Hoka Trail Code GTX Review

Tank Green/ December 12, 2024/ Reviews

Since my Hoka Tor Ultra Hi vs Inov-8 RocFly G 390 GTX gear review post is quite popular, I thought I would do another one for the Hoka Trail Code GTX.

Sadly, my Inov-8 RocFly G 390 GTX died in May after about 6 months of weekly walks, so I bought the RocFly G 390s as they were half price. However, they only lasted about 3-4 walks before the sole peeled apart. I sent them back and got a no-hassle refund, and I wasn’t too sad as they weren’t that comfortable anyway.

I needed a new pair pretty much immediately, so I went to the Hoka store in Covent Garden with the intention of buying another pair of Tor Ultra Hi. Alas, they didn’t have any, so my second option was the Kaha 2s. Yeah, no. They felt like orthopaedic shoes: massive, heavy, clunky, and not at all agile. I can see that they might be good if you are standing on your feet all day, but I genuinely don’t know how people can wear those boots on a hike.

Then I was going to try the Speedgoats, but they didn’t have any mids in my size, so I tried the Trail Code GTX instead. I wasn’t originally considering them as the pictures of the ‘Swallowtail’ heel made it look like I would be wearing an estate car on my feet. However, it’s not that bad in real life. I mean, it is a long heel, but not intolerably so…

It turns out the Trail Code boots are really light, agile, and comfy. Just what I wanted! I had to run the last 3km of my walk the first time I wore them, as I had fannied about in Alice Holt forest too long and was in danger of missing my train. Well, I enjoyed the run so much, they made me want to do trail running! So, I started replacing one of my walks with a trail run every month, although that stopped once it got cold.

Anyway, here is my review of the Hoka Trail Code GTX, using the same criteria as my Hoka Tor Ultra Hi vs Inov-8 RocFly G 390 GTX review. As a reminder, I do lowland walking, have a Morton’s neuroma, arthritis in the ball of my right big toe with a small bunion, and historical achilles tendon issues. So comfortable hiking boots really make a difference to me in terms of how much I enjoy my walks. So far I have walked a little over 3,500km in the Trail Codes, so I feel I can give a good review.

Comfort

• Whilst these are not as comfortable as the Tor Ultra Hi (will anything be?), the Trail Code boots have far exceeded my expectations, and are way more comfy than either of the Inov-8 boots. My feet feel cushioned, protected, stable, and supported , and I haven’t gotten a single blister, either.
• Despite being a Gore-Tex boot, my feet don’t get too hot at all.
• The only downside is that I have to leave the laces a little looser than I normally would at the last lacing point before the first quick lace hook area. It can cut into the front of my ankle uncomfortably if I do it as tight as I would like. This means that the laces have a tendency to come undone mid-hike.

Waterproofing

• Not good, alas. In particular, the left boot. I have even re-done the waterproofing but the left boot still allows a substantial amount of water in. The right boot is okay, but still nowhere near as good as the Inov-8s. I literally waded through a stream in the Inov-8 RocFly G 390 GTXs without getting wet feet. I am not sure if I have a dud pair of Trail Codes or if Hoka Gore-Tex is somehow less good than Inov-8 Gore-Tex.

Grippyness

• These the Hoka Trail Code grip excellently on slippy/muddy paths and rocky/stony ones. I feel stable and confident in my steps, whatever the path.

Stability

• As a mid-boot, the Hoka Trail Code are not as stable as a boot with full ankle support, but I am otherwise happy with how my foot sits within the boot. I feel strong, comfortable, and stable in my walking.

Achilles support

• Despite being a mid-boot, the Hoka Trail Code do not cut into my achilles at all. There is really nice soft padding around the back of the shoe where it sits on the achilles, so I am not getting any aggravation after a long hike. Yay!

Foot width

• Despite my bunion and neuroma, I have narrow feet, so I have no problem with these Hoka Trail Code boots. However, I do think the toe box runs rather on the narrow side, and this will likely cause an issue for people with wider feet.

Morton’s neuroma support

• As these are from Hoka’s “balanced” range of soles, and are not “plush” like the Cliftons or Tors, I was worried about my Morton’s neuroma. However, I am not experiencing any pain, not even on long ~30km hikes. Obviously, this is still dependent on wearing my Injinji Ultra Run padded toe socks as well.

Style:

• I bought the purple Hoka Trail Code boots because the shop only had that colour or black. No boring boots for me, thank you very much! I absolutely love the colour (and many of the other colours they come in) and they matched the summer heathland heather very well. Who knew purple boots could be camo?!
• As mentioned above, I was not keen on the Swallowtail heel, and would still rather they didn’t have it, but it’s not as long as it looks in the photo. However, it is long enough to occasionally get caught on stairs when you are going down them. Grrr!

Weight

• At just 361g, these are the lightest boots I have ever worn and that’s a genuine gift to my walking experience.

 Durability

• To be determined… These are the first pair of boots that I have tracked in my Garmin app, so I will know exactly how many kilometres I get out of them before they fail. That said, at 3,500km, they are not showing any signs of decay. The only issue is the waterproofing.

I hope this little review has been helpful to you. All in, I am very impressed with the Hoka Trail Code GTX boots and would definitely buy them again, although if pair two were also a waterproof fail, then I wouldn’t again. In some ways, they outperform my beloved Tor Ultra Hi and I really appreciate how fleet of foot they make me feel. For the type of walking I do—lowland—they suit me very well.