Welcome back to My Sunday Shoe, my weekly human-written blog highlighting the day’s choice in footwear for my run. I’m a running store owner, lifelong runner, a Hoka dealer for a dozen years. Today, my Sunday Shoe choice was the Hoka Arahi 9, which is right in my wheelhouse. There is not another brand out there that screams, slightly older than middle aged Dad like the Hoka Arahi. Over the years we’ve carried every iteration of the Arahi and I have run in all of them. As I mentioned last week, I tweaked my calf on the track a week and a half ago, so today’s run was my first tester run back. For those who have been in an injury cycle, you know the trepidation and excitement a first run back can have. And, having reinjured myself many times from rushing back, I was of course antsy this morning.
On paper, the Arahi has everything you’d want in a comeback shoe. It’s one of the only two Hoka models they list as stability shoes, the other being the bigger cushioned Gaviota. Last year the Arahi had a big update in the stability design, moving from the J-Frame to the full foot protection of their H-Frame. In version 8, they also raised the drop from 5mm to 8mm (which I think was done to give the middle finger to the rest of the industry who was desperately trying to replicate Hoka’s secret sauce). Since my latest injury was in my calf, I have been exclusively wearing higher drop shoes to let it calm down some.
One of the best attributes of the Arahi has always been its sleek design. Well, I should say sleek when compared to other Hoka models. Two versions ago, they took that concept a tad too far. They narrowed it so much we ended up selling almost as many versions in wide as standard width. Out of the box, the Arahi 9 looks indistinguishable from version 8 in its design and width. Sleek, sneaky light, even tame fashionable colors. On a dreary and drizzly fall morning, I almost hated schussing them up. Compared to other Hoka models like the Clifton Pro or even the Mach, the Arahi is strategically designed to look more like an everyday shoe than a running shoe. Which is probably a tell.
As soon as I popped them on, any worry of a backslide to narrow was gone. Much like the Clifton Pro, it felt like they’re overcorrecting on the width. I prefer a wider toe box with my bunion-riddled feet, but in my first step in I wondered if the standard D width was somehow too wide for me. I really had to crank down on the laces to feel like I was stable in my stability shoe.
However, once on my feet and out the door, they were still really comfortable. I always found the Arahi was firm without being stiff. Cushioned without being soft. Light without feeling cheapy. The 9s gave me the same feels. Heading out the door I could tell this would be a shoe that would not be handed down to my awaiting Dad who often inherits my recently tested shoes.
Much like the last version though, they will not be worn much for running. And there’s nothing wrong with that. People need a sleek shoe for work that still provides cushion and support. People need to be able to take a nice shoe on a trip. It’s just not a fun shoe I will run in much after today. It’s too meh for running. It almost feels like they just stopped trying to make it a running shoe too. Seeing a shoe with a basic compressed molded EVA midsole just feels like they’ve stopped trying to innovate this shoe. I think we’ve officially reached the point with the Arahi that Hoka hit with the Clifton. It needs a running counterpart. The Clifton added the Pro and now it’s time for an Arahi Pro. There needs to be a running version of Arahi. Let the Arahi be the daily shoe for daily life and make another option for daily running. It’s really hard to be both and it just feels like the pendulum has swung too far to walk.
Another thing, I don’t appreciate the added $5 to the shoe. Yes, it’s $5. But it was $5 last time and the time before that. This is a $150 shoe. Throwing a few more bucks on a shoe that, technologically speaking, is not any different from its previous version, seems like an unnecessary price raise when everyone is so price conscious. When you compare the Arahi against a running stability shoe like the Asics GT-2000, they’ve managed to make it better while keeping the price the same. This would have been the right time for Hoka to hold it at $150.
If I can put a bow on this week. After missing days from another little injury, I am so thrilled to get a run in today. There are no words to express how thankful I am to be able to run and losing days makes me appreciate it even more. So, if you’re able, lace em up and carpe diem and don’t waste a day of running while you’re able.
