Hoka Ora vs Oofos Slides: Check 5 differences Before Buying

Looking for comfy slides to wear off duty? We have the perfect choices and suggestions for you in this comparison article.

The comfort of your feet is necessary at all times. Having comfortable office shoes, work shoes, or sports is not enough. You need to have comfortable footwear even when you are relaxing at your home.

Unfortunately, slides are often neglected when it comes to discussion about comfortable shoes. In this article, you will learn how to choose the best slides for yourself. We will give you a comparison of the two most soft and durable slides: the Hoka Ora, and Oofos Recovery Slides.

Hoka One One Slide Overview: An Athletic Recovery Slide Built for Performance

The Hoka Ora Slide is one of the best pairs of slides that you need after a long run or tiring race. If you spend most of your day in sports shoes, then the Hoka Ora slide is the best athletic recovery slide for you. It will give your feet the needed comfort and support after long days of training or games. Hoka provides different levels of cushioning, support, and stability in their models. The Hoka Ora recovery slides are a cushioned shoe model of Hoka that helps your feet recover.

Innovative Design Features:

The design of Hoka Ora Slides is athletic and functional.

The Hoka Ora slides are shaped by the combination of an oversized midsole with a Metarocker. It has a soft top layer EVA that maximizes comfort as you step in the slides.The meta rocker makes the ride smoother. It propels your feet forward with much ease.

It only weighs 6.4 oz that’s enough lightweight to make you feel flying. There is no added support technology. It has a symmetrical cushion bed to provide a neutral level of stability.

The outsole has strategic groove placement that provides traction to your feet.

The plush cushioning and a softer top layer give extra comfort to the shoes. The midsole and outsole are resilient providing durability for all-day.

Pros and Cons:

The pros outnumber the cons when it comes to wearing Hoka Ora Slides.

The wide upper of the Hoka Ora Slides covers most of the dorsum of your foot for better support and fit. This feature keeps your foot locked inside the shoe. On the downside, it lacks the arch support required for recovery in case of flat feet or high-arched feet.

The grooves and ridges keep the foot tight and prevent slipping in the slides.

EVA provides shock-absorbing properties. It protects your feet, joints, muscles, and bones from ground reaction forces.

These are best for use in summer because of the open-toed design.

You can use it during rain, in the shower, in the swimming pool, at the beach, or anywhere you go because it is waterproof.

Oofos slides overview: A Therapeutic Recovery Slide Focused on All-Day Comfort

The Oofos slides are made for recovery. They are comfortable and protect your feet against the ground reaction forces.

The brand itself works intending to recover your feet. Oofos has a high reputation in the footwear market. That’s why many famous people wear and appreciate their shoes. These include sportsmen, veterans, runners, and others who have inspiring stories.

Angela Naeth is a professional triathlete. She thinks that Oofos is a part of active recovery after a full-length marathon run. She also says that weaning Oofos made her gait feel fluid and smooth. She further shares that her body felt lighter.

Revolutionary Recovery Technology:

OOfos Ooahh recovery slides give real recovery to your feet. It has a patented OOfoam technology. The OOfoam absorbs 37% more ground reaction forces than other soles. This makes the OOfo’s perfect shoes for recovery.

For supporting the foot arches, Oofos has a patented footbed. It cradles your feet and reduces the force exerted by the calf muscles at the ankle joint. The impact reduction is 47% when compared to other similar shoes. It also reduces the impact on other weight-bearing joints.

These two technologies make your walk much easier and make your recovery faster.

Hence your muscles feel less fatigue during walking in Oofos slides.

You can wear the Oofos recovery slides any time, but they are most helpful when you have a training day. After a long day of staying on your feet, you can switch to the most comfortable slides that soothe your feet. These slides relax your entire leg muscles.

Pros and Cons:

The Oofos slides are machine washable due to their closed-cell foam.

The foam cuts odor making them perfect for wearing during summer when sweat can make your feet smell bad. But no more with Oofos!

The only con is that Oofo’s recovery slides are pricy compared to other casual slides. But with the presence of the recovery technology, the price pays off its value very well.

