Hoka One One Rincon 2
The first Rincon was a very popular shoe at the shop because it felt different than anything else Hoka had produced. The Rincon is an every day lightweight trainer which different than a Clifton but not a racing shoe like the Carbon X. The Rincon is a fun, zippy, lightweight training shoe where you can run some really exciting miles. I think that the Rincon was a great idea from Hoka. We see a lot of parents who use the brand come into the shop recommend Hoka to their high school/middle school children for their own running.
What is the Hoka Rincon?
This shoe features the nice Hoka-esque nice roll in a lightweight category- I consider it to be the little brother of the Clifton. If we use the Clifton as the standard, a neutral everyday training shoe this is the lighter and faster version. Together, they are a very good pairing. Using the Clifton for everyday training or longer miles then bump down to the Rincon as a boost for lighter, faster workout days would be an easy transition. For the Men, the Rincon is 7.7oz and for the Women, it is 6.3oz -a full ounce lighter than the Clifton. You can read our review of the Clifton 7 here.
What is the difference between the Hoka Rincon 1 and 2?
The sizing of the previous model was a bit off -where most users had to go down at least half a size down. The material on the upper felt a little sloppy almost a little lose, especially if someone had a narrow foot. With this update, they have improved the fit and feel in the Rincon 2. A similar improvement happened with the Clifton 7.
The Rincon 2 does not come in any widths; we do find this shoe a bit more accomodating than other shoes. If the standard is a B, we would say the Rincon 2 runs at an average a B+.
The Rincon is a neutral shoe, so it doesn’t have any additional arch support, but what they have done is added a bigger base to balance you out one way to another. It also has a dimple of the heel that will separate out when you land to help you balance. It is such a nice, soft shoe it feels like you are melting when you rock back. This shoe does have a bit of inherent stability, but if you are really flat-footed, or you severely overpronate or have bad ankles, this might not be the best option unless you added an orthotic or superfeet for extra support.
Our old video about the original Rincon is available on YouTube here.
Durability
Another important point to make is that the durability for the Rincon 2 is not fantastic. Some customers came back to us and said 200-250 miles is what they got out of the shoe. I think this is because of the exposed foam at the bottom of the shoe. If you are running 25-40 miles a week, this shoe will burn out which is why I think it’s important to remember the intended use of this shoe. This shoe is designed for special training days like fast workouts or shorter runs. It is definitely not intended for trail or gravel so I would keep to a track or the road. What the shoe was built for it does really well, so I would do the majority of my miles in the Clifton and pull this shoe out for the days I want speed.
Conclusion
This shoe is excellent for running and walking, and it is such a flashy shoe that it looks cool just to wear around. You can wear it for gym stuff, but due to the stack height (26/21 mm (W), 29/24mm (M) and a 5mm heel to toe drop), I would not recommend it for side to side action. If you are looking for a Hoka gym shoe, the Hoka Cavu is where to go. Overall, the Rincon is a well-cushioned, super lightweight shoe, perfect for an extra boost in your training.
The Hoka Rincon 2 is available for $115
Enter promo code “runmoore” at checkout and save 10% plus we’ll ship it for free.
-Steve
