I was looking for a pair of walking boots that I could wear primarily in the Welsh mountains when the weather wasn’t so bad, if you have ever been walking in Wales in the winter, especially in the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons), you will know that you need a really good pair of hiking boots. The mountains can be very muddy, lots of rocks to step over and it’s usually very windy and heavy rain can come and go in an instant.
For the really muddy trails or snow I have a pair of Scarpa B2 boots, and they are perfect, but they are quite heavy and a bit over the top for the better days. That’s why I went looking for a lighter pair and came across the ‘HOKA Trail Code GORE-TEX Walking Boots‘. I bought them March 2024, and they have already had a battering and I doubt I will ever go for another brand now, these boots are unbelievable, I absolutely love them!
Check out the – Hoka Trail Code GORE-TEX – I went for the ‘blue graphite / blue coral’ colour.
They went straight into action! 👇
It’s not the best idea to do it this way, but I needed new lighter boots quickly as I was taking on the ‘Black Dragon 2024 Endurance Challenge‘, I only wore them once before the challenge day, and they seemed really comfortable. They then went through 11 hours of hiking up and down mountains in the Black Mountains, and I will explain what impressed me the most.
Steep ‘muddy’ inclines and declines! 👇
In April the Welsh mountains can still be a bit muddy, especially on the popular trails where lots of people walk, and you also get a lot of sheep, wild horses and bikers using those same paths. Fortunately, the sun was out, but 100’s of us where walking the paths that day, and the boots had a lot to deal with. The steep inclines were always followed by steep declines and the boots gripped to the sides of the mountains like glue. I may have slipped once or twice, but that’s to be expected, but in my opinion if I had wore the lighter boots I had previously I would have slipped far more, and it would have made it a tougher day.
Grass to Tarmac! 👇
The challenge is mostly on grass, but at certain points you walk along main roads and lanes, and the boots managed that without any issues. The boot is very comfortable, you bounce along and 9-10 hours in and you’re still walking it’s great to feel you can still push on and not give up because your feet are in pain, or tired.
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Another big challenge, same terrain! 👇
This time I wore them in the 24 hour challenge to walk up and down Pen-y-Fan 10 times, this is tough and again the boots comfort and glue like soles got me through it. I took them off around half way, changed my socks, had a rest and then finished off wearing the same boots. That’s 2 big challenges in 2 months, and I’m loving the Hoka boots and what they are doing for me.
Check out the – Hoka Trail Code GORE-TEX Walking Boots
But it didn’t end there, I then took them to Norway, hiking along the Lysefjord. A totally different type of trail, but again they didn’t let me down.
On large rocks and boulders, I felt like Spiderman! 👇
OK, I know feeling like Spiderman sounds over the top, but this is an honest review, and I wanted to overstate because I think the boots deserve it. Hiking around Norway, you are mostly on steep rock faces, going over large boulders, it is very rocky terrain, at certain times you need to use chains to pull yourself up.
I have put all my Norway walks on the site and the rockiest and most difficult hike was on day 1, when we hiked to the Kjerag, otherwise known as the boulder. The boots literally gripped to the rock so well, it felt like I had suction pads on them. Having that confidence especially when you’re coming down, is a huge bonus, I did at times leave my hiking buddies behind.
Hoka Trail Code GORE-TEX Walking Boots
❤ I love these boots, I will be sticking with Hoka in the future but I do have one minor issue with them, which if left or ignored could be painful. The last hook at the top of the boot for the laces, has a little metal plate on the inside. That little bit of metal can be quite painful when you do the boots up tight, I resorted to putting a little plaster over them, which did help, but on my next pair I will be testing that little bit out and hopefully it’s a little issue that’s fixed.
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