Awesome trail shoes but at a PRICE! // HOKA TECTON X 3 REVIEW // Ginger Runner

[@TheGingerRunner]

Honestly, these shoes are SUPER fun - but that comes at a hefty price. Are they worth it??

[@berthein5476]

I think they are probably worth 250? they can definitely compete with the vective pro 2. its just that the midsole needs some tuning and the upper can have a few adjustments. I don't like the midsole. It's a great and fun shoe, but the midsole layers are just too squischy. The 40mm feel more like 20mm. the density of the foam is so low, I feel the gabs between cobblestone and pavement, all the little stones on the trails. There is so much annoying groundfeel now. I don't want a full plate, but either they add a full plate for protection and as stiffening agent, or the lower peba layer becomes denser again. Right now it feels more like a rebel v4, than a tecton x2. like 10to 15 more desity in the foam, and the shoe and the rocker would pop off. Also the plates dont really seem to be doing a lot this time around. There was almost no rocker feel and the bounce in the forefoot the x1 and x2 had is gone. I really want to love this shoe, but its not for me. Also the heel needs to be reworked. the upper layer kept wedging in between the heelflares. super uncofortable feeling. But its no loss. i got my vectiv pro 2, and 3 more Tecton x/x2s to run through :D ill be fine. Hope the x4 dials in the midsole.

[@StreamCrossingRunner]

I love this shoe and haven’t had an issue with lock down. Pricey? Yeah but for a special race or adventure I’ve found it worth it.

[@dougiedoesstuff]

Just ordered a pair to be delivered tomorrow. BUT only because I got vouchers for my birthday AND I could get an England Athletics discount of 15%. felt just about justified paying £187 (GB).

[@JeremyJ4K]

I was so excited to see another GR shoe review pop up on my feed! You’re the best at this Ethan

[@runraggedrhino]

Won't wear these, but will happily watch you talk about them ALL DAY LONG!

[@steveptasznik6147]

You need to get outside for a run.

[@ianfraser747]

So happy to see you back reviewing, I have missed your honest reviews...still the best out there 👍👍

[@TheGingerRunner]

I appreciate that!

[@jansommerlund5497]

SOOO happy to hear from you again on the channel! Don't care about the Hokas, but so very thrilled to see another review from you 🤗 PS: absolutely ridiculous price...

[@SeeChadRun]

I found the Tecton X 3 to be a wonderful trail shoe! It really becomes one with my foot and allows me to comfortably go the distance at any pace. If I had this for my recent 100 miler, I would have used it then too. It's that good! But also pricy! Will be interesting to compare this to Speedland's offerings too.

[@flintoff2006]

Glad to see these posts reappear on my feed... Welcome back legend!! From The good old United of kingdom, Englandstan to be precise.

[@john.maynard]

I’m loving the Tecton X 2. Got them for half off, so it’ll be super challenging to justify forking over $275 for the X 3 - despite the better foam and lugs. Great review!

[@TheGingerRunner]

Yeah, can’t beat half off!

[@john.maynard]

@@TheGingerRunner oh yeah for sure!

[@AfendiOthman]

Welcome back Ethan. Right time right shoes review

[@darlingrunnerpt3342]

Almost at 200k subscribers!!! Whooo hoooo!

[@kingsley6236]

So good to see you back doing reviews! We have missed you and your wonderful reviews! You need to do a video with a KZbinr we have here in England. She is called Claire and her KZbin channel is The Wild Ginger Runner. Two ginger runners doing a video together would be awsome!

[@selfcoachedrunner]

Fantastic shoe, but with a couple huge shortcomings. I found lockdown to not be an issue, but I tend to REALLY cinch down on my laces. My biggest issue was the insoles sliding all over the place on steep downhills, but some shoe glue fixed that. I also found that they don't have quite enough ankle support to feel fully confident on technical terrain in them. The hunt for the perfect race day shoe continues.

[@JohnnyLineham]

They should do toned down version for us normal folks... lower stack, maybe a dual compound midsole, less stiff non-carbon or no plate even. I'd be into that I think

[@RowOfMushyTiT]

Prodigio Pro (2025) sounds like your shoe

[@berthein5476]

Joke is on you :D You wont feel the stack nor do the plates do anything but add medial and lateral stability. It feels like 20mm shoe with two plates on the side and thats it. you basically have maximum groundfeel with this one. like the peba is so squishy, you can feel the inside of the plates when doing corners, while your foot is basically compressing the entire in between the plates section into nothingness lol

[@jean-phil]

I have been using them for the past few weeks. I also have the Nike Ultrafly, the Adidas Speed Ultra, Salomon Slab Pulsar SG, Saucony Edge, etc. I have been using the Pulsar SG and the Edge for short races. I think the Tecton X3 are the most comfortable but not the quickest so I will use them only for longer races and training. The integrated gaiter is nice and might be useful during the winter here in Canada ;) for the price, if you watch prices, most brands tend to have sales pretty often but hoka and asics don't offer much discount. I was able to pay about 50% for ultrafly, pulsar and edge. Maybe 30% off for hoka and adidas shortly after release. Adidas, you can buy a 30% voucher if you have enough points.

