Hoka vs. Oofos: Who Makes the Best Recovery Shoe?

Recovery shoes are a footwear item you might never think about at all until you wake up some time after your 20s and realize your gym sessions are staying with you a lot longer than they used to. Unless you’re a serious runner or otherwise big on foot-pounding athletic endeavors, you might never know the world of recovery shoes until, one day, it’s all you can do not to throw away what you own and replace it all with Comfort Shoes.

I have been wearing a variety of recovery shoes as my house shoes since stubbing my toes one too many times while cleaning my apartment working from home. A few years ago, I had what is called lace bite, which is when you tie your workout shoes too tight like a big idiot and irritate your tendons. My PT recommended I walk at home in Oofos slides to keep the pressure off my foot and prevent any weird foot compensation. I have liked them. I, however, have not worn them outside on the great streets of New York City, and I probably never will.

Hoka’s Restore TC shoe promises similar foot-relieving recovery but in more of a full-shoe form. It has Hoka’s beloved midsole cushion but is done with a laceless knit upper. It’s not a toe-exposing slide but not quite a sneaker either. Our opinions about it are equally as ambivalent.

The slides are very easy

The benefits and drawbacks of Oofos are really all laid out there right out of the box. They are anatomically correct slides that support your feet, absorb walking impact, and don’t take up too much room. They are lightweight, easy to clean, and, best of all, 60 bucks. For an easy recovery shoe that does everything it’s meant to (and, so far, for years to come), it’s a no-brainer.

That said, it is a foam slide. I live in a city, and I would rather die than expose my toes to the streets, so I don’t wear these outside. I also feel like they would be easily ruined by a stray nail or glass shard. If I had, say, my own driveway or backyard or drove around mostly in a car, I could see them making the occasional IDGAF appearance.

Oofos OOahh Slide Sandal

But the Hokas are more like real shoes

Now, the Hoka shoes are more like a real shoe with a top and everything. This speaks to me, as someone who is going outside with toes covered. It also feels gentler on certain foot and joint ailments. The Oofos slide, though it sits close to your foot, still requires a bit of flop when you’re walking. If you have any active arch, heel, or ankle pain, I’m not sure how good that would feel for out-of-house walking. The Hokas don’t have this problem.

The Hokas are nice because they’re easy to slip on. These are shoes to throw on for a dog walk, grocery run, or commute to the gym. They feel substantial enough to tread outside, and it doesn’t feel like any stray sidewalk stuff would do much damage. They are, however, a bit stiffer than you might expect. That makes them more supportive for longer stretches of time, but they don’t have that cloudlike instep that some other Hokas do.

HOKA Restore

I really think it depends what protection you need

In my most honest opinion, I think if you’ve got the funds and the spirit for two recovery shoes, there’s a world where you can buy and use both of these. I really don’t think one performs better than the other, necessarily. I do think it depends what you’re looking for. For a house shoe, or something supremely cushy on the joints, it’s Oofos. For a sidewalk shoe, or something for pain around the foot and ankle that needs some more support, it’s the Hokas. And for the most recovered feet of all, it is both.

Oofos OOahh Slide Sandal

HOKA Restore