Hoka Stinson 8 Review | A Cushioned Road-to-Trail Running Shoe

To say I have not traditionally been a Hoka shoe fan is an understatement, but the Stinson 8’s plush cushioning and “road-to-trail” design may have finally changed my mind.

When I’ve tried them in the past, they’ve always either been too clunky or too squishy soft and not supportive enough. So when I had the opportunity to test drive the Hoka Stinson 8 trail shoe….well, let’s just say I was skeptical.

But! I’m a good sport and always open to trying something new, and as it turns out, I’m also in the market for a new trail shoe.

Preferably one with more cushioning than my last pair, as my 45-year-old legs and 1-year-old partial knee replacement require a bit more impact reduction these days. Did these make the cut? Let’s find out.

This shoe is a great option for those looking for more cushion and stability for moderate-paced runs on a variety of surfaces.

Hoka Stinson 8 Overview

These are not the most attractive shoes in the Hoka lineup, most especially in the bland colorway I received (Barley Flour/Barley).

Definitely talking function over form here, which is perfectly ok for a trail shoe that’s likely to get dirty quickly. Hoka says these are a “versatile road-to-trail runner” and that’s what I was most excited about.

I don’t often get to run trails exclusively, but my usual daily running routes include a variety of terrain including dirt road, gravel, tabby shell concrete, regular concrete, brick pavers and asphalt in various states of disrepair.

For that, the Stinson 8 is well suited. The Stinson has a stack height of 44mm of extra-soft midsole cushioning that was soft enough for the harder surfaces, with a refined 3.5mm lug pattern that was just aggressive enough for dirt roads and gravel without being too stiff and clunky for asphalt and concrete.

Hoka also managed to shave off a little weight from the previous Stinson 7, making these the lightest Stinson yet.

Hoka Stinson 8 Fit

Length: True-to-size
Width: Roomy
Toe Box: Roomy
Arch: Medium
Volume: Medium-to-high

The Stinson 8 follows the traditional Hoka shape, which is plenty roomy but also easy to adjust the lacing to allow for a snugger fit if desired.

The upper has a cage overlay which provides additional support to the midfoot, and the gusseted tongue further helped my narrow feet feel locked in. There was also plenty of room for my toes, which prefer to spread out a bit.

The heel collar is a little lower than that of many other trail runners, which some may find a little uncomfortable.

However, my narrow heels still felt well supported without any rubbing or slipping.

Depending on the volume of your feet, you may not have enough shoelace length to do any creative lacing, but they were plenty long enough for me even lacing up to the topmost eyelet.

Hoka Stinson 8 Feel

What I liked most about the Stinson 8 (besides its utility in going from pavement to dirt to gravel and back again with ease) was the goldilocks feel.

Not too soft, not too firm, not too flexible, not too stable – just right. With 44mm of cushioning under the heel and 39mm of cushioning under the forefoot, there was just enough of a plush feel to make the miles feel – almost – effortless.

Meanwhile, the H-frame ® technology in the midsole provided just a hint of stability and overpronation prevention without overcorrecting the gait.

I found the Stinson 8 transitioned well not only from road to trail but also throughout the gait cycle. I appreciated the extra cushioning and traction and didn’t feel these shoes slowed me down or felt too clunky even on pavement.

They were comfortable right out of the box and felt even better as I put some miles on them. While I’m not 100% a Hoka convert, these nonetheless will be my shoe of choice for some trail races I have coming up later this fall and winter.

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