Hoka Transport GTX review

In our opinion, the Hoka Transport GTX is a must to consider if you are in search of the following:

• a warm and waterproof shoe for getting around the city in cold and wet weather
• a durable and wear-resistant shoe that lasts well over one season
• a well-cushioned and stable platform to keep you going all day

The shoe's waterproof membrane limits its use to low temperatures and wet conditions. Otherwise, it's just not worth paying the extra $25 for Gore-Tex to toast your feet when you get an all-season base model - the Hoka Transport.

And if you wish there was a lighter, cushier, and cozier waterproof shoe from Hoka, the Cifton 9 GTX is right up your alley! And it's $15 cheaper.

On paper, the Hoka Transport GTX is supposed to be a heavily cushioned model with 37 mm of stack height in the heel and 32 mm in the forefoot (for ladies, it should be 36 mm and 28 mm, respectively).

But when we first tried this Hoka shoe, its cushioning did not feel as bottomless as we expected. That's why we cut shoes in half and use a caliper to double-check the official specs.

And just as we suspected, the tool showed a lower heel stack reading of 34.8 mm. But it's only 2.2 mm less than stated, why doesn it feel like the difference is bugger? Let's have a look at the forefoot stack...

We measured the shoe's forefoot stack at only 25.1 mm! This is 6.9 mm less than promised! Wow... It is even lower than stated in the women's version (28 mm).

Perhaps the brand has a different approach to measuring stack height but we always follow the same protocol following the World Athletics regulations.

But let us be very clear - the Hoka Transport GTX still offers a good deal of cushioning and impact protection for all-day wear. The problem lies in the discrepancy between what's stated in the specs and what's experienced on foot.

Considering the shoe's lower-than-expected forefoot stack, its heel-to-toe drop is sure to be lower as well.

Instead of the official 5 mm offset for men (and 8 mm for women), our caliper measurements returned 9.7 mm - almost 50% taller than stated.

Even though most people don't notice the drop in their walking shoes, those who are used to lower-drop shoes might feel the difference.

With heel stack and drop discrepancies out of the way, let's talk about how comfortable the shoe's midsole actually feels!

Its cushioning foam has a moderately soft nature with a good amount of give. Pressing a Shore A durometer against it returned 20.6 HA which is indeed slightly softer than the average (by approximately 20%).

Our wear tests also confirmed that the Hoka Transport GTX is excellent for spending long hours on hard urban surfaces like asphalt, concrete, and even cobblestone.

But do expect the shoe to gain some firmness in cold weather. Considering that it is a waterproof GTX shoe, it is safe to assume that it is going to be worn in lower temperatures.

Having kept the Transport GTX in the freezer for 20 minutes, we repeated the durometer measurement and got a higher reading of 24.8 HA which indicates a 20.1% increase in firmness.

Luckily, even the post-freezer midsole measurement proved that this Hoka shoe is softer than the competition.

There is nothing spectacular about the shoe's insole but it does its job well. Measuring its thickness in the heel, we found that it's a bit thinner than average at 4.4 mm.

Even though the Hoka Transport GTX comes with an added layer of waterproofing, our gel mold shows that it doesn't compromise the fit!

Once the mold got jellified, we grabbed a caliper to measure its widest area (under the big toe and the pinky). With a reading of 95.4 mm, we found that the Transport GTX is right on par with the average!

And it doesn't even taper so much towards the toes. Repeating the caliper measurement in the narrower part of the mold (where the big toe normally sits), we got 72.6 mm which is also equal to the average.

The shoe's toebox height showed a standard reading of 26.0 mm and the rubberized mudguard didn't feel constricting on top of our toes either.

The Quick-toggle lace is the Hoka Transport GTX's default lacing system. In simple words, it is a bungee cord with an adjustable toggle.

This setup is very quick and easy to customize and you have the option to tuck the excess lace under the elastic garage on the tongue.

And if you're not a fan of the Quick-toggle, you can swap it for a pair of normal laces that come in the box.

Its sturdy and stiff-ish build was among the first things we noticed about the Hoka Transport GTX. While this can be a push-off for people who want plushness and ease on their feet, we think that folks in search of a more stable ride will appreciate the rigidity.

While the Transport GTX is not marketed as a stability shoe (like the Hoka Arahi or Gavoita), we think it could work for people with mild overpronation. Look how well it controls the backs of our feet and ankles in the lateral stability test above.

The shoe's impressive torsional rigidity plays a key role in its stability.

As our manual test above shows, it is nearly impossible to twist the Hoka Transport GTX with bare hands.

Thus, we readily gave it the highest stiffness score of 5 out of 5.

The back of this Hoka shoe also held our feet rather firmly in the rearfoot.

First of all, its midsole topline extends fairly high up embracing the base of the foot into a firm cradle.

Secondly, its heel counter has enough stiffness (3 out of 5) to prevent the heel from shifting around uncontrollably.

Another important stability factor is the platform width and we found it to be reasonably wide in the Hoka Transport GTX.

The widest area of the shoe's sole returned 112.5 mm on our caliper which is on par with the walking shoe average.

We were surprised at the more streamlined shape of this Hoka shoe's sole. That's because we've come to expect insanely chunky platforms from Hoka - think Clifton LS (122.8 mm) or Bondi SR (124.1 mm).

Checking the widest part of the Transport GTX in the heel, our caliper showed a slightly wider-than-average measurement of 93.0 mm.

The extra few millimeters don't bulk up the shoe but add a welcome touch of steadiness.

