Fifteen years ago, the trail running industry offered a small variety of trail running shoes. Most shoe companies took their road shoes, slapped a beefier tread on the bottom of the shoe, changed the color of the uppers to be more "earthy", and then called it a trail shoe. Today, runners have many choices when buying trail shoes. Multiple shoe companies now carry not just a trail shoe, but an entire line of trail shoes to appeal to multiple foot types, trail terrains, and distances. If your search for a trail shoe has lead you to the max cushion trail shoes, but you aren't quite sure if the shoe is for you, keep reading. . .
My "go to" trail shoes for the past 5 years have been what the industry refers to as "max cushion" shoes. Due to foot issues I would encounter on longer runs, I started running in the Hoka One One Mafate (which is no longer available, but they now have a Mafate Speed). After a few years, Altra Footwear came out with their version of a max cushion trail shoe called the Olympus and I started running in them. Why the switch? What's the difference? The shoes do look different than most and because of the visual differences, many questions tend to come my way.
What's a max cushion shoe?
Max cushion shoes have thick foam mid-soles which provide an extra-cushioned ride for runners. I refer to the shoes as "marshmallow shoes" or "moon shoes" because that's what they look like (never mind the fact that I have a soft spot for marshmallows). Because the of the size of the shoes, people think the shoe would be heavy, but they are as light, if not lighter than a regular trail shoe. The second misconception is that you'll feel like you are running with "lifts in your shoes" or "in high heels" while wearing max cushion shoes. With the purchase of a shoe that is different from what you've been wearing, there is always a "breaking in" period where you get used to the new feel. The same goes for max cushion shoes. It's "feels" different at first, but after a few runs you'll be used to the shoes.
Hoka, Altra, or another max cushion shoe?
Not all max cushion shoes are the same. While the shoes all boast a thick foam mid-sole and extra cushion, some shoes may feel more or less cushy, wider or more narrow, and be "zero-drop" or "minimum drop. As the wearer of the shoe, it's your duty to put a little time and effort into reading up on the specs of the shoe to see what each offers and how they differ.
The biggest differences between Hoka One Ones and Altras are the footbed and the "drop". Altra Footwear is focused on creating shoes with footbeds that follow the nature shape of the foot--specifically the toe box. In keeping with natural foot mechanics, their shoes are also "zero-drop," which means the shoes do not have a built-up heel that tapers to the foot bed. The soles are the same size from heel to toe.
Hoka One One is more about varying the amounts of cushion and firmness. The footbed is more along the lines of what people are used to seeing and their shoes have a heel to toe drop that is minimal (not zero) but less than that of the normal shoe.
What about tread?
Some runners have the luxury of being able to run in any shoe. Others have to decide what is more important to them. Is it more important to be able to run long distances without foot pain or to have "grippy tread" for more technical courses? Is it more important to have a light, fast shoe that feels responsive during a race or to have a shoe that is more like a Cadillac that can cruises over everything?
The Altra Olympus tread leaves a lot to be desired, but I am willing to forgo the tread deficiency in exchange for happy feet. Altra makes trail shoes with more aggressive tread (Lone Peak and Superior 2.0) but they do not have the max cushion I prefer.
Hoka One Ones tend to have better tread across the board, but the footbeds tend to be more narrow than the Altras. The Hoka footbeds allow my feet tend to "fall in" which leads to blisters. Hoka One One now has many varieties (with varying widths) to chose from with their new models (and it may take a degree in Hoka-ology to figure out the difference between them). If your foot is indifferent to a natural footbed versus the industry standard footbed, knock yourself out and find the Hoka that is right for you!
Find a pair for you!
Your feet and running style will dictate which shoe works best for you. My foot likes a roomy toe box for my toes to "splay" while I run. I also prefer a zero-drop shoe (it took a couple weeks for my calves to get use to zero-drop) which is why my feet like to run in Altras (trail and road). Many of the other shoe companies such as New Balance, Vasque, Brooks have their version of max cushion shoes, but I have not had a chance to personally run in them. If you are fortunate enough to have a specialty run store with a variety of trail shoes near you, then the best way to figure out which shoes works is to go in and try them on. Some of the stores even let you take them for a test run!! If you are not as fortunate, there are some online retailers that have a great return policy.
Stomp Lightly!
Hoka One One Mafate
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Altra Olympus
|
What's a max cushion shoe?
Max cushion shoes have thick foam mid-soles which provide an extra-cushioned ride for runners. I refer to the shoes as "marshmallow shoes" or "moon shoes" because that's what they look like (never mind the fact that I have a soft spot for marshmallows). Because the of the size of the shoes, people think the shoe would be heavy, but they are as light, if not lighter than a regular trail shoe. The second misconception is that you'll feel like you are running with "lifts in your shoes" or "in high heels" while wearing max cushion shoes. With the purchase of a shoe that is different from what you've been wearing, there is always a "breaking in" period where you get used to the new feel. The same goes for max cushion shoes. It's "feels" different at first, but after a few runs you'll be used to the shoes.
Hoka, Altra, or another max cushion shoe?
Not all max cushion shoes are the same. While the shoes all boast a thick foam mid-sole and extra cushion, some shoes may feel more or less cushy, wider or more narrow, and be "zero-drop" or "minimum drop. As the wearer of the shoe, it's your duty to put a little time and effort into reading up on the specs of the shoe to see what each offers and how they differ.
The biggest differences between Hoka One Ones and Altras are the footbed and the "drop". Altra Footwear is focused on creating shoes with footbeds that follow the nature shape of the foot--specifically the toe box. In keeping with natural foot mechanics, their shoes are also "zero-drop," which means the shoes do not have a built-up heel that tapers to the foot bed. The soles are the same size from heel to toe.
Hoka One One is more about varying the amounts of cushion and firmness. The footbed is more along the lines of what people are used to seeing and their shoes have a heel to toe drop that is minimal (not zero) but less than that of the normal shoe.
What about tread?
Some runners have the luxury of being able to run in any shoe. Others have to decide what is more important to them. Is it more important to be able to run long distances without foot pain or to have "grippy tread" for more technical courses? Is it more important to have a light, fast shoe that feels responsive during a race or to have a shoe that is more like a Cadillac that can cruises over everything?
The Altra Olympus tread leaves a lot to be desired, but I am willing to forgo the tread deficiency in exchange for happy feet. Altra makes trail shoes with more aggressive tread (Lone Peak and Superior 2.0) but they do not have the max cushion I prefer.
Olympus tread
|
Suprior 2.0 tread
|
Lone Peak tread
|
Mafate Speed tread
|
Find a pair for you!
Your feet and running style will dictate which shoe works best for you. My foot likes a roomy toe box for my toes to "splay" while I run. I also prefer a zero-drop shoe (it took a couple weeks for my calves to get use to zero-drop) which is why my feet like to run in Altras (trail and road). Many of the other shoe companies such as New Balance, Vasque, Brooks have their version of max cushion shoes, but I have not had a chance to personally run in them. If you are fortunate enough to have a specialty run store with a variety of trail shoes near you, then the best way to figure out which shoes works is to go in and try them on. Some of the stores even let you take them for a test run!! If you are not as fortunate, there are some online retailers that have a great return policy.
Stomp Lightly!
