Shoe Review | Hoka Rincon 3!
by Chase Parnell — December 5, 2021
The Hoka Rincon has been my go-to road shoe for years. I typically run about one road marathon per year to switch things up and get the legs turning over so having a solid road shoe has always been an important piece of the puzzle. I ran in the Rincon 2 at Cal International Marathon in 2019 and my L.A. marathon disaster in early March of 2020, just before the world turned upside down. The shoe did what it was supposed to do so now I’m coming back for more. Enter the Rincon 3!
While I don’t have a road marathon on the calendar now, with winter fast approaching, I inevitably end up doing more training on the roads since all the trails will be covered in snow. The Rincon 3, just released in August of 2021, has been my exclusive training shoe for the last 4-5 weeks. With over 200 miles on the shoe (as you can tell by the photos) I’ve had plenty of time to work through all the features and consider the pros and cons for this review. Let’s get into the deep dive. Here we go!
Hoka Rincon 3 Upper
The upper on the Rincon 3 changed a lot over prior iterations of this shoe. The materials are more “technical” and not quite as soft. Very minimal. In places the tongue is as thin as a few sheets of paper but I somehow still don’t feel the laces digging into the top of my foot when I synch the shoe tight. The upper isn’t super elastic so you don’t get that real form-fitted feel, but again, it seems like Hoka really went all out on making this as light as possible. The upper has nice ventilation patterns and I love the color options.
The heel counter is padded, which I always like. Feels like the achilles is supported through the entire foot strike. I haven’t noticed any strange rubbing or hot spots on the tops of my toes or foot. I would say that the upper feels a little roomier than the Rincon 1 or 2, which for my narrow foot is not ideal but I know I’m an outlier there.
So yeah, I’m happy that Hoka went the extra mile to make the upper super light and aesthetically edgier, but I miss the softer stretchier materials that wrapped up the foot in comfort.
Hoka Rincon 3 Midsole
Hoka is the best in the business when it comes to cushioning and durability of the midsole. It’s why I run in Hokas, no BS. And the Rincon 3 is no exception. It feels great out of the box, nice and soft, but firm enough to feel like you have a stable platform under your foot and that you’re not going to blow out the cushioning after a handful of runs.
The Rincon 3 apparently utilizes a new EVA foam but I didn’t really notice much of a difference over prior models. I’ll tell you what I need out of a midsole: comfort and durability. Specifically, I need it to feel responsive i.e. a little bouncy like I’m getting a bit of feedback, and I want it to take me 300 miles without getting that compressed feeling where you know the shoe’s cushioning is shot and now you’re playing with fire, a fire called injury. I’ve ran in shoes where I get that compressed feeling within 100 miles and I get real pissed about it.
The shape of the midsole around the exterior has some nice aerodynamic molds to it. Into the slip stream! Little bit of a strange divot out of the heel but I like the flares along the side instead of just a boring strip of foam.
Overall, really happy with the midsole. No complaints!
Hoka Rincon 3 Outsole
Hoka boosted the rubber coverings on the forefoot and heel, making for longer lasting traction and a more durable outsole generally. As you can see from my wear patterns, it probably wouldn’t have hurt to add a few more along the outside of the foot as I’m really starting to wear down the EVA foam.
I don’t know about your scene but in Central Oregon, it’s my opinion that trail shoes aren’t really all that necessary. The trails are pretty flowy, not that steep, and fairly buffed out. Rock plates, big lugs, densely knit uppers are excessive. I can only think of a few descents gnarly enough where added traction would really boost your confidence and ability to rip it down, but it’s just not an everyday need. All that to say, I am perfectly happy to run in the Rincon 3 on any surface and terrain.
Final Thoughts and Conclusions
Hoka made the Rincon 3 slightly wider, which my narrow foot wasn’t super thrilled about. They must have gotten some feedback from the hobbit-footed contingent. Fair enough. I still love the shoe and with a synching of the laces it still fits like a glove.
I’ll give some more props to Hoka for keeping this shoe affordable. $120 is fair! Cheap enough to be a go-to trainer that you don’t feel like you have to make last forever because you dropped an absurd about on it. I love the edgier color options and stylistic touches to the midsole. No durability complaints. I’d call this a very versatile light-weight shoe.
I’ll be swapping back and forth between the Hoka Rincon 3 and the Torrent 2s for the foreseeable future. Love these shoes!
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