As we already mentioned, the Hoka Transport GTX feels a bit stiffer than a typical walking shoe and it continues to show in our lab test results.

In a longitudinal stiffness test, it took 25.3N to bend the shoe to a 90-degree angle according to our force gauge. That's 20% more than it takes on average. We believe that the stiffness comes from both the tough Cordura upper and the structured sole.

But what is it that helps this Hoka shoe feel smoother on the walk? It comes in a slightly rockered shape!

This shoe geometry has taken over the running shoe industry and is now spreading among walking shoes like wildfire (think Nike Motiva and KEEN WK400). It offers the benefit of quicker and easier heel-to-toe transitions because it feels as though the shoe is pushing (or rocking) you forward.

Do keep in mind that the stiffness of the Hoka Transport GTX will increase as the temperatures drop.

After being exposed to the penguin conditions of our freezer for 20 minutes, the shoe required 24.5% more force to bend it compared to the room temperature measurement.

Unfortunately, added durability and waterproofing come with a compromise in weight and the Hoka Transport GTX outweighs its base model by almost an ounce.

Tipping the scale at 11.6 oz (330g), the shoe turns out to be 2 ounces heavier than the industry average.

It doesn't feel particularly heavy on foot but if you are coming from Hoka's Bondi or Clifton shoes, you are going to feel the difference. And the Transport GTX's stiff upper material doesn't help to make it feel lighter.

We already found the original Hoka Transport to be quite warm and didn't expect its waterproof GTX version to be any more breathable.

Pumping smoke through the shoe's upper material, we saw NONE of it pass through the toebox compared to the airy mesh shoe on the right. But that shouldn't come as a surprise because this Hoka shoe's upper is made of a tough Cordura weave on top of the GTX membrane.

Examining the Cordura fabric under the microscope, we found it to be identical to the one used on the base model.

Super tough and tightly woven, it complements Gore-Tex in keeping moisture at bay. But it also keeps breathability at the lowest possible score - 1 out of 5.

Extensively used in performance and military apparel, Cordura is one of the strongest nylon-based fabrics out there. But is it just as strong on the Hoka Transport GTX?

We put a sandpaper tip on our Dremel and set the speed to 5K RPM to test that out. 

We make sure that the Dremel pressure remains consistent at 3.2N for the entire 12-second period.

Assessing the scuff left by the tool, we rated the shoe's toebox durability with a solid 4 out of 5. One point was subtracted for the messy threads but they didn't compromise the shoe's waterproofing or upper integrity because it was not a full-on tear.

Add a protective overlay around the shoe's forefoot to the equation and you've got some of the most wear-resistant uppers for rocking the concrete jungle.

The strength of the interior material is equally important for saving the shoe's waterproofing capacity. We applied our Dremel to the most abrasion-prone area inside the shoe - the heel padding.

After 4 seconds of drilling at 5K RPM speed, we saw a very minor scratch which didn't seem to affect the shoe's lifespan. Thus, the shoe's heel padding durability got a high score of 4 as well.

Along with its bulletproof upper, the Hoka Transport GTX also features a very strong Vibram rubber outsole.

Pressing our Shore C durometer against it, we got an above-average firmness of 81.0 HC. That's a pretty firm compound for a walking shoe because in many cases, brands just leave the midsole foam exposed in this footwear category.

Applying our Dremel to the shoe's rubber compound, we also found it to be notably sturdier than average.

Having ramped up the speed to 10K RPM and extended the drilling time to 22 seconds, we nodded in approval when the rubber refused to give in. The tool failed to burn a dent deeper than 1.0 mm!

It will surely take longer to wear through a thicker layer of hard rubber. That's why we were glad to find that the outsole on the Transport GTX is 3.4 mm thick.

All in all, this Hoka shoe proves to have a notably more durable construction than a typical walking sneaker. Even if you use it for commuting on a daily basis or expand your geography to include some light trails, the Transport GTX is there to last you a good while.

As a warm waterproof shoe, the Hoka Transport GTX was designed for facing a great deal of puddles, slush, and city dirt. There is a good reason why it comes with moderately deep and multi-directional lugs.

We would not recommend taking this shoe on a backcountry hike on soft and muddy terrain but for wet city pavements and slightly muddy park trails, the grip of the Hoka Transport GTX is just perfect.

No matter how late you're coming back home from work, the Hoka Transport GTX will keep you safe and visible in low-light conditions. Its 360-degree reflectivity elements are much bigger than the ones we normally see on walking shoes (if there are any to begin with).

The in-shoe comfort of the Transport GTX is provided through its reasonably padded collar and tongue.

We measured the thickness of the latter at 5.3 mm which is standard for a walking shoe.

To serve the highest level of water protection, any serious waterproof shoe must have a gusseted tongue to prevent moisture from seeping inside.

The Transport GTX features a semi-gusseted setup (aka the Invisible Fit) to close the gaps between the tongue and the shoe quarters.

Finally a shoe with a finger loop that's big enough to actually fit a finger (or two)!

We found it nice and handy when getting this Hoka shoe on.

The stock insole of this Hoka shoe is easy to remove in case you want to enhance the cushioning.

Hoka is one of those brands that strive towards making more sustainable products. It's nice to see that many parts of the Transport GTX are made with ethically sourced materials including:

• the primary Cordura mesh (100% recycled polyester)
• the Gore-Tex face fabric (70% recycled polyester)
• EVA midsole (35% sugarcane)
• Vibram EcoStep Recycle EVO outsole (30% regrind recycled rubber)
• tongue and collar lining (100% recycled)
• sockliner (50% soy-based)