Why Trust Us: The Cavu is lightweight and responsive, making it the preferred shoe for speedwork and short distance racing.
- Arch: Medium | Gait: Neutral | Footstrike: Heel
- mm M, 8.5mm W
- Health - Injuries
Price: $130
Type: Road
Drop: 11mm (M), 8.5mm (W)
Weight: 7.3 oz (M), 5.9 oz (W)
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Firm and responsive, snug and sock-like, the Cavu 3 with Hoka One One’s rocker profile and streamlined fit makes you want to barrel down your usual running stretch, yet there are a few details you should consider before lacing up.
Hoka One One Cavu 3
Pros
- The 10 Best Running Shoes for Women
- “Rocker” profile smooths transitions
Cons
- Stiff
- Tight fit
After testing Brooks’s collection of responsive trainers with flat-knit uppers and integrated collars—ex.: Levitate 3—alongside Hoka’s Arahi 4 and Mach 3, the Cavu 3 feels both familiar and alien. This iteration has an updated tongueless knit upper, which has a formfitting stretch. This new upper provides a supportive fit, leaving no room for sliding and irritation from hot spots. The concept reminds me of Brooks’s Ricochet 2, which has no tongue and an upper that wraps around the foot like a second skin. The overall feel, however, is tight, especially for runners with wider feet. One tester who usually needs to size down with Hoka’s trainers, found the Cavu to have a narrower fit compared to the Clifton and Carbon X he had previously tested. The ride was also quite stiff; it took him three to four runs to break it in.
Despite the Cavu’s stiffness and snug fit, runners will find the shoe has propulsive rebound and adequate cushioning for short-distance days when you want to amp up your pace.
“This is a reliable companion for speed days or road races,” said a tester. “The fit is a lot tighter than you’d expect from a Hoka, but that ensures you won’t be slipping around on the platform as you do your tempo workout.”
Stiff and Responsive
As previously mentioned, the Cavu has a stiff feel, in spite of RW Shoe Lab results, which categorized the trainer as moderately flexible. This rigidity is a plus for runners who rely on stiffness for snappy, fast turnover. But other runners may feel its inelasticity a burden. I found the shoe’s ride cumbersome on my stride; it just felt like I had to put in more effort.
The Cavu doesn’t feel bulky, but its stiffness and heel-to-toe drop can be taxing. “I felt that my heel sat low in the shoe and my forefoot sat high,” said a tester. The shoe’s longer toe area and higher offset caused her legs to tire faster on her runs. “I felt I had to lift my foot higher to compensate for the lengthy feeling of the shoe.”
The shoe provides energy return with its top layer of ProFly foam above the EVA midsole. ProFly is a dual-density foam that makes the midsole firmer in the forefoot and softer in the heel, creating a cushioned heel landing and bouncy forefoot strike. The Meta-Rocker also helps you make quick heel-to-toe transitions that propel you forward, resulting in a smooth rollover. With a springy midsole, the Cavu can be a quick trainer on the right feet, i.e., those partial to sleek shoes with a stiffer feel.
Updated Upper
The formfitting upper makes the shoe a little too snug to put on—perhaps a heel tab on the Cavu 4, please?—but the tongueless, all-around tight fit ensures a secure hold as you up the tempo. Zonal perforations enhance breathability in this third model; I know from experience that no matter how lightweight a knit upper is, it’s a hotbed for, er, heat, without the right amount of ventilating mesh. Fortunately, the Cavu 3’s upper allows the piggies to breathe.
More Wear Tester Feedback
The Best Running Shoes for Men
ldquo;Rocker” profile smooths transitions
“The shoe does an excellent job at propelling you forward during speed workouts. Though it’s lacking a formal post underneath the arch, there’s still enough stability that you’re not clipping the inside of your calf when barreling downhill or increasing the speed on the treadmill. The Cavu 3 is also lighter than some other faster Hokas like the original Mach.”
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mm M, 8.5mm W
“The shoe’s length and width are true to sizing, but this shoe has a very tight fit. The materials are pliable and just wrap around your foot. I feel like my heel sat back far in the shoe which made the front of your feet feel so big and floppy. There was plenty of room in the toe box and toes did not feel jammed in. The shoe kept my feet dry but my toes would sometimes feel cold on really cold days.”
Amanda Furrer, Editor, Running Reviews, studied journalism at NYU and writing at Emerson College. She has reviewed gear and covered other topics in the running space for almost 10 years. Since 2013, she has consecutively run the Boston Marathon. She also has a master’s degree in gastronomy from Boston University and was formerly a professional baker for two years before hanging up her apron.
