situation, the Hoka Transport is as much lifestyle footwear as it is a performance trainer. It's an everyday walking/hiking shoe that cleans up well. The tough outsoles can achieve traction in any environment, and the Cordura fabric uppers hold up well against dirt, debris, and abrasions.

Comfort

The Hoka Transport is not a plush shoe by any means, but for a trail-ready walker with a sturdy base, it's quite comfortable to wear all day long. The uppers feature modest padding around the upper heel and ankle, as well as down the length of the tongue, and the EVA midsole is thick enough to provide substantial shock absorption.

With a 39mm heel stack height, there's plenty of room for a substantial chunk of EVA foam to form the midsole. But while there is some squish to it, the midsole moreso feels firm and supportive, rather than soft. That's partly due to the lugged rubber-coated outsole, which is rigid and stable.

Shoe Exterior Shoe Interior

The Cordura textile uppers are stiffer than the softer mesh fabrics often used in other walking shoes and require a bit of breaking-in for a proper fit. This is especially true of the reinforced toe box — we tested the standard-fit version, but a wider version of the shoe is available for those who have wider feet. The uppers also run warm, which can be a benefit during cold-weather walks but could lead to sweaty feet during summer months.

We find the fit to be a touch slim in general, and the fabric's stiffness can exacerbate that sensation until you've logged a few thousand steps in the shoes. But sliding into and out of the Hoka Transports is easy as can be. The quick-toggle lace system makes loosening and tightening the laces super fast and convenient, and we were able to find that “Goldilocks” amount of tension where the shoes felt secure, but we could slide them on and off hands-free — that's a great feeling. Standard laces are also provided with the purchase of the shoes, but we prefer the quick-toggle system.

Support

The Transport's firm EVA midsole provides a smooth and predictable step — not bouncy like springier midsoles or plated trainers can be. It's stable, protective, and reliable, ensuring your foot lands and lifts the same way with each step. And the lacing system does a good job of locking your heel in place, which is necessary to ensure top shoe performance and blister prevention.

During testing, we noticed some flex in the toes, but a solidly stable heel and midfoot. This is apparent in our flexion test, where we applied torsion to the shoe with our hands to assess flex and rigidity. Some flex in the toes helps ensure a natural flow through the step and also helps with stability, enabling your forefoot to adjust and rebalance your step as needed.

The modest rocker angle further encourages that heel-to-toe foot roll, but only as a suggestion. A steeper angle would more forcefully make your step follow the shoe's design intent, whereas with the Transport, the rocker support is more subtle. The arch support is more pronounced, which is great for those with high arches and those who tend to pronate, as it can help straighten your step.

Earlier, we called the uppers “stiff”, but perhaps a more accurate description is “tough”. The Cordura fabric works well with the lacing system to hold your foot in place. And since it's so tough, it supports your joints, actively preventing foot slips inside the shoe that could result in a misstep or rolled ankle. Additionally, the toe box, sidewalls, and lacing eylets have all been reinforced for added protection.

Traction

Equipped with a high-quality Vibram EcoStep Natural outsole, the Hoka Transport is truly ready for any terrain. The rubber-covered outsole of this shoe features an aggressive lug pattern that's more typical of trail runners and hiking boots than walking shoes. On the Transport, this expands the shoe's versatility, giving it the depth of grip needed for gravel paths and uneven dirt trails.

Often, the addition of tall lugs can mean sacrificing traction on pavement and other smooth surfaces. This is because the lugs effectively reduce the amount of rubber that is physically contacting the hard, flat ground. But we experienced no such traction issues during our many thousands of steps in the Transports. The Vibram rubber has oodles of traction — enough to spare. Even the lugs themselves have a fine texture, which helps them maintain grip in more urban environments.

We even walked for miles in these shoes after it had rained, and wet surfaces didn't pose any issue. If any surface could be considered a weakness for the Transports, it would be indoors, such as on tile or linoleum. The aggressive lug pattern isn't going to do you any favors in a freshly polished office corridor, but the Vibram rubber maintained its hold when we walked around our local mall.

Weight

We weighed the men's size 10.5 regular-width Hoka Transport shoes we tested, and they measured 11.96 ounces per shoe, or just under 24 ounces for the pair. The rubber outsole lugs, upper reinforcements, and reflective highlights all add fractions of ounces across these shoes. The weight feels balanced from heel to toe, but they do lean toward the heavier side of the walking shoe spectrum.

That said, the Transports are not heavy-feeling on the feet. We walked a five-mile mixed-surface loop in these shoes and hardly felt a whiff of fatigue as a result of their weight. If anything, our ankles felt partially worked by that point, so if we had gone a few more miles, there might have been a different story to tell, but the comfort of any shoe could be called into question once you start putting in that many miles at once.

Durability

You'd be hard-pressed to find a walking shoe more durable than the Hoka Transport. This shoe was designed not only to last, but also to survive rough trails and bad weather. Essentially, the entire outsole is covered in Vibram EcoStep Natural rubber, including a toe box shield and a heel back cap. This rubber will step through a scree field of sharp rocks with ease, and if you accidentally kick something like a log or large stone, you're toes will hardly notice it. Consider it to be like armor for your feet.

At the uppers, the entire toe region is further protected with a durable panel, as are other sections of the Cordura mesh. Additionally, the entire lacing structure is reinforced to prevent early wear. But the entire upper is abrasion-resistant, meaning twigs and rocks should bounce right off of it, rather than scarring it. A PFC-free water repellency treatment has been applied to the uppers as well — they're not fully waterproof, but will shed light rain and splashes. Inside the shoes, the hard-wearing fabrics also show no signs of undue wear after our many miles of testing.

Should You Buy the Hoka Transport?

If you're looking for an all-day, all-purpose shoe, the Hoka Transport is a solid option. It's handsome enough for a casual workplace environment, and provides the stability and comfort you'd want for a full day of standing and short walks. Then, it's capable of trekking downtown, through the park, or even up a steep hill for a moderately challenging hike. But if you spend most of your time indoors, you probably don't need aggressive lugs, and there are more plush, comfortable options out there.

What Other Walking Shoe Should You Consider?

The Transports can go anywhere, but if you don't need those dirt-stabbing, rock-grabbing lugs, the Altra Experience Flow 2 is an even more comfortable and lighter-weight walking shoe that is nearly as versatile. Alternatively, the Under Armour Charged Assert 10 doesn't have quite the same prestige as the Hokas, but it's very capable in its own right, still pretty comfortable, and can be had at a fraction of the price.