HOKA ONE ONE has garnered quite a worthy reception in recent years, thanks to its innovative performance tech. To no surprise, the French-founded brand is looking to bolster its catalog once again with the uber-light Tecton X, the shoemaker’s first-ever pair of carbon-plated trail runners.
Like most of HOKA’s footwear portfolio, the Tecton X is composed of an intricately engineered jacquard mesh, which is currently available in a single eye-popping colorway: Persimmon Orange. Both its name and unique carbon fiber plate design draw inspiration from the planet’s tectonic plates, with HOKA claiming the shoe “is poised to unleash a seismic shift in trail running.” The vegan-made kicks boast an extra sturdy Vibram Megagrip outsole with Litebase, in addition to HOKA’s signature maximalist ProFlyX foam midsole for optimal responsiveness.
The shoe is rounded out with 4mm studs for enhanced grip, a protective toe rand for added support, and an EVA sock liner for maximum comfort. Falling on the early-stage tier of the brand’s Meta-Rocker leaderboard, the Tecton X’s transition zone is placed behind the metatarsal heads and closer to the heel. These trail runners are another example of how much weight manufacturers can shed when implementing carbon plates, as the new set of shoes weighs just below 8.5 ounces.
HOKA has provided trail runners with noteworthy equipment before, but its new release sets a new standard. The Tecton X is available in the UK now for £175 (~$219), though it’s unclear when the shoes will see a U.S. release.
