Boots or Hokas for the Central Route

[tdosser]

Hello, I am leaving in a week for the Portuguese Central Route. Are Hoka tennis shoes good enough or should I take my hiking boots? Thank you!

 

[Lindsay53]

Boots. There are some rough patches on the central route and I doubt tennis shoes will be a good option, especially if you are starting from Lisbon, where, if it is wet, the mud on the route through the farmland will pull them off your feet.

 

[henrythedog]

Hello, I am leaving in a week for the Portuguese Central Route. Are Hoka tennis shoes good enough or should I take my hiking boots? Thank you!

There are a lot of cobbles. I’m a committed boot-wearer (against the prevailing view on here) - but at last the Portuguese proved me right. IMHO.

 

[roving_rufus]

Hello, I am leaving in a week for the Portuguese Central Route. Are Hoka tennis shoes good enough or should I take my hiking boots? Thank you!

Are you walking from Lisbon or Porto?
And Hokas can vary from trail runners to more running shoes, this can be a factor.

I did the whole route from Lisbon in trail runners. But no matter what you wear walking on granite setts is hard on feet.

 

[DTCamino]

Hoka makes nice boots too. Tor, Kaha, Anacapa etc. Then you’d have the best of both worlds!

 

[KFH]

Hello, I am leaving in a week for the Portuguese Central Route. Are Hoka tennis shoes good enough or should I take my hiking boots? Thank you!

I assume by "tennis shoes" you are old enough, like me, to use that as a colloquial term for various athletic type shoes.

So it depends on which Hoka shoe you are talking about. Agree with Derek-- Hoka makes a nice lightweight hiking boot. If you like Hokas you should check those out.

I was scheduled to do that route and was worried my trail runners wouldn't give me the ankle support I would occasionally need so was going to use those Hoka boots myself. But we had to cancel so I can't give you first hand experience using them there.

 

[Robo]

Hello, I am leaving in a week for the Portuguese Central Route. Are Hoka tennis shoes good enough or should I take my hiking boots? Thank you!

Do you really mean 'Tennis' shoes.
I can't imagine hiking anywhere in Tennis shoes.
I have been using Hoka trail shoes for the last 900 kms on current Camino. Vdlp and Invierno. All good except they started to fall apart at 600 kms. (Stinson).

 

[Former member 22438]

when I think about the Alto da Portela Grande mountain with rainy weather I am glad I wore normal walking shoes .

 

[David Tallan]

Hello, I am leaving in a week for the Portuguese Central Route. Are Hoka tennis shoes good enough or should I take my hiking boots? Thank you!

They will be my preferred choice for my next Camino Portugues. I last did it in Merrell Moabs (trail runners) which were what I used for my Camino Frances. It was after I got back that I tried Hoka Bondis (which apparently are regular runners rather than trail runners). My first thought was "This is what I want for my next Camino Portugues!" It was like walking on clouds or marshmallows. Just what you want for the cobblestones,

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

...if you are starting from Lisbon, where, if it is wet, the mud on the route through the farmland will pull them off your feet.

There's not likely to be much mud, this time of year. No rain for the last month or so. Most of the country is considered to be in drought.

Even when the forecast has been showing the possibility of rain, it pretty much peters out, by the time that day actually arrives.

IPMA - Previsão 10 dias, horária diária, localidade

www.ipma.pt

 

[lovelyshell]

I walked the central in April and several people were in Hokas. I don’t think you need boots but hiking shoes (rather than boots) might be better than Hokas for the central.

 

[trecile]

Lots of people love Hokas for the cushioning that they provide on the cobblestones on the Central route.

 

[Obidad]

Hello, I am leaving in a week for the Portuguese Central Route. Are Hoka tennis shoes good enough or should I take my hiking boots? Thank you!

Started from Porto, Hoka Bondi's served me well. Also require smaller socks which line dry quicker.

 

[BennyB]

My wife and I are in our mid-seventies and are currently in Padron, we have walked the whole way from Porto in our Hoka Challenger ATR 7s. No issues whatsoever. They dry so easily and are light weight. We do use after market insoles. I hope this helps. We are so excited to walk into Santiago day after tomorrow.

 

[Former member 92300]

Are your Hokas regular athletic shoes or trail runners? Hoka does make Trail Runners which have better traction than regular athletic shoes.

Personally - I have ditched boots for almost all hiking. Even doing mountainous segments of the Pacific Crest Trail can be done in trail runners. You do need good traction though. For me - heavy boots are not as good as lightweight and more breathable trail runners.

And while boots do offer some ankle protection/stabilization - I have also seen some injuries because of the ankle support. For some people - thy feel they need the ankle support. Others feel the ankle support does more harm than good. Do what works for you in that regard.

