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2023 was an excellent year for new ultralight equipment and clothing, and we wanted to highlight some of our favourite gear that hit the market this year. Some pieces, like the Montbell Plasma 1000, pushed the limits of what it means to be ultralight even further. Others, like the Nemo Tensor Extreme Conditions sleeping pad, showed real innovation by raising their R-value to an industry-leading 8. …

I am a self-confessed Hoka fan. Most of my distance walking has been in Hoka since discovering their trail shoes back in 2018. Since 2018 I have used  Speedgoat, Speedgoat Mid, Sky Toa, Sky Kaha, Challenger, Trail Code and Stinson to cover 1000’s of miles. When the original Kaha boot launched back in 2019 I immediately bought a pair. They offered a great …

I have been testing the Hoka Women’s Kaha 2 GTX Hiking boot for 4 months, walking regularly in my local woods and on the North York Moors in the depths of winter. They have stomped through mud, snow and ice, winched up steep grassy hillsides and explored rocky sandstone outcrops. The Vibram® Megagrip rubber with Traction Lug design combined with the broad foot print, provide excellent …

The Hoka One One Sky Kaha boot is the closest to a ‘traditional’ hiking boot in the Hoka range but you won’t have experienced this level of comfort in your typical leather hiker. The deep midsole combined with the rocker makes you feel like you are almost floating across the trail. They are part cushioned trail runner and part-leather hiking boots. The upper is nubuck leather with a …

For comfort levels and bounce, it's hard to beat this range. The deep sole seems to divide opinion, but for me it moulds around uneven ground providing superb traction and cushioning. The latest addition is the Anacapa with a Vibram Megagrip sole of 5mm lugs, a Gore-Tex liner and a combination of leather and recycled polyester.VERDICTSupreme cushioning and comfort, it's the armchair of trail shoes …

After walking Hadrian’s wall in 2019, I found that by day 4 my feet were crying out for something with more cushioning. My boots were soft and light but you could feel every lump and bump through the sole. We didn’t stock Hoka but the Hoka One One range seemed to offer the cushioning I wanted. I decided to buy a pair of Sky Toa Mid boots to wear on the 2019 TGO Challenge. I now wear Hok …

Who are Hoka One One? The name Hoka One One is a New Zealand Maori phrase meaning Time to fly™. Hoka are comparatively new on the running scene and even newer entrants to the hiking market. They were founded in 2009 by two former Salomon employees who wanted to design a shoe that helped trail runners to go downhill faster. Having taken inspiration from developments in mountai …