Every year at the big ultramarathons, as the winners cross the line, the guessing game begins: what are those shoes?! Since ultrarunning isn’t governed by World Athletics, which sets rules for shoe specs and availability windows, elite trail runners are often racing in shoes that the rest of us will see a year or two later.
When Jim Walmsley Published: Jun 27, 2024 11:43 AM EDT Hoka shoes on his feet. Was it a new model? Does it have a plate? Well, some of those questions were answered pretty quickly. It was confirmed early on that he wore a prototype based on the molds of the Tecton X, but with different foam, outsole, and upper.
But, that prototype went to production—with a catch. Hoka is releasing 100 pairs of what it’s calling the Guide to Pro Runner Form.5 only to entrants of the Western States 100 and their connections in Olympic Valley, California. This model also gives us a preview of what to expect in the Tecton X 3, releasing widely later this year.
Luckily, after nine years and seven lotteries, I got selected to run in this year’s Western States—and I was able to get my hands on a pair of the Guide to Pro Runner Form.5 a few weeks ahead of the race. I’ve already put about 40 miles of training in the shoe, and I actually might wear them for the race.
The first time I pulled on the Guide to Pro Runner Form.5, I got some big Nike Lunarepic vibes from the bootie upper. It was a little tricky to get on at first, but the sock-like upper fits flush, feels soft, and causes no irritation around my ankles—I wear socks that are taller than the collar. It does a great job of keeping any dirt or debris out of the shoe. It also features a quick lace—something not seen in Hokas in a long time—but still has traditional laces if that’s your thing. The rest of the upper features Matryx material, a durable fabric that doesn’t absorb water like traditional knits, and is reminiscent of the fan favorite EVO Speedgoat, though thankfully with more toe space. (Given that this shoe was a prototype of the Tecton X 3, we expect that shoe to have a similar upper construction, but with a loop to help get the shoe on, plus traditional lacing.)
The midsole gets a major update with dual-density PEBA foam. It’s by far one of the softest Hoka I’ve run in in some time, but it provides a bouncy feeling for pushing the pace on smooth trails—like the kind found at Western States. Like the Guide to Pro Runner Form, it features parallel carbon plates, which add stability but retain flexibility you want when you encounter more technical sections. The midsole is pretty wide to protect against rolling over the side of the shoe. (The Tecton X3 will still have parallel carbon plates, but with a slightly new shape that includes exposed winglets, presumably for increased stability.)
The outsole on the 2.5 is most similar to the previous versions of Tecton X, using the same pattern, but the lugs are deeper (5mm). That made the shoe more versatile for the alpine terrain of UTMB, where runners experience more variation between sand, rock, dirt, and mud. The previous Guide to Pro Runner Form had much shallower lugs, and I found while racing a 50K that they weren’t deep enough to still grip throughout the stride due to the large bare patch of foam in the center. On some slick mud stretches of trail, I found myself slipping as I ran over the midfoot. The deeper lugs on the 2.5 have much better grip. (The Tecton X 3 will have 4mm lugs, which should make them more comfortable across all surfaces. A new chevron shape should grip better and shed mud more easily.)
My biggest complaint so far about the Tecton X update is that Hoka didn’t name it after Walmsley! Really, it feels like a totally different shoe and, having been developed for his journey to victory at UTMB, perhaps it should have been called the Beaufortain or the W (the shoe’s undefeated, after all). While the limited Guide to Pro Runner Form.5 is only available in person at Western States for $300, the Tecton X 3 will release later this year for $275.
