Love this shoe, so light, comfy and snappy. Wore it on a 50 Mile ultra ARC50. By the end I needed a bit more protection, but for up to Marathon distance over technical hilly terrain it’s amazing.
Great review Steven. I just picked up a pair for my run tomorrow. Question: usually I wear a 10 1/2 in most of my every day wearing shoes and I don’t mind a snug fit on my trail running shoes(or a size 10 with my Solomon S lab Sense 7), but I did go with the size 11 like the one you have I was curious if that your normal go to size are usually smaller than that. Just curious for a baseline & for comparison sake. Thank you!
Great review Steven!!! I think the new stack height measurement is smart. Loving the lighter weight, revamped upper and mid sole. Like you said, it sounds like this shoe would be great for racing. Ugh, that price is a little more than I would like to spend.
In my opinion that is the trail shoe of 2023 I put that shoe to the limits for a 6 mile run out of the box and was amazed how it handles wet rocks and crazy down hill runs
It is definitely a contender. I wore it for the Leadville Trail Marathon and the Silver Rush 50 Miler, and it was awesome! Handled snow/mud with ease, was lightweight and agile.
What situation would you wear this shoe? For the zinal, it was my race day up to 20 miles, dry weather shoe... Was ok with most terrain i threw at it except for silt like slippery mud. Ground feel and wrap around the foot wasn't as good as the torrent but it had somewhat more cushioning and protection. Now I'm looking for something more stiff when running on the straight with higher stack but still flexible when landing on the sides of the shoe during technical terrain.
Thanks Steven for all of the great content! I got in to one of my bucket list races this year Mount Marathon - would you recommend the Zinal 2 for Mount Marathon??
That’s the ridiculously steep 5k race in Alaska right? If so, man I don’t know what kind of shoe people wear for that. These would probably be good with the built in gaiters. Thanks!
Hey Steven! I just picked up a pair of Torrent 2s. I find it useful for shorter runs of 10 miles or less on non technical trails. Does the Zinal 2 lend itself to the tougher trails exclusively?
I am looking for a good all rounder . I lot of my long distance runs are woodland paths and mud and parts of roads a real mixture . Been looking at so many shoes from hoka to nnormal to adidas ha
@@UltraTrailSteven Caldera 7 and Zegama 2 mostly. There apparently won't be a Speedgoat 6 this year, but maybe a Bondi 9. It's not a trail shoe but maybe they will come up with an ultra cushioned version of the speed goat for next year.
Looks like this could be my shorter distance trail racing shoe! Do you know if they will come in wide widths? I know you're not really a short distance trail racer, but which would you wear for a 10k trail? Tecton or Zinal?
@@UltraTrailSteven OK but honestly, do these fit more like the Speedgoat in the toe box or more like the MafSp4? I know that's a tough call but I'm always on the verge of being cramped into the toebox with Hoka. MafSpeed4 works well for me. Thanks for any insight.
I have not tried the Stinson line, but currently I would say the Speedgoat 5. It is very cushy. The Mafate Speed 4 is also a max cushion shoe, but it doesn't feel as cush; if that makes sense. I prefer the MS4.
@@robertlynn9667 that's the question. Ive been a Hoka guy since day one when we were calling them clown shoes lol, but I have to say I like the Peregrine 13. Ive only done a 6 mile 1500 vert run but will continue to test. I can say traction is not great on wet rock.
@UltraTrailSteven I be interested in trying them. What makes you say they are nothing alike? The gaiter section and overall upper design is almost identical to last years WIldhorse 7.
@@PeteMuzz well the tongue is part of the upper on the Zinal 2, and is sooo much lighter weight than the Wildhorse. The Wildhorse is geared for longer distances too.
This just in folks! Looks like Hoka changed their minds and priced the Zinal 2 at $160!!!
now we're talking !
Love this shoe, so light, comfy and snappy. Wore it on a 50 Mile ultra ARC50. By the end I needed a bit more protection, but for up to Marathon distance over technical hilly terrain it’s amazing.
Yeah this is a perfect 50km shoe in my mind.
I got the original Zinals based on your review and they've been everything I want in a trail shoe. Now I can't wait to try these!
That’s awesome! I hope you’ll like these too!
Hoka is just killing it this year. Love all the updates I’ve seen so far. Thanks for the review, Steven!
Thanks, Nick!
