Hoka Tecton x3 – Carbon-Plated Propulsion for Trail Running

Erin Trail


HOKA Tecton X 3 Trail-Running Shoes - Men's | REI Co-op


Initial Impressions

These are super light and bouncy. I was skeptical about the built in cuff around my ankle, but I ended up actually really liking that feature. These shoes are FUN and FAST. 

Hoka Tecton x3 Detailed Review

My road shoes of choice are either the Hoka Bondi or the new Hoka Skyflow, so I already knew that Hoka shoes in general work for me.  I tested these shoes during my final build for The Dirty Mitten gravel triathlon, which included 10k of varied terrain trail running (grass, sandy roads and single track). My runs in these shoes consisted of tempo and interval work on a variety of dirt surfaces and then my run on race day.

Ankle Cuff

My main concern around these shoes was the gaiter-like cuff around the ankle – would these restrict blood flow, feel uncomfortable?  How would they work with my triathlete low ankle socks or ankle race timing chip?

The first time I wore them, I wore my Balega no-show ankle socks.  During the walk from my office building to my car (I was running after work), I felt my right sock creep down my heel and under my foot.  This was really concerning, as I had an hour+ of intervals and no back up socks.  I am pleased to report that the sock stayed in place during that run, but I also didn’t want anything crazy happening on race day, so I wore higher socks for the rest of my testing and on race day (Smartwool run ankle socks) and didn’t have any issues with the slightly higher sock migrating as I ran.  

I was also skeptical of how fast I could get the shoes on in transition (going from bike to run at my race) and how the cuff would work with a timing chip. I’m happy to report that both of these things were a non-issue.  The shoes went on really easy, thanks to the pull tabs at the front and back of the cuff.  And since the cuff is flexible, I was able to arrange them in a way where they didn’t interfere with my timing chip – the cuff went just below the timing chip and I didn’t notice the shoes rubbing against the chip at all during my race.

The one drawback I noticed about the cuff was that it held in any dirt that was stuck to my skin.  I had a decent amount of grit that had collected on my ankles above my socks from 30 miles of gravel cycling (including a few segments of very deep sand hike-a-bike). I didn’t clean off my skin before putting on my shoes to run (it was a race, no time for that!) and I could feel the grit rubbing on my skin under the cuff.  This could be avoided with taller socks that extend above the shoe’s cuff. 

On the plus side, the cuff prevented any additional sand/grit/rocks from going into my shoe, which was a VERY nice thing. 

Overall, the cuff ended up being a non-issue and had a lot of benefits to it.

Running Feel

Ok, so how did the feel while running?   One word: AMAZING.  On pavement (for my warmup), the bounce from the PEBA midsole and parallel carbon plates is VERY noticeable.  They’re like mini trampolines on your feet. On the trail, they feel very natural with a subtle boost sensation. They are VERY light (7.9 oz) and for the most part, I didn’t even really notice the shoes.  (This is a compliment, it means the shoes were so comfortable that I was able to focus on my running instead of paying attention to what my shoes were doing). 

The grip was fantastic.  My training runs (interval work) were on loose to deep sand and I didn’t notice any slipping that interfered with a faster tempo.  My race was a true cross-country course with long sections of lumpy grass on awkward angles, roads with deep sand, and singletrack.  These shoes gripped the terrain VERY well and I easily navigated the various surfaces and even passed people as I ran. My footing felt very natural and secure, which meant I was able to focus less on footing on more on racing. 

The tread did hold a fair amount of mud (it started raining halfway through the run leg of my race).  It was mainly noticeable because of the weight of the mud (versus the very light shoes).  The lugs didn’t easily shed the mud on their own while on dirt, but if I hugged the grassier sides of the road/trail, the mud came off as I ran. 

I do think that these shoes need some time to build into.  I have Cinderella feet (torn plantar plate) and did notice that my feet after my race felt more angry than they usually do.  I think that putting my insoles with a metatarsal bump would help.  I also think that just spending more time in the shoes, allowing my feet and muscles to adjust to the carbon plate, would also help.  

Overall Impression

The Hoka Tecton x3 trail shoes are light, responsive and capable.  The ankle cuff was an unexpected positive feature – it was flexible, comfortable, and kept debris out as I ran. The upper materials are very light, breathable, and move with your feet. The grip held on a variety of terrain and angles, while allowing good foot turnover. The Tectons were almost imperceptible as I ran, which means instead of focusing on my shoes and how they felt, I was able to focus on running and racing. I really enjoyed running these shoes and look forward to adding them into my rotation for speedy trail running.


HOKA Tecton X 3 Trail-Running Shoes - Men's | REI Co-op

Erin Trail