Thanks to Austin Trail Running Company, I had the opportunity to test the new Hoka One One Torrents for a couple of days. I took them out for over 20 miles: technical trail, crushed gravel trail, and 70lb ruck.
Overall: The Torrents are super comfortable and responsive. The only downfall for me was the noticeable lack of a rock plate which would limit my use of them.
Full Review:
Comfort: The Torrents are super comfortable. The fit was great; true to size. The heel felt a little loose, but a change to a heel lock style lacing quickly fixed that. I like shoes with a minimal upper and the Torrent fits the bill for what I look for. They are also extremely breathable. Running in the Texas heat and humidity, my feet never got too hot.
I prefer shoes with a low to 0 drop. The Torrents have a 5mm heel drop which slightly more than I am used to, but increase was unnoticeable to me.
Protection: The Torrents have an overlay around the base of the upper. I was skeptical whether this thin overlay would offer any real protection. To my surprise, it did a great job. I banged up the shoes a lot on the technical trail and it protected my feet.
While the uppers did a great job protecting my feet, I was less impressed with the soles. The Torrents do not have a rock plate. Usually, Hokas come with enough cushion that lack of a rock plate is no big deal. The reduced cushion and responsive nature and feel of the sole, meant I was running aggressively. There were a couple of times I landed on a sharp pointed rock and really felt it. This is the biggest con for me on the Torrents.
Drainage: In trail running shoes, I always look for quick drying shoes with good drainage. During my ruck, I fully submerged the Torrents in the water for a couple of minutes. They were free of water and relatively dry within 10 minutes.
Grip: The Torrents provided good grip on my run. By the end of my technical run, I felt confident in their grip enough to start bounding off the side of rock faces. I was unable to test the grip when wet.
Durability: ??? Since I only put 20 miles on the the pair I had, there was no way for me to tell how durable they are over time.
In Conclusion: I like the Hoka Torrents a lot. I am curious how durable they are and look forward to reading reviews and talking to runners about their durability. The biggest con for me is the lack of a rock plate. If these had a rock plate, I would highly consider add them in my rotation of quick, non-ultra trail shoes.