Great review Steven. I just picked up a pair for my run tomorrow.
Question: usually I wear a 10 1/2 in most of my every day wearing shoes and I don’t mind a snug fit on my trail running shoes(or a size 10 with my Solomon S lab Sense 7), but I did go with the size 11 like the one you have I was curious if that your normal go to size are usually smaller than that. Just curious for a baseline & for comparison sake. Thank you!
Size 11 is my normal size.
Great review Steven!!! I think the new stack height measurement is smart. Loving the lighter weight, revamped upper and mid sole. Like you said, it sounds like this shoe would be great for racing. Ugh, that price is a little more than I would like to spend.
Thank you, Sage! It is a fantastic, albeit pricey, shoe.
Zinal is the best Trail shoe i ever had. Far over 1000km in them. Currently running in Catamount 2's but will add the Zinal 2 to my list.
Awesome! The catamount looks like a good shoe too
In my opinion that is the trail shoe of 2023 I put that shoe to the limits for a 6 mile run out of the box and was amazed how it handles wet rocks and crazy down hill runs
It is definitely a contender. I wore it for the Leadville Trail Marathon and the Silver Rush 50 Miler, and it was awesome! Handled snow/mud with ease, was lightweight and agile.
How was the support in the heel, like it seems to be more flexible sock material vs the harder regular type heal?
@@cbb3062 yes it’s definitely more flexible than rigid. It held my heel well and was comfortable.
great review, thx Steven!
Thanks
Would love to see a lace garage otherwise it looks super interesting! Thank you for the review!
Yeah that could be a nice addition
Can't wait to try these! I tried on the original Zinal in the store and wasn't impressed with the fit TBH. But I really like the look of these guys!
Yeah these are great!
Fantastic review thank u
Thanks!
Great review, Thanks
Thanks!
Great review!
Thank you!
What situation would you wear this shoe? For the zinal, it was my race day up to 20 miles, dry weather shoe... Was ok with most terrain i threw at it except for silt like slippery mud. Ground feel and wrap around the foot wasn't as good as the torrent but it had somewhat more cushioning and protection. Now I'm looking for something more stiff when running on the straight with higher stack but still flexible when landing on the sides of the shoe during technical terrain.
Well like I said in the review, these are perfect for technical trail! Great for dry or wet trails (except mud).
They feel more agile and more ground feel than the Torrent 3
Thanks Steven for all of the great content! I got in to one of my bucket list races this year Mount Marathon - would you recommend the Zinal 2 for Mount Marathon??
That’s the ridiculously steep 5k race in Alaska right? If so, man I don’t know what kind of shoe people wear for that. These would probably be good with the built in gaiters. Thanks!
@@UltraTrailSteven that’s the one 😱!!! I know Max King wore the Pulsar SG’s last year. Have you tried those? Are they comparable?
@@joshwolter4918 I have not tried the SG’s. I would think they are pretty comparable though.
Hey Steven! I just picked up a pair of Torrent 2s. I find it useful for shorter runs of 10 miles or less on non technical trails. Does the Zinal 2 lend itself to the tougher trails exclusively?
No they would be fine on any trail. A faster shoe for sure
I am looking for a good all rounder . I lot of my long distance runs are woodland paths and mud and parts of roads a real mixture . Been looking at so many shoes from hoka to nnormal to adidas ha
Maybe check out the Hoka Challenger 7's. Those sound like they would be perfect for that. ruclips.net/video/mmg0ui9cdYE/видео.html
I am thinking these might be great here in humid Florida for heavy sweaters like me.
Yeah they probably would!
Crazy to think that the standard for a Hoka is now about 180. 😢
Still want to try these but damn.
I know! $160 is the $120 of old
They just launched on their website and they seem to still be $160
@@Chase3141 whoa! Nice. The info Hoka gave me said $180
@@Chase3141 I saw, they are top of my list right now at that price once Im ready to get a new shoe.
Does it have a flexible heel counter?
Yes it is fairly flexible
Sizing compared to Mafate speed 4 or speedgoat ? Similar ?
Yep similar sizing.
I advise waiting, other shoe launches in June and July are coming. Unless one really doesn't have a nice shoe right now I would wait.
Depends on which shoe you are waiting for, but these are really nice
@@UltraTrailSteven Caldera 7 and Zegama 2 mostly. There apparently won't be a Speedgoat 6 this year, but maybe a Bondi 9. It's not a trail shoe but maybe they will come up with an ultra cushioned version of the speed goat for next year.