[@clivepreston2228]

how is the toebox width of the x3? v's the others?

[@alredalred]

Backcountry had a sale on them so they were "only" $220 so I decided to try them. At worst I return them.

[@JoelNads72]

I got the x3. Awesome shoe but I would not do it again if I had the choice. 300ish CAD is insane

[@YouTubedarek]

$300 CAD is a great deal after conversion but still a hefty price tag. Should be closer to $375 CAD if the actual conversion was used.

[@Azer_GG]

Actually in Canada they're "just" CA$300, slightly cheaper than most plated road racing shoes, for examples, Vaporfly 3 is CA$330, Sky Paris is CA$325. I don't mean we should normalize expensive shoes, but I find it's interesting that the price is actually pretty competitive in the Canadian market.

[@TheGingerRunner]

DAAAAAMN

[@yanman53]

Yea Hoka CAD pricing is pretty favourable! The Cielo X1 is CAD$310 and with a cheeky discount I got it for less than the USD MSRP in CAD

[@BozoseCompany]

they finally made Hokas in a non-obnoxious color!

[@TheGingerRunner]

Right??

[@gregprevite8548]

Always love seeing a review from Ethan. That said, there’s just no way I could justify paying this much for a shoe. I’d love to see a review of the new torrent4 for the value oriented crowd

[@nicennice]

So Hoka One One actually translates from the Polynesian to "Jeez how much!?". Great to have The Ginge back on reviews though. N.B. This video was supplied free of charge but no one paid me to say that.

[@YouTubedarek]

I absolutely love love love this shoe. It’s a “better” deal in Canada but still crazy expensive. That said, it’s my go-to shoe now and I use it on every trail run. The comfort is what makes the shoe worth it to me (bonus is that I find it very easy to run fast on flatter terrain too). ~10,000 steps on a short-ish run. It’ll depend how long they last but assuming they last 500km+…that’s a lot of steps and time on feet to be comfortable.

[@tommilam6320]

As a versatile, trail racing shoe, that more than likely will outlast most of the other super shoes in the trail category in terms of midsole, outsole and upper, they might be worth the price in the long term. I ran a mountain 50 K with these and they worked flawlessly, no blisters, no hotspots, no rolling Ankles of any kind. Thicker toe socks, worked really well, and I had no sliding around in the shoe.

[@jakeva9802]

Rei had a pair for 30% off. Even with that discount i was meh. Still too expensive and im not an athlete

[@markkendhammer5932]

I love this shoe so much I bought 2 of them. Red and blue color way 🔥🔥

[@sharky7079]

Should I save money and buy the mafate speed 4? Compare to the both which would you recommend?

[@kristianandres7647]

I have a pair of the Mafates, sidewall ripped out on the third run and Hoka’s says it’s “accidental damage” so no warranty. Loved them but they too are expensive.

[@johanneswehrmann]

I’ll save up for the Nike Ultrafly 2.

[@jasonkrasowski4673]

What kind of socks to you wear with these? If you wear a brand like balega they have a little back ankle padding that looks like it might make that sock around the ankle uncomfortable. But, would a longer sock make that liner too tight? I’m wondering…

[@HeartPumper]

Frankly, screw those overpriced shoes :P But Ethan's *MISFIT* is THE REAL -SHIIIEEET- !!! Grab it, stream it, just start IV to your system with it. You need it, believe me! I'm an ER personnel :D

[@TheGingerRunner]

Much appreciated! Glad you’re enjoying the tunes!

[@fraac]

heard it can retain water

[@mattscott4382]

The giant logo and the giant price are a no for me.

[@TheGingerRunner]

I didn’t even think about the “branding” but you’re right - HUGE

[@mikepeligro]

You can always write over the white logo letters with a black or blue permanent marker and it will be gone

[@JanSuchomel]

Did you try to get them wet? How fast do they dry?

[@heymrguitarman7637]

I use these after previously enjoying the Tecton x 2. The x 3 are simply outstanding in every department and worth every penny in my opinion. Zero shoe caused foot issues over the last ultra I ran. Honestly I can't say enough great things about them. I'll buy them again in an instant when my current pair have served their time

[@79reynevan]

Ginger if you have to choose one, those hokas or vectiv pro?

[@TheGingerRunner]

Vectiv pro, more race-day pop

[@christopherorman5769]

​@@TheGingerRunnerreally? Not sure i agree at all. Though I do think the metafuji might be the best supershoe of the bunch.

[@drytool]

For that price I would expect a Dyneema upper.

[@RowOfMushyTiT]

But it's Kelvar

[@drytool]

@@RowOfMushyTiT Oh, that's good. That explains the price to me a little. Kevlar is strong stuff.

