Hoka Rincon 3 - Our Thoughts
The Reviewer
Hi, my name is Nathan Cremin, I've been training and competing in the sport of
track and field for nearly a decade now, mainly racing the 800 metres and 1500
metres and on average I run around 40 - 50 miles per week. Throughout my time
as an athlete I have run thousands of miles in countless pairs of running shoes,
giving myself a great knowledge on running shoes and their many different uses
and abilities. In my post today I'll be giving you the reader my personal opinion
and experience with the Hoka Rincon 3s, what I found to be the shoes pros and
cons, and what type of runs I would use the Rincon 3s for.
The Review
UNBOXING:
With my first proper pair of running shoes being the first version of the Hoka
Rincons, the shoe holds a special place in my heart as being the one that helped
me get back into training. In the last 2 years I have integrated both Rincon 1s and
Rincon 2s into my training shoe rotation and they have both been completely
worth their value, so I was looking forward to testing out the relatively new
Rincon 3s and seeing what upgrades Hoka have made. Taking the shoe out of
the box I could already see a couple of changes from the Rincon 2s, the main
change being the outsole, which now has more grip and rubber on the sole. This
was definitely a needed change from the 2s as the sole would wear down easily
due to the amount of exposed sole. Another change was the different tongue
which is now sleeker and fits better when compared to the rather bulky one in the 2s.
THE FIRST STEPS
However once I tried them on I could straight away feel the similar cushioned lockdown of the previous versions, which was a welcomed feeling. Once I got on the treadmill and started at my usual slow pace, I could straight away feel the responsive and firm midsole giving me loads of energy return. The midsole compresses and springs back into place when your foot strikes the ground, saving your legs from the impact against the hard pavements.
UP AND RUNNING
When I picked up the pace I felt no change in the responsiveness and the ride felt so smooth. One thing I love about the Rincons is their versatility, they feel just as good going slow as they do going fast, which is a sensation I also got in the Mach 5s when I tested them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Rincon 3s are an incredibly versatile shoe that are great for easy days, long runs, and even picking up the pace for those tempo run days. If you like the previous Rincon models, you’ll be happy with the latest iteration. There are lots of solid improvements to the Rincon 3 mainly being the improved midsole. It rides much smoother and it feels faster because its forefoot is more snappy. If you're trying to decide if you should get a previous version at a discounted price or go for the new one at full price, you should get the new one. Personally I would use this shoe for any type of run in my training and maybe even on the track sometimes.
Nathan Cremin
Team Adrenalin