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I’ve worn them from the trails to the courts.
Travel + Leisure / Madison Woiten
As a busy working parent, I am definitely guilty of always getting my kids new shoes while wearing the same old pairs for myself until I’ve run them into the ground. This was evident on a recent hiking trip when the sneakers that I’d owned forever had my feet hurting pretty badly before we’d even walked 1 mile. Perhaps the most surprising part is that, as a commerce editor in my professional life, I’m fortunate enough to test out various pairs of shoes each year; I know firsthand what makes a shoe comfortable, and how hard it is to find the perfect pair — which may be why I insisted on sporting these worn-out sneakers.
When I got home, I vowed to immediately purchase a new pair, and since I’d been hearing rave reviews about Hokas from friends and strangers alike, I decided to give them a shot. I knew that I wanted a versatile shoe that was as supportive for hiking as it was for the mile-long round-trip walk to drop my kids off at school. This criteria led me to the new Hoka Transport Sneakers, and I haven’t looked back since making the swap.
Hoka Transport Shoes
$140
$140
Out of the box, I immediately loved how they didn’t look like traditional hiking shoes, and how lightweight they felt in comparison to the bulkier pairs that I’ve had in the past. I opted for the beigey-brown Eggnog color so I could easily wear them with jeans and skirts while traveling, as well as with athletic wear for hiking and other sporty activities.
According to the brand, the Transports are designed to be “commuter-friendly” shoes that marry “lifestyle and performance.” The style is one of the newest additions to the brand’s roster of travel writer-loved shoes and boasts a host of sustainable features, like 30 percent sugarcane compression molded insoles and sock liners infused with soybean oil. Another notable feature is that the shoes come with quick-toggle bungee laces, so you can easily adjust them to your desired tightness instead of having to tie them (but traditional shoelaces are included, too, in case that’s more your style).
Hoka Transport Shoes
$140
$140
While this all sounded nice, what I really wanted to know was if the shoes were comfortable and supportive. As a test run, I took them on a 3-mile hike straight out of the box. Long story short, it felt like I was bouncing on clouds — and my feet didn’t hurt like they had with my previous pair. The extra tread on the bottoms helped prevent me from slipping or twisting my ankle in a funny way, and I loved that the sneakers (and my socks) stayed dry even after walking through some damp forest terrain. Despite it being the very first time that I wore them, there was no blister in sight.
The next day, I wore my new Hokas to play a game of outdoor pickleball, and definitely felt a huge difference in the amount of impact that I felt in my knees when I ran after the wiffle ball. In my other (albeit older) brand-name sports sneakers, my ankles and knees would feel sore and achy after a round, something I’m happy to report is now a thing of the past. I’ve continued to wear the Hoka Transports each morning on the 1 mile-long journey to walk my kids to school and my feet have never been happier. These are my new everyday go-to shoes for running errands, doing physical activities, and everything in between. One thing I know for sure is that I’ll definitely be packing them for any future trips.
Related: I’m a Travel Writer, and I Swear by This $9 Trick for Keeping My Feet Comfortable While Sightseeing
I’m clearly not the only one who’s obsessed with their Hoka Transports. Despite being a new arrival, they’ve racked up an impressive number of rave reviews from shoppers. One reviewer deemed them “a great travel and everyday shoe,” while another shared that the shoes were “great on the cobblestones of Rome and the hills of Tuscany.” According to another customer, who wears their “comfy” Hoka Transports for 12 hours a day at their hospital lab job, the kicks are “one of the best all-around shoes” that they’ve worn. They also quipped that wearing them “makes my old lady knees happy.”
At $140, the Hoka Transports are, in my opinion, a worthwhile investment in comfortable walking shoes and pain-free feet and legs, but if you’re searching for similar low-top hiking sneakers for less, scroll down for more finds.
More Hiking Shoes for Less at Amazon:
Merrell Moab 3 Hiking Shoes
$120
$59
Columbia Crestwood Hiking Shoes
$58
Forsake Thatcher Hiking Shoes
$74
Columbia Hatana Max Outdry Hiking Shoes
$120
$69
Joomra Wide Trail Running Shoes
$40
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