HOKA ONE ONE Kaha GORE-TEX Review

Cons: Not as capable in off-trail terrain, rockered sole feels unnatural at first
Manufacturer: HOKA ONE ONE
Our Verdict
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HOKA ONE ONE Kaha GORE-TEX | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |
Price | $219.95 at Backcountry | $229.95 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $249.95 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $160.26 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $194.99 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Amazing comfort, stable, great traction | Comfortable out of the box, fast and nimble, great stability, support, water resistance | Best choice for rock and snow travel, durable, breathes well | Comfort of a trail runner with more support and stability, good all around performance, lightweight | Very durable, stable, great foot protection |
Cons | Not as capable in off-trail terrain, rockered sole feels unnatural at first | Not as good for warm or hot environments, pricey | Wider fit, not the best lace locking system | Could be more breathable, not great traction on smooth rock | Heavy, diminished breathability |
Bottom Line | The ultimate in comfort for on-trail enjoyment | This boot is a capable beast of stability and protection without weighing you down | For hikers venturing off trail into rocky or snowy terrain, this boot offers stability and traction that no other boot does | A proven performer from short walks to intense thru-hikes, with shoe comfort in lightweight boot form | A modern take on a classic boot, with full grain leather and high top protection for hiking in all conditions |
Rating Categories | HOKA ONE ONE Kaha GORE-TEX | Salomon Quest 4D 3 GTX | Scarpa Zodiac Plus GTX | Salomon X Ultra Mid 3 GTX | Vasque St. Elias FG GTX |
Comfort (25%) | |||||
Stability (20%) | |||||
Traction (15%) | |||||
Weight (15%) | |||||
Water Resistance (15%) | |||||
Durability (10%) | |||||
Specs | HOKA ONE ONE Kaha... | Salomon Quest 4D 3... | Scarpa Zodiac Plus... | Salomon X Ultra... | Vasque St. Elias... |
Weight per Pair (Size 11) | 2.45 lbs | 3.30 lbs | 2.65 lbs | 2.28 lbs | 3.26 lbs |
Boot Type | Midweight Hiker/Backpacking Boot | Midweight Hiker/Backpacking Boot | Midweight Hiker/Backpacking Boot | Midweight Hiker/Backpacking Boot | Midweight Hiker/Backpacking Boot |
Width Options | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular and Wide | Narrow, Regular, and Wide |
Waterproof Lining | Gore-Tex | Gore-Tex Performance Comfort | Gore-Tex | Gore-Tex | Gore-Tex Performance Comfort |
Upper | Leather | Nubuck leather and textile | 1.8mm Suede Perwanger | Waterproof PU coated leather | Nubuck leather |
Last Board/Shank | None | 4D Advanced Chassis | BZ last | Molded shank | TPU Shank |
Midsole | EVA | Dual density EVA | PU + 3D EVA-MP | Injected EVA | A.S.E. Midsole with EVA Cushioning Pods |
Sole | Vibram MegaGrip | ContaGrip | Vibram Drumlin / Mont | Non-marking ContaGrip | Vibram Frontier |
Warranty | 45 day | 2 year | 1 year | 2 year | 1 year |
Sizes Available | 7 - 14 US | 7 - 13 US | 37 - 48 EU | 7 - 13 US | 7-14 US, wide and narrow options |
Color Options | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Kaha GTX almost defies a being placed in a category. Is it a high-top trail running shoe, a lightweight backpacking boot, or something in between? Whatever designation you choose to label the Kaha with, it is a phenomenally comfortable shoe that is not just a one-trick pony. This boot does well in almost all of our review metrics, making it an easy decision to award it a Top Pick for folks looking for a padded ride.
Performance Comparison
Comfort
The Kaha GTX boots blew us away with their extraordinary comfort. Seriously, these boots don't even give other models a fair fight trying to compete against it in this metric! Thanks to a blend of proprietary foam layers as the basis for its midsole construction, the one word to best describe the feeling of walking around in the Kaha is plush. Straight out of the box these boots delivered excellent all-day comfort, allowing our feet to move around without being loose, and our feet did not feel nearly as fatigued at the end of a long hiking day as with more minimal midsole constructions.
