Naperville Running Company Basement before the Run - Everyone in Conquests |
Last night, the Naperville Running Company (“NRC”) hosted a
fun run featuring Hoka One One’s newest shoe, the Conquest. NRC hosts a fun run every 2 to 3 weeks and they
are a great opportunity to try out new equipment, get together with new and old
friends, run the lovely Naperville Riverwalk and get an after run treat. Last
night’s run was particularly nice as the weather had warmed up (the prior
week’s run had been in the low single digits) and a good number of Bolingbrook
Fun Run Club members came out to enjoy the evening. The path was a little icy but I don’t think
we had any mishaps and every one came back in with a smile on their face.
My soft Mafate 3s |
On to the Conquest.
First, let me say that I’m a Hoka One One owner. I have a pair of Mafate 3 trail shoes and
love them. They are touted as the
softest feel in the Hoka line and I believe it.
They’re like running on pillows. Although
the size 8.5 Mafate 3’s that I own are a bit too large and wide for my feet
(buyer error), with multiple socks, I can run in them comfortably. I find that I have very little post run
muscle or joint discomfort, even after running on sidewalks. So, I was hoping and expecting to love the
Conquest.
Women's Conguest |
The women’s Conquest is a nice looking shoe. It comes in two color combinations, one more
of a berry color with a predominantly white sole and one a multi pink version
with a predominantly yellow sole. The
men’s version shown last night was almost a solid yellow with black trim – I
didn’t particularly care for it, but it was ok. Knowing that the size 8.5 Mafate’s is too
large, I tried on a size 8 and I must say it was a much better fit than the
Mafate. It still has a large toe box but
the overall fit of the shoe was narrower than the Mafate. For me, this was a real plus. After putting these on, I was raring to go!
But that’s where my love of the Conquest stopped. The Conquest, by design, has less foam and
more rubber (it still has a VERY thick sole) for a stiffer ride. Perhaps it is my ultra high arches and my
need for a neutral shoe, but almost immediately I started to feel twinges in my
knee. I haven’t felt this kind of thing
since I dumped my Asics back in 2012. As
the small group I was running with went along I heard complaints about arch
pain, burning in the balls of the feet and general dislike. At least for my group of slower runners,
there wasn’t a great love of the Conquest.
The Hoka Rep and her shoes |
Having said that, the faster runners seemed relatively
pleased with the Conquest. Although I
did hear one purchased on April 1, 2013 by Deckers Outdoor, the parent
company for UGG, Teva and other footwear brands, is trying
to find a Hoka model that broadens out their market. The Conquest might just do that. There are
many runners who don’t want the extra soft cushioning. I will, however, stick to their models with
more foam and less rubber like the Mafate 3, and the Bondi. $170 is a lot to spend on shoes that aren’t
perfect.
comment, that the shoes were ok but no need to spend that kind of
money for an ok shoe. My guess is that
Hoka One One,
After last night’s run, we were treated with pizza, hot
chocolate and HUGE marshmallows. Hoka
One One also handed out free t-shirts and hats. I love having the Runners World #1 Running
Store in my hometown. Naperville Running
Company, you rock!
Have any of you tried the Conquest? What did you think?