But you have to do what works for YOUR feet.

 

[BennyB]

Are your Hokas regular athletic shoes or trail runners? Hoka does make Trail Runners which have better traction than regular athletic shoes.

Personally - I have ditched boots for almost all hiking. Even doing mountainous segments of the Pacific Crest Trail can be done in trail runners. You do need good traction though. For me - heavy boots are not as good as lightweight and more breathable trail runners.

And while boots do offer some ankle protection/stabilization - I have also seen some injuries because of the ankle support. For some people - thy feel they need the ankle support. Others feel the ankle support does more harm than good. Do what works for you in that regard.

But you have to do what works for YOUR feet.

We chose the Challenger ATR 7s in lieu of our Keen hiking shoes, mainly due to the weight and ease of drying. The comfort was amazingly perfect as well.

 

[sbmighty]

I second the recommendation of a Hoka boot. I wore the Hoka Kaha. It served me quite well.

 

[markwyman]

My wife and I used our Hoka Speedgoat 5’s on the central last year. They were perfect. Not a single blister. Great traction. Highly recommend.

 

[violetwongchooiwan]

Hello, I am leaving in a week for the Portuguese Central Route. Are Hoka tennis shoes good enough or should I take my hiking boots? Thank you!

I was wearing Hoka Bondi on the Portuguese Route via Espiritual Variante. No complains at all. Best financial investment for the Camino. Buen Camino.

 

[traveler]

Hoka lowtop - we did the Portuguese route twice in past 2 years and they served us well

 

[henrythedog]

Are your Hokas regular athletic shoes or trail runners? Hoka does make Trail Runners which have better traction than regular athletic shoes.

Personally - I have ditched boots for almost all hiking. Even doing mountainous segments of the Pacific Crest Trail can be done in trail runners. You do need good traction though. For me - heavy boots are not as good as lightweight and more breathable trail runners.

And while boots do offer some ankle protection/stabilization - I have also seen some injuries because of the ankle support. For some people - thy feel they need the ankle support. Others feel the ankle support does more harm than good. Do what works for you in that regard.

But you have to do what works for YOUR feet.

There are ‘boots’ and ‘heavy boots’ Jeanine

 

[Albe]

Hello, I am leaving in a week for the Portuguese Central Route. Are Hoka tennis shoes good enough or should I take my hiking boots? Thank you!

It's not mountain climbing. Keep your feet comfortable. And your backpack light. Hoka is walking on clouds IMO. Best, AL

 

[Goyo]

Do you really mean 'Tennis' shoes.
I can't imagine hiking anywhere in Tennis shoes.
I have been using Hoka trail shoes for the last 900 kms on current Camino. Vdlp and Invierno. All good except they started to fall apart at 600 kms. (Stinson).

Hmm. After going to my local REI and trying on Speedgoat 5s, Challengers ATR 7s and the Stinson ATR 6s, I got the Stinsons as the toe box felt a little roomier. So, Robo, do you recall where on the shoe they first began to fall apart? Thanks…

 

[Former member 92300]

There are ‘boots’ and ‘heavy boots’ Jeanine

All boots are heavy, in my opinion, for me - as always, a matter of personal comfort and preference. My lightest boots are still heavy compared to trail runners. Never get worn anymore now that I wear trail runners.

 

[traveler]

All boots are heavy, in my opinion, for me - as always, a matter of personal comfort and preference. My lightest boots are still heavy compared to trail runners. Never get worn anymore now that I wear trail runners.

Agreed

 

[Robo]

Hmm. After going to my local REI and trying on Speedgoat 5s, Challengers ATR 7s and the Stinson ATR 6s, I got the Stinsons as the toe box felt a little roomier. So, Robo, do you recall where on the shoe they first began to fall apart? Thanks…

The lining on the heel. Duct tape has kept it together for another 400 kms! The lining came away with a hole underneath...

 

[Grousedoctor]

I have walked the CP twice from Porto (both the Central and the Coastal). IMHO boots aren’t needed on the Caminos unless it just happens to be your personal footwear of choice. My first CP was done wearing Merrell Moabs while my second for my second one along the coast last year was done in running shoes. Both were just fine. My only precaution is to choose a running shoe, or any shoe in fact, that offers your feet good support. Hokas would do just fine! Although you may already have your Hokas, you may find the following article that I just ran across this morning on my news feed interesting. Bom Caminho.

 

[Goyo]

The lining on the heel. Duct tape has kept it together for another 400 kms! The lining came away with a hole underneath...