@@Blank-Knight well those are quite different shoes than the Zinal 2, but exciting for more shoes
Looks like this could be my shorter distance trail racing shoe! Do you know if they will come in wide widths? I know you're not really a short distance trail racer, but which would you wear for a 10k trail? Tecton or Zinal?
I did not see any wide widths on the info sheet I was given. I would choose the Zinal 2. It’s just so lightweight and agile.
@@UltraTrailSteven Thanks! Plus its look is going to make you feel fast!
How does it compare with mafate speed 4 in terms of comfort and stability?
More stable and agile than the MS4, but not as cushioned.
Yep that mud is my local terrain for about 9 -10 months of the year! 😞
Yuck no bueno lol
Although it was really muddy today at the Leadville Marathon and they did great!
*now re-calculating shoe budget for June*
Haha these are a good choice
@@UltraTrailSteven OK but honestly, do these fit more like the Speedgoat in the toe box or more like the MafSp4? I know that's a tough call but I'm always on the verge of being cramped into the toebox with Hoka. MafSpeed4 works well for me. Thanks for any insight.
You didn't talk about distance; can this deal with a trail marathon or stretch to a 50k ?
I did mention this a couple of times actually. No issues for 50km in my opinion
What's Hokas "most custioned " trail shoe nowadays?
I have not tried the Stinson line, but currently I would say the Speedgoat 5. It is very cushy. The Mafate Speed 4 is also a max cushion shoe, but it doesn't feel as cush; if that makes sense. I prefer the MS4.
The heel slips on me with Zinal 2, didn't on original Zinal. Curious if others experienced this.
Interesting. I did not.
Would you say the toe box width is the same as version 1 or narrower ?
About the same.
@@UltraTrailSteven awesome Thankyou! Love the review
@@Bypassrunner13 thank you
Do we know the release date?
6/1 like I mentioned in the video. They are out now $160
how does the cushion compare to the Peregrine 13?
More cushion than the Peregrine’s for sure! I like the Zinal 2 much better.
@@UltraTrailSteven Did you try the Peregrine 13 ? Cushion on it is better than original Zinal
@@UltraTrailSteven
Is it $40 better though than the Peregrine?
@@robertlynn9667 that's the question. Ive been a Hoka guy since day one when we were calling them clown shoes lol, but I have to say I like the Peregrine 13. Ive only done a 6 mile 1500 vert run but will continue to test. I can say traction is not great on wet rock.
Isn't that a lot of extra material in the blue upper/tongue? I see it collapsed into itself on the top of your foot
That’s just the single piece upper. It has to be a bit bigger to accommodate a lot of feet. Still feels comfortable
The Zinal 2 looks exactly like a hybrid made from Arcteryx Norvan SL and Salomon Sense 8
I have not tried either of those yet
Is this shoe for ankles that pronate in or is there another shoe that you can recommend?
Are you referring to supination?
@@UltraTrailSteven The Hoka Zinal 2. The one you did the review on.
Haha I miss read your question. My ankles roll in. I’m currently wearing Brook Adrenaline but I like the look of the Hoka.
@@UltraTrailSteven yes
@@anthonyrampino7734 yea these should be just fine. I tend to land on the outer edge of my shoes and roll in ward as well.
Pulsar killer ?
For me, I like them better than the Pulsar. The Pulsar feels like a true half marathon shoe. The Zinal 2 though can do 50km
Looks like a Kaptiva with better cushioning
Sort of
As a heavy mid-packer i stay with speedgoats
Good deal
I love speed goat 5s,,but I find they compact and loose the cushion pretty fast ....I'm comparing with the old versions of trail stinson evos
Is it just me or have hoka clearly stolen/bought and adapted the Nike Wildhorse 7 design?
These really aren’t anything like the Wildhorse
@UltraTrailSteven I be interested in trying them. What makes you say they are nothing alike? The gaiter section and overall upper design is almost identical to last years WIldhorse 7.
@@PeteMuzz well the tongue is part of the upper on the Zinal 2, and is sooo much lighter weight than the Wildhorse. The Wildhorse is geared for longer distances too.
180$$ - that's crazy
It is pricey
They need more orange 🍊
there’s a black and orange colorway, but a bright orange would be nice