In 2018 Hoka One One presented the first editions of the Elevon, the Mach and the Cavu which together form the Fly collection. By now the Mach and the Cavu are onto their 3rd editions, but the second edition of the Elevon took a bit longer to arrive.
I have reviewed the first edition of the Hoka One One Elevon in the past and since Hoka One One and All4running are now giving you the chance to try one of the Hoka shoes for 30 days (and return them if they are not to your liking) I wanted to see what has changed in the second version of this shoe.
The second version of this shoe has the same 5 mm drop and 1 mm less stack height than the previous version with a 27 mm forefoot stack and a 32 mm heel stack. Both versions roughly weigh the same, around 245 grams in the women’s model. It still has the dual colour way like the previous version, but the colour combinations are a bit more subtle this time.
The most obvious change compared to the first version is the lacing system, which now has “wings”. It’s reminiscent of the ISOFIT system that Saucony used to have. It does provide a good lockdown, but the shoe is a bit difficult to get into. Once you have the shoe on, it’s pretty easy to adjust the lockdown. The upper has also changed and this shoe looks a bit more sleek now.
The second version of this shoe is a bit more tapered than the previous version and this version has an extended heel. The heel to toe transition is pretty smooth when you pick up the pace, but while walking and while toeing off at a slower speed, it’s actually quite difficult and does require your calf muscles to work harder. Once you pick up the pace the meta-rocker does help with running hills, but the traction of the shoe in combination with the rocker shape is not great on trails.
However, the feeling of this shoe is pretty plush, especially in the heel. Which isn’t really a surprise giving the stack height. Yet this shoe is firm enough, it’s not a mushy plush feeling you get. And the heel is more stable than the previous version. But the previous version had a more responsive feeling to it, while the second version is more of a cushioned shoe.
With the Elevon 2 Hoka has tried to fix the issues of the first version. The first edition was a bit unstable and the outsole wasn’t that durable. The second edition of the shoe has a better lockdown and has a partial crystal rubber outsole that will last longer. But the second edition provides a less responsive ride than the first edition did.
The shoe is not light enough and a bit too bulky for speedy runs, but not cushioned enough for really long distance runs at a slower pace. This shoe is more suited for some medium long runs and maybe some hills, since the meta-rocker shape does help with running hills if you pick up the pace.
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