Having healthy feet can prevent you from many foot injuries that are even more costly to heal.

Hoka Ora vs Oofos: 5 Key differences

1. Cushioning and Support

The Hoka and Oofos slides both have cushioned soles. The difference is that the Hoka midsole is wider, thicker, and stiffer than the Oofose midsole. The Hoka Ora provides a responsive bounce while walking due to the stiffer midsole. Oofos has narrower and shorter midsoles made with a softer material. The midsole of Oofos provides a springy rebound while walking.

The smooth springy rebound of the Oofos makes them perfect for foot pain. It works to treat heel pain, metatarsal pain, and overpronated ankle-foot biomechanics. The Hoka slides are best for athletic recovery. They have a stiffer rebound that stimulates foot blood flow. Athletes need such shoes after spending a long day in other sports shoes.

Both pairs have medial arch support that offloads the heels and toes. This component provides efficient recovery and relaxation.

The Hoka slides have a more pronounced Metarocker and a deeper heel cup in the front. It is a must for smooth step-by-step transitioning. It further enhances the stability of the Hoka pair and gives it a plus point with the heel cradling deep cup.

2. Traction and Durability: Ready for Daily Wear and Tear

Hoka Ora is much more durable than Oofos. It also provides better traction due to the griping rubber outsole.

The outsole of Oofos is continuous with the midsole and upper. The whole shoe is in one piece without any joints. It is wholly made of the same material. Whereas the Hoka slides have a separate midsole and outsole.

The outsole in Oofos slides is only slightly curved upward near the forefoot. It creates a rocker effect. But it is not as efficient as the traditional early-stage meta rocker of the Hoka slides.

The outsole platform of Oofos is slim compared to the Hoka Ora. The Hoka Ora Slides have a thicker, much wider outsole platform that’s also more visible.

Oofos slides have a large central groove and a few less prominent flex grooves. The Central groove separates the heel from the rest of the shoes. In Hoka Ora, we can see the many prominent flex groves for traction. Hence Hoka provides more traction and seems much more durable than Oofos.

3. Oofos vs Hoka One One for Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of the plantar fascia. Plantar fascia is a thick band covering the undersurface of your foot. It gets inflamed due to overuse, wearing uncomfortable shoes, or any other foot injury. A person having plantar fasciitis will feel stabbing pain in the foot.

Ideal shoes for treating plantar fasciitis have these components,

• Soft and smooth insole
• Metatarsal pads
• Extra cushioning
• Medial arch support
• Deep heel cups

Basically, everything that provides comfort and shock absorption is all you need.

Both the pairs work well in the condition because of their characteristic features.

The Oofos recovery slides have a softer plush insole that helps in pain relief. The medial arch support and a contoured footbed take the weight from your heel and forefoot. These features help the plantar fascia to stretch and relax.

You can see the following reviews of clients happy with the Oofos use for plantar fasciitis.

The Hoka Ora slides recover the pain with its molded EVA midsole. The midsole protects your feet against the ground reaction forces. It also has a deep heel cup and early-stage meta rocker to make easy step-by-step transitions. Muscle work is also lesser with this meta-rocker component. The people who used Hoka Ora for plantar fasciitis and other foot problems are much happier.

The Oofos is suitable for plantar fascia pain because it is softer and more cushioned than the Hoka Ora. Breaking in a new pair of Oofos slides is much more comfortable compared to Hoka Ora. Oofos are also lighter in weight, weighing only 4.6 oz compared to the Hoka which weighs 6.4 oz.

4. Style and Color Options: From Sporty to Sleek

The Hoka Ora comes with a more bulky and sporty look. The color combinations of the men’s and women’s shoes are athletic.

The Oofos recovery slides are much sleek in design making them go with every outfit at home or outside. It has more color variety in both men and women models. Oofos for men has 5 colors and for women, it has 8 colors all of which are unique.

When it comes to Hoka Ora, they would look better when worn with sportswear dresses. Oofos are so sleek and versatile that they go well with sportswear as well as other casual wear clothes.

The Hoka Ora looks much more stylish because of the groove appearance on the sole and the Upper has of 7 strips. Oofos looks a bit