Ah ha! I take it you refer to the inside lining. If so, I had the same problem with a previous pair of Oboes and my last pair of Hoka road walkers. I did the same with the ol’ duct tape standby repair. And after watching a couple of YouTube vids and picking my friendly neighborhood REI shoe experto’s brain, I learned to tie a runners knot to keep my heel more firmly set in place. We shall see if it helps. Thanks for the heads up. Buen Camino!

 

[J F Gregory]

Hello, I am leaving in a week for the Portuguese Central Route. Are Hoka tennis shoes good enough or should I take my hiking boots? Thank you!

I have used Hoka (Stinson) on my last two Caminos. The are great for trail and hard surfaces such as road and famous Portuguese cobble stones.

 

[VaughantownHiker]

Hello, I am leaving in a week for the Portuguese Central Route. Are Hoka tennis shoes good enough or should I take my hiking boots? Thank you!

I live in Hoka Bondis after learning about them here on the forum. I’ve been trying out some Hoka Stinson 6 ATRs for a Portugues Coastal this fall. Walked Central two years ago. I love the Stinson for trekking. The cushiest hiking shoe ever! I feel pretty stable in it. My only complaint, and it’s a big one, is that the tread is not great for challenging terrain or extra long distances. I just bought a new pair $170 usd after 3 months of mostly pavement walking, maybe 500 miles. Tread is completely worn down. This is not a Frances shoe, but I’m excited to wear them on the central. Super light.

 

[Robo]

Ah ha! I take it you refer to the inside lining. If so, I had the same problem with a previous pair of Oboes and my last pair of Hoka road walkers. I did the same with the ol’ duct tape standby repair. And after watching a couple of YouTube vids and picking my friendly neighborhood REI shoe experto’s brain, I learned to tie a runners knot to keep my heel more firmly set in place. We shall see if it helps. Thanks for the heads up. Buen Camino!

I always tie a 'heel lock'. So not sure it will help.
Maybe I just got a 'rogue' pair....

 

[Goyo]

I always tie a 'heel lock'. So not sure it will help.
Maybe I just got a 'rogue' pair....

Who knows? I wouldn’t be surprised if in my case it was a combination platter of my feet, the way I walk, the shoes, the lacing of the shoes, the tides, if the moon is in the 7th house and Jupiter is aligned with Mars. Vamos a ver…

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I have just finished the Del Norte and spent two days in Santiago. I have never seen so many Hoka's in one location before. I wore Hoka's on my 2018 LePuy Camino and no one else seemed to be wearing them and few had even heard of them at that time. They also are a bit "clownish", but are gaining in popularity the past few years and I now notice many "copycat" styles offered by other well known brands, which probably are just fine. I hear Hokas are good for people who suffer plantar fasciitis as they have a massive, cushiony heel.

 

[trecile]

I walk all my Caminos in hiking sandals now, so that's yet another option!

 

[Former member 92300]

I walk all my Caminos in hiking sandals now, so that's yet another option!

I wish I could! I used to walk/hike all the time in sandals. Now - I always get blisters even for short distances I do a bit better with socks - but not good enough to hike in them all day.

 

[tdosser]

My wife and I used our Hoka Speedgoat 5’s on the central last year. They were perfect. Not a single blister. Great traction. Highly recommend.

I bought a pair of Speedgoat 5's this weekend. I love them! Starting my journey on Monday May 22nd. So excited for my journey. Thank you for your reply!

 

[camino07]

I have just walked from Lisbon in Hoka Speedgoats and they were wonderful. Got wet once and dried overnight stuffed with newspaper.

 

[Former member 108926]

Hello, I am leaving in a week for the Portuguese Central Route. Are Hoka tennis shoes good enough or should I take my hiking boots? Thank you!

My daughters Hoka Sky Toa', a GTX mid boot, broken in with 50-60kms, fell apart in 5 days on the Camino Primitivo....worst boots ever and even worse customer service!
I would go for Altra trail runners if you like low shoes....

 

[Colette Z]

Hello, I am leaving in a week for the Portuguese Central Route. Are Hoka tennis shoes good enough or should I take my hiking boots? Thank you!

I did the central from Lisbon all the way in Hoka Bondi plus hiking poles always. Boots aren’t needed. The only super rocky section is at Labruja but I did it without any issues.

 

[seashell]

Hello, I am leaving in a week for the Portuguese Central Route. Are Hoka tennis shoes good enough or should I take my hiking boots? Thank you!

Boots if you’re climbing the Matterhorn, well padded trainers or trail shoes for Caminos. I used Adidas trainers with padded insoles for the Portuguese, Primitivo and the Frances. Didn’t notice the cobblestones. My wife swears by Hokas. Comfort, comfort, comfort should be your mantra.

 

[grdemedeiros]

There are a lot of cobbles. I’m a committed boot-wearer (against the prevailing view on here) - but at last the Portuguese proved me right. IMHO.

Thanks for mentioning this - we're hoping to do the Camino Português in 2024 and have been reading a lot about the challenges with cobblestones and calçadas. I've been wondering if hiking boots might be a better choice for us.

 

[David Tallan]

For what it is worth, I met a German pilgrim yesterday who had just finished the Camino Portugues (and was continuing on to Finisterre/Muxia). She ended up mailing her trusted hiking boots back to Germany and replacing them with trail runners.

I remember the first time I wore Hokas, feeling like I was walking on marshmallows, my first thought was "these would be great for walking on cobblestones". I still think so, but I would probably add do-it-yourself rock plates to them. (Get yourself a plastic milk jug or dollar store thin plastic cutting board and trace your insoles on it. Cut them out and insert between insole and shoe.)

 

[grdemedeiros]

I've seen rock plates mentioned here and in other threads. Two questions: a) What purpose do they serve? (I have a guess, but want to hear from ya'll) and b) do people with prescription orthopedic insoles also use them?

 

[trecile]

I've seen rock plates mentioned here and in other threads. Two questions: a) What purpose do they serve?

They are supposed to keep you from feeling all the rocks underfoot.

 

[HumanistHiker]

I'm pondering footwear choices for a possible Camino Portuguese in September/October. I'm thinking of doing the first section out of Porto along the Littoral to Vila do Conde and then cut across to the Central for the rest of the journey.

My 15 year old Meindl Burma Lady Pro hiking boots are the tried and trusted but heavy option. With Bridgedale merino wool mix hiking socks, I didn't suffer a single blister wearing these on the Hadrians Wall hike a few years ago. My hips ached the first day, and my feet nearly every day after, but I didn't have blisters. (This time I'd plan to do leg/hip/back stretching exercises every day to the reduce risk of aching feet).

While I love my Vivobarefoot trainers (which also don't give me blisters), I'd rather have something with a thicker or more cushioned sole to tackle the dreaded cobblestones. The Vivobarefoots were fine for the last 6 miles of my Hadrians Wall (the urban bit in Newcastle) but I anticipate 260km of aching feet if I was to wear those for the full Camino

So if I was to look at an alternative footwear for the Camino e.g. the Hokas which seem popular with folks on the forum, it would be a bit of a leap of faith I wouldn't have all that long to wear them in.

Am I best just sticking to the tried and trusted option? Have many of you started out in boots and then bought hiking shoes and posted your boots home after a couple of days on the Portuguese?

 

[grdemedeiros]

Following.

 

[SilentNight]

Hello, I am leaving in a week for the Portuguese Central Route. Are Hoka tennis shoes good enough or should I take my hiking boots? Thank you!

Did you know that Hoka has several hiking boots? I bought a pair last month. I like them better than my Salomons. If you’re in the US, REI carries all of the Hoka hiking boots.

 

[AineM2013]

I'm pondering footwear choices for a possible Camino Portuguese in September/October. I'm thinking of doing the first section out of Porto along the Littoral to Vila do Conde and then cut across to the Central for the rest of the journey.

My 15 year old Meindl Burma Lady Pro hiking boots are the tried and trusted but heavy option. With Bridgedale merino wool mix hiking socks, I didn't suffer a single blister wearing these on the Hadrians Wall hike a few years ago. My hips ached the first day, and my feet nearly every day after, but I didn't have blisters. (This time I'd plan to do leg/hip/back stretching exercises every day to the reduce risk of aching feet).

While I love my Vivobarefoot trainers (which also don't give me blisters), I'd rather have something with a thicker or more cushioned sole to tackle the dreaded cobblestones. The Vivobarefoots were fine for the last 6 miles of my Hadrians Wall (the urban bit in Newcastle) but I anticipate 260km of aching feet if I was to wear those for the full Camino

So if I was to look at an alternative footwear for the Camino e.g. the Hokas which seem popular with folks on the forum, it would be a bit of a leap of faith I wouldn't have all that long to wear them in.

Am I best just sticking to the tried and trusted option? Have many of you started out in boots and then bought hiking shoes and posted your boots home after a couple of days on the Portuguese?

Hi, just wondering what you ended up doing about this? Did you wear the trail runners in the end?
I’m about to start last section Sarria to SDC in Oct and I’m wondering the same thing…hiking boots or trail runners.
Thanks

 

[HumanistHiker]

@AineM2013 - I have not yet walked my camino (I start on 28 September), but have bought La Sportiva Ultra Raptor II GTX hiking shoes to do so.