HOKA Happiness

So a few months ago, I twisted my ankle out on a run. If anyone has done it you know that it's nasty and frustrating all in one go. I was really good, as soon as I got home, I had a shower then straight on to treatment. 'Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation', I took some pain relief/anti-inflammatory medications and then went to see the physio for some help with taping and recovery management. Trust me, I didn't want this injury to last, I needed to get back running asap. So for a month I wore a proper ankle brace, applied R.I.C.E most evenings and also used some heat therapy. It's amazing how quickly it got better with the right care, who knew!

The next step was the hardest (pun intended), finding my confidence to run trails, fells and uneven terrain again. So I started with hikes in boots on trails around home, ones that I knew and were flat-ish. Then when my confidence returned I moved back into shoes but still focused on more road and flat trail. I still felt as though I needed a bit of extra cushioning before I started running so decided to try HOKA's. HOKA's are famous for their extra cushioning so it seemed the right place to start. I have tried the Speedgoat's in the past and didn't get on with the 'extra cushioning' but then I didn't need it, preferring my low profile fell shoes. The Torrent though is a HOKA trail shoe, lower profile than the Speedgoat but still with some HOKA stability and cushioning.

Finally, I tentatively headed out the door planning a run/walk approach and very quickly found myself running more than walking. I’ve loved the Torrents and they have proved to be a great post-injury recovery shoe even allowing me to get a slimmer ankle brace into the shoe. What I didn’t expect though, was that as I got more and more confident and started heading off trail, they have great grip, the laces stay snug, they wash off easily and they have become my shoe of choice for all my runs. You know a shoe has made it when it’s the one you reach for, especially if you are like me and have multiple ones to choose from!

They've even got the dog-stamp of approval from Stormy!