We preferred the lacing system of this pair of HOKA's. It consists of a leather cutout eyelet at the start of the laces, followed by four metal eyelets. In the middle of the lacing system, two eyelets are located side by side. Choosing the eyelets further forward makes the lacing system tighter across the top. Opting for the eyelets located further back makes the heel box feel snugger. We liked the adjustability to accommodate personal preferences. Two hooks at the top of the upper allow the user to tighten the collar around the ankle with ease. The heel box felt excellent to the feet of our reviewers, with no slippage reported. We like this lacing system but missed the lace-locking feature found on some models.
Our reviewers hit the high desert trails and while we did not need the additional waterproof Gore-Tex barrier at all times, appreciated how breathable it was. If your hikes don't take you into wet weather conditions, consider a boot without such a liner.
Stability
The Kaha has dimensions that make it one of the most stable boots for its weight that we tested. The forefoot width clocks in at 4.75 inches wide, giving it a wide platform that resists rolling, making this one of the safer boots to protect against rolled ankles. Its collar height is a towering 6.2 inches when measured from the footbed to the top of the collar, allowing it to be securely laced up above the ankle, providing the security of an ankle wrap with a lot more comfort and mobility.
The torsional rigidity of this boot is impressive, considering its lack of a shank. It has decidedly more rigidity than models with a similar weight, and it is hard to detect this rigidity thanks to the rockered sole that promotes more of a rolling motion without the need to articulate as much at the ball of the foot as other boots.
While we want to emphasize the stability underfoot in this boot, it is worth noting that the material that the collar is made of it lighter and softer than that of a more dedicated hiking boot or a boot meant for mountain scrambling. Those boots have more rigid material around the ankle.
Traction
Featuring a Vibram MegaGrip outsole, this is a top-tier boot when it comes to on-trail traction and grip. Other boots, also use the MegaGrip rubber compound on their soles, but the tread pattern is not nearly as effective as the one found on the Hokas. These boots have a surprising amount of grip given their shallow lug pattern and excel in dry trail conditions as well as in wet and slippery situations, and even in heavy snow, the grip of these soles is confidence-inspiring.
They may not do nearly as well in loose sediment as boots with deeper set lugs like found on mountain boots, but in the majority of on-trail scenarios we encountered, we felt that the wearing the Kaha GTX was similar to riding a fat tire bike - there is so much sole surface area contacting the ground that you can't help but have amazing traction.
Weight
These weigh a respectable 2.45 pounds per pair in a size 11. Sure, other boots weigh less, though, for the height of the cuff and the amount of sole cushioning you get, this is an incredible boot for its weight. For a slight weight increase, you can gain top-tier traction in all mountain conditions with the boot better suited for mountain adventures, though neither of these has the plush comfort found in the Kaha.
More streamlined models might be light as a feather, weighing nearly a pound less, though they do not have the same protection and stability. Simply said, this boot has a comfort-to-weight ratio that is unmatched by any boot in this review, and for those who have aching knees and are looking for a way to increase their longevity on the trails, this boot is a perfect choice.
Water Resistance
These boots have a flood height of 5.5 inches, as measured from the bottom of the sole to the top of the waterproof/breathable Gore-Tex brand membrane. This liner provides an adequate barrier to incoming water, and we had no issue while testing this in our simulated 5-minute underwater test or testing during daily use in the backcountry.
A previous iteration of this model used a different waterproof barrier (eVent), which we feel breathed a bit better. The Gore-Tex liner used in the Kaha GTX is not quite as breathable in hot conditions.
Durability
During our test period, we did not experience any durability concerns with the Kaha, and they are new enough that not many other users have been able to report on long-term issues. This model has full-grain leather comprising it's upper and has beefed up its sole with firmer rubber compounds that should resist wearing better than softer foam. The eyelets are for the most part protected with metal, and the traditional lacing system is easy to change out if a lace breaks in the field.
Value
These boots do offer good value, as they provide outstanding comfort. If you desire a plush ride on the trail, then these are worth every penny.
Conclusion
We became fans of the HOKA ONE ONE Kaha GORE-TEX on day one. Lacing them up for the first time, these shoes feel lightweight and surprisingly stable. Most of all, Hoka turned up comfort to 11 with this boot, reducing foot fatigue and soreness better than any other model tested. Comfy feet make for great backpacking trips, and this pair nails it.
— Ryan Huetter