HOKA Arahi 9 review

In our view, the HOKA Arahi 9 is built for:

• Runners who need a stable, highly-durable shoe for easy daily miles.
• Heel strikers with overpronation who want reliable support and comfort.
• Those who tried the Arahi 8 and disliked the upper. The redesigned upper is the main change here.

If you put energy return high on your list of priorities, the HOKA Arahi 9 is going to be a major letdown. It's simply not built for speed, and the weight gain over version 8 makes matters worse. Instead, we recommend the ASICS GT 2000 15, which delivers much more bounce while still providing solid support.

We also think that runners with severe overpronation may find the Arahi 9 a bit limited. In that case, the natural step up is the HOKA Gaviota 6.

The HOKA Arahi 9 delivers good shock absorption in both the heel and forefoot, with 138 SA and 108 SA, respectively. These aren't record-breaking numbers, but we found them more than good enough for comfortable daily runs.

HOKA, it's time to move on from CMEVA and give us something better.

Sure, it's clearly a very profitable, cheap-to-manufacture foam for the company, but we found again that it delivers very poor energy return, with 47.0% in the heel and 55.5% in the forefoot. That translates into a dull running experience that never encourages to pick up the pace or use this shoe for anything beyond slow workouts.

HOKA made some big changes with the Arahi 8, bringing it very close to the 40 mm maximalist threshold. With version 9, however, we found that the brand decided to stop adding height, and the stack now sits slightly lower at 38.0 mm.

In our view, this is a good choice for the Arahi. It's a shoe that should feel approachable rather than intimidating, so keeping a reasonable stack height helps maintain that easygoing character.

The forefoot stack is very close to our current lab average at 27.7 mm, which also makes sense given the shock absorption values we recorded earlier.

HOKA is moving many of its shoes away from the traditional 5-mm drop toward a higher 8-mm drop, and the Arahi series is no exception. In fact, we found an even higher 10.3 mm drop here, making the shoe particularly appealing to heel strikers.

The midsole uses an interesting combination of two CMEVA layers with very different softness levels. We found a soft 32.9 AC reading in the lower layer, which helps create plush landings, while the top layer is much firmer at 46.2 AC to provide added support and control.

We also found that, like most EVA-based foams, it doesn't handle cold temperatures particularly well. After 20 minutes in our freezer, the foam became 23% firmer, which can noticeably change the feel in colder conditions.

The geometry of the Arahi 9 has changed slightly compared to version 8, as we found that the rocker now starts a bit later in the forefoot. The heel still features a notable curvature, so that smooth rolling feel remains.

The HOKA Arahi 9 is the widest Arahi we've ever measured in the lab, and we found that its roomy platform is noticeable on foot too.

We recorded a width of 97.0 mm at its broadest point. It's also worth mentioning that the shoe comes in three different width options, although the 2E and especially the 4E versions are limited to fewer colorways.

On the flip side, HOKA once again uses its signature super-tapered toebox shape, which won't suit every foot.

At just 70.5 mm, we found that it provides the snug, locked-in fit you'd expect from a stability shoe, but it can feel seriously cramped for runners with square-shaped feet.

The fit in terms of height is definitely more generous than our previous measurement.

Here, we found 28.9 mm, surpassing our current lab average and allowing us to wiggle our toes with ease.

Some brands, like ASICS, are doing an excellent job of improving traction across their lineup, while HOKA had been lagging slightly behind other leading brands in this area.

However, with the Arahi 9, HOKA improved the score by 0.14 points compared to version 8, reaching a coefficient of friction of 0.64. We found this to be a very solid result that provides good traction on wet roads.

And it must be the new rubber compound HOKA is using, because the outsole design hasn't changed from the previous version. It's still the familiar mix of exposed CMEVA and thick rubber pods that HOKA loves to use across many of its shoes.

Flexibility has improved too. Last year, we found the Arahi 8 a bit too stiff for some runners at 18.3N, whereas the Arahi 9 now sits at a much more reasonable 15.5N, making for a more forgiving ride.

Weight has changed too, and unfortunately, it's not good news. We always appreciated how the Arahi series offered a reasonable weight for its size, but it seems to be losing that advantage now.

This version comes with a substantial 8% weight gain, bringing it up to 9.8 oz (278g).

The Arahi 9 features the series' usual excellent stability. This is mostly due to HOKA's H-Frame technology, where the firmer layer of foam is moulded into an H shape to support both sides of the foot and prevent lateral collapse.

In our view, the Arahi 9 remains a standout for stability among shoes with a similar stack height. And we certainly needed some good news, right?

What is even more impressive is that the Arahi 9 delivers such excellent support without being one of those ultra-rigid running shoes. In fact, it's quite the opposite, as it took only 11.8 Nm of torque to complete our test.

The H-Frame also allowed HOKA to use a fairly average heel counter, scoring 3/5, so runners with sensitive Achilles tendons won't have to deal with excessive stiffness in this area. That's another comfort boost.

The forefoot is a bit broader than average, but by a slimmer margin than you'd expect from a pure stability shoe, measuring 117.3 mm.

We also have to remember that this shoe is designed for runners who need only mild stability, although we think that even most severe overpronators can feel secure with the Arahi 9.

Like most HOKA daily trainers, the heel and midfoot are quite wide, giving the shoe a boxy look. We found solid proof of that in our measurements, with a heel width of 96.0 mm.

The redesigned upper uses a new engineered mesh that's also optimised for stability, providing good lateral support through the sides. It also offers solid durability, as its 3/5 score was enough to pass our test.

We also found no complaints with the heel area, as the lining protecting the plush padding held up well and earned a solid 4/5.

But where we were truly impressed was the outsole durability. The Dremel removed just 0.3 mm of rubber, which is an exceptional result.

The result we found earlier, combined with the 3.5 mm thickness of the outsole rubber, points to excellent durability.

If you usually destroy the outsoles of your shoes, this could be a great pick to squeeze a few extra months out of them before buying a new pair!

The insole is made from the usual recycled foam. No surprises as only a few brands, like Saucony, use a more premium foam here. It also has the expected thickness at 4.4 mm.

The insole is fully removable, so you can swap both in just a few minutes.

HOKA is one of the top brands when it comes to adding reflective elements, often aiming for 360-degree reflectivity. True to that reputation, we found that the Arahi 9 reflects light from the heel and sides, improving visibility in low-light conditions.

HOKA pulled off a clever lacing system here, with punched eyelets on one side and two lace loops on the other to relieve pressure. Most shoes use the same setup on both sides or none at all, but HOKA took a more targeted approach to reduce pressure where it matters most.

We also liked the tongue for its comfort, as the 8.0-mm layer of padding runs from top to bottom. It's a comfort boost, although that extra padding also adds some weight.

The tongue isn't gusseted, which, to be frank, is a letdown no matter how we look at it. At this price point, we expected better.

The heel features HOKA's familiar design, with a small extension that's easy to grab and helps relieve some pressure on the Achilles tendon.

HOKA has raised the price slightly with this update, which we think is hard to justify given the higher weight and disappointing energy return. Moreover, its technology package feels somewhat dated compared to what many competing stability shoes now offer.