Hoka Zinal – Lightweight and Comfortable Trail Shoes
Hoka Zinal – Lightweight and Comfortable Trail Shoes
Andrew Piotrowski
The Hoka Zinal $130 shoes are very lightweight, nimble, and comfortable for shorter trail runs. Vibram MegaGrip ensures good footing on variable ground.
Zinal Trail Running Shoe - Men's
If you have read some of my past reviews you will know that I am a huge fan of Hoka. I fell in love with the brand for its plush padding, versatility, and weight. While I love the comfort of their main models such as the Speedgoat, Challenger ATR, and the Torrents, each felt just a little bulky for the local trail 10k.
This always starts the great debate of what shoes to wear for the shorter trail races. Do I sacrifice grip and use a road racing flat or do bulk up for the short stuff? However, with the recent release of the Hoka Zinal, the debate for me is now over.
Hoka Zinal review
The Zinal is a light, nimble, and comfortable trail shoe designed for shorter distances. They remind me of a cross between a road flat, cross country spike, and other Hoka trail runners. I have had the pleasure of running in them the past few months and I am extremely pleased with their performance.
Hoka Zinal
Key Features:
Grip – I think my favorite feature is the super-grippy Vibram Megagrip Sole. This impressive sole provides incredible traction without adding excessive weight. I found it to provide great traction on wet rocks, muddy trails, and even moss-covered boat ramps (don’t ask it was an accident).
Weight – At only 8.5 ounces these shoes are built for speed. They come in at a lighter weight than most of my road trainers but have the grip and durability for the trails.
Durability – Despite the super-lightweight I found these to be durable. I have used them in my rotation of trainers and have put over 150 miles on them so far. They are showing almost no wear or tear despite being tested on the rocky Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania.
Environmental Impact – Hoka used recycled materials in the mesh upper which helps reduce their environmental impact. Bonus – they are vegan! Don’t eat them though.
Low Drop – 5MM this is on the lower side for Hoka trail shoes.
Andrew Piotrowski
Andrew is a trail runner, climber, paddler, snowboarder, marketer, and most importantly a dog dad. Andrew grew up in suburban Philadelphia and now lives on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
Andrew Piotrowski
While he lives pretty far from the mountains, he puts a heavy focus on preparing for them and inspiring others to do the same. He first fell in love with the mountains on family trips to the White Mountains and the Adirondacks. He spent the majority of his early life competitively running and leisurely paddling, however after college he began focusing on learning to climb, snowboard, and backpack.
Andrew Piotrowski backpacking
Over the past ten years since then, he has been fortunate enough to gain some amazing experiences exploring North America. Some of the most memorable thus far are alpine climbing in the Sierra, trail running in Alberta, learning to splitboard in NH, countless days hiking in the Catskills, or a plethora of mellow days paddling the Chesapeake Bay with friends.
Andrew Piotrowski on MT Whitney
When he can’t be in the mountains Andrew is often running or hiking with his favorite training partners, his two rescue dogs Calvin and Enzo. Andrew is also a self-proclaimed gear junkie and confessed that his gear loft is the most organized place in his home.
Blog: Flatcityclimbing.com
Instagram: pack_mule_piotrowski