[@christopherorman5769]

I know norda has made dyneema cool, but it is an awful, poor upper material. Matryx is much better.

[@DusanZabrodsky-k8x]

I must respectfully disagree with the complaints about the fit. I’m a seasoned ultra runner who has personally tested the TectonX3 shoe during the UTMB finals in Chamonix this year. Let me assure you, there’s no other long-distance shoe that compares to it. As a bit of a shoe enthusiast, I own all the trail running shoes available this year and have thoroughly tested them in various races. Among them, the TectonX3 stands out as the most comfortable shoe. However, I do have a few concerns about the quality. The TectonX3 shoes seem to wear out quickly after the 100m race, unlike the Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra, which still look pristine after completing the Lavaredo 120k and MIUT 115k races I’ve run in them.

[@bstoran198]

More gear reviews please

[@MichaelMadsen-m5n]

There is NO WAY I am paying that for a shoe. What happened to Hoka? I loved their shoes. I owned the Clifton 1,2,3 and multiple other models. They used to love their runners. Now they have gotten so popular that they don’t remember who they are. Who did they sell out to? They won’t even allow you to use a 20% off coupon at REI. As a triathlete and mountain runner in Alaska, this is ridiculous!

[@marcushowell4031]

My favourite shoe....ever.

[@RowOfMushyTiT]

Have manufacturers forgotten shoes are disposable items? When you do 80 miles per week, you go through shoes fast! Poor miles/$ here.

[@fraac]

can still use cheap and/or durable shoes for most training. keep the fancy ones for races

[@RowOfMushyTiT]

@@fraac Sure that's what I do. Kiger 9s for training (I bought a tons of them for $50 each). Agravic speeds for racing. But these are relatively cheap shoes. Would never spend $275 on a shoe that needs to eat mileage and is quite limited in it's application.

[@Ni1zz]

Crazy price

[@devinmurphy3825]

Becoming a standard price now... entry prices for Norda or Speedland

[@christopherorman5769]

Yes and norda and speedland use dated tech. Norda uses awful tpee foam and speedland htpu like you find in cheaper shoes. The tecton x3 has matryx upper, peba midsole, and carbon plates.

[@patrickvanderwal6324]

275? Seriously? I can get plated Endorphin Edges now for 135 euros. Not convinced.

[@christopherorman5769]

Not a fair comparison. The tech in the Tecton x3 is more like what is in the Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris. Those are $250 shoes and don't have matryx. So the pricing is consistent with top of the line supershoes. The real question should be whether you need a suoershoe.

[@patrickvanderwal6324]

@@christopherorman5769 The Edge has Pwrun PB and a carbon plate. Fair comparison for me.

[@adamperry_]

I ordered these and ran a few runs in them... both runs the heel lockdown just wasn't there for me. I ended up ordering two sizes to see if this would help and it didn't. Ended up buying the Northface Vectiv Pro 2 and am VERY happy!

[@inegleit]

Oh, hi there! 🥳

[@mccluskey_xyz]

Huge missed opportunity not to add a boa fit system to this. Especially if they’re gonna sell it for near $300. Woof.

[@MrTCFIRE]

One of the most annoying features of this shoe is that most reviewers were raving about the Tecton 2.5 which was essentially unobtanium unless you were at Western States…seems like the 2.5 is a better shoe. That being said, I’ve had three pairs of the X3. The first pair delaminated the outsole within a few miles of mild running, the second pair (in my normal size) were way too small. I sized up the third pair and that seemed to do the trick. These are big clunky shoes…maybe a Gore version of these for winters would be the sweet spot. It would be very awesome if you could tie a lockdown on these…

[@christopherorman5769]

The Tecton x 2.5 is far less stable, has more bounce, has more rocker and has a gaiter and upper that is quite a bit different. The gaiter on the 2.5 is hard to get in and out of. Peterman ran in the Tecton x3 at OCC for a reason...more stability for the terrain. For the masses, the Tecton x 3 is a phenomenal supershoe. I do think the Asics Metafuji may be better than the 2.5 and the 3 though.

[@kevinyoung8352]

I bought these and they’re so amazing! I’m surprised your heel lockdown was poor mine was so locked in. It’s definitely expensive but I’m very happy with mine. Just did a 50 miler in them and I was the only one in my group that didn’t lose a toe nail 😂 great review!

[@beeclimbing9954]

Knew this day would come: manufacturers have decided the market growth / popularity of trail running is high enough for them all to start pricing up by 'over-engineering' (I don't believe the hype) shoes. I refuse to pay these prices. And when I tried the Speedgoat in 2023 they were the poorest quality shoes I'd ever owned; I'll never buy Hoka again.

[@Kevin_Ice]

No running shoe is worth more than $125

[@todd_f-77]

How does this not land on a "why"? Love the content through the years, but nearly everything is a "try".

[@MK-tk8tb]

Did he say $275? Wtf