Shoe: Elevon (part of the Hoka One One Fly series, based off the Vanquish 2)
Description: Neutral, Responsive, Light Weight but with great mid foot Cushioning,
Great for: Everyday training, up tempo and half marathon to marathon racing
Terrain: Road (okay on off road/gravel, but only in dry conditions)
Weight: (size 9 US W) 244G
Heel to Toe Drop: 5mm
I have to admit that first out of the box impressions were a bit mixed. They looked awesome! I loved the sleek streamlined look and the colour and I couldn't wait to get them on. The shoes however felt very different to any other Hoka One One shoe that I had worn before in regards to both the upper and the sole. The sole was a firmer feel to what I had become accustomed to for the Hoka shoe line and the upper was a much softer feel, more like a sock, so together quite a different sensation.
I decided to wear them in a bit and get used to the feel for a few hours before I ran in them and that's all it took for me to LOVE them!!!!!
First run in them was a morning run on a sleep deprived body and I was happy to be out but lets be honest wasn't expecting much from my tired legs. So when I started running and my legs felt good and I could feel them just ticking over nicely without much effort I was quietly surprised. I then hit the first hill not far from my house and felt an extra spring in my legs as I just sprung up and over the hill and I knew I was onto something good with the Elevon!!
I wasn't trying to run fast on this run but the Elevon is a fast shoe. The combination of the Hoka One One Meta rocker technology and the super lightweight dual density ProFly mid sole creates a very lightweight, but cushioned fast shoe. The mix of the rocker design and the mid sole cushioning provides a firm but cushioned platform that rolls you from landing to toe off and adds that extra spring to your stride, which feels great on both the flat and hills!
The Elevon is part of the Hoka One One Fly series along with its family members, the MACH and CAVU. It is based off the Vanquish 2 but its a light weight more responsive and faster version of its predecessor. It is (although still a light weight shoe) the heaviest and most cushioned of the 3 Pro Fly shoes. Its classed as a neutral cushioning shoe and although it is a neutral shoe, the TPU cup in the heel provides an inherent stability that is unexpected and nice within the streamlined shoe.
The upper is very streamlined and breathable, and fits more like a sock then previous Hoka One One shoes that I have run in. Although this felt different to begin with, I prefer that feel and fit now. It did feel slightly longer then I was expecting and initially I wondered if I should go down a size from my normal. But after a couple runs I was really happy with the length as my foot moulded snugly into the shoe.
Although the Elevon is a road shoe, I have run happily on the grass and dry non technical trails and gravel in them and felt really happy with both the traction of the sole, the underfoot feel, responsiveness and stability of the shoe. I probably wouldn't use them for muddy or wet trails or technical terrain, as the grip on the sole is designed for the road.
The Elevon is great for everyday training, and I have used it for both short and long runs, ranging from easy recovery to faster up- tempo (although I usually use the Bondi 6 for recovery runs) I prefer a little cushioning and support in my race shoes so I would be happy to race a half marathon and even a marathon in them.
So in summary, I LOVE the Elevon! I love how they look and feel and I Love the way my legs just tick along smoothly with the extra spring in my stride making me feel fast and light even on days that I shouldn't!!!
