HOKA  Kaha 3 Low GTX Hiking Shoes - Women's

These shoes were not cheap, as you know. I always order a size 8. All of my Hokas are size 8. But these were so cramped in the toe box that I had to take them off during my trip to Thailand! So, here I am traveling internationally with an extra, useless pair of hiking shoes, just lugging them around like a brick, which is all the shoes are. When I tried to call Hoka, they responded with, "It's a hiking shoe. You should've known it would fit smaller." I swear, 3 different people told me this. Needless to say, they did NOT back up their product! I should've known. I own 8 pairs of Hokas besides the piece of junk Kahas. When I added them up it was $1500! Hoka customer service, YOU STINK!

The toe size area was too small for me. I usually wear a ladies 7.5, but this size up to 8 is also too short. So, I bought men’s size 8, which is a good fit.

After doing some online window shopping and reading reviews from various sites, I decided to purchase these shoes. I have spine issues and own some Hoka Bondis, which I love. I was hoping to have a similar love for these hiking shoes, but unfortunately, they were a “no” for me. Not only is the Raw Linen/Oat Milk” a very ugly, pale color, the shoe felt very heavy and uncomfortable when I tried it on. Since REI did not stock these at my local store, this was my first time trying them on. I ordered a size 7 Wide, which is the size I wear in the Bondis. I was turned off immediately after seeing them and trying them on. I did not wear them at all given that they are such an expensive item and fearing that I may encounter difficulty returning. I would have ordered them directly from Hoka, but REI was able to ship them faster for free.

These shoes are fire! however since they are online only I ordered my typical size 7.5 - I wore them all day yesterday with a tiny bit of discomfort (trying to break them in) luckily today they fit much better, especially since they are over $200. which is a lot for me right now. Super solid base and materials, great for hiking and every day sport glam. these are great - you may want to go up a half size though?

I’ll preface this review by saying I have a pair of speedgoats from 2021 that are going strong, but don’t provide the support that I like for longer hikes/backpacking. This means I’ve been on the hunt for a good hiking shoe for longer day hikes and short multi/day backpacking trips (4 or 5 days). Since I otherwise love the fit on the speedgoats, I decided to give the Kahas a try. First off, the linen color is more grey than the light beige on the website. I actually vastly prefer the grey color, so it worked out, but want to give potential buyers a heads up. On to fit: I have fairly narrow feet, typically a size 8 but for my athletic shoes, I typically size up to 8.5 or a 9. Based on the reviews, I bought a 9 in these and they are still a little small! They fit how I’d expect a typical size 8 to fit me in a boot like this. For wearing around town the size is fine, but the way the toe box is constructed, I already can tell I’ll be banging my toes constantly on downhills, which is a huge bummer. I don’t think sizing up another half size will help me because my heel already slips a tiny bit. If the toe box fit perfectly, the heel fit as-is would not be a problem, but I fear a larger size would leave me swimming in them. I’m super bummed because I can see how these can be a FANTASTIC shoe if you have the magical Cinderella foot to fit in them. I loved how my feet felt walking in them, there was fantastic grip and they felt very very secure through the midsole. I think they would have been perfect for my needs if not for the fit issues. That said, I’m debating keeping them for more casual wear because they really feel great for the casual hikes I’ve been on and I think they’ll be just fine for around town on days I don’t want a full blown rain boot, but I think it’ll be a world of pain for me on longer excursions. So, I recommend these but echo the sentiments that they are at least a size small and for very narrow feet.

Not sure if this is an issue with all the GTX Hokas (hope not) but these were much, much too short. My foot literally hits against the front of the shoe. Too bad as they are a very attractive shoe and I would love to find a low cut hoka hiking boot. Returning these and debating if I should bother ordering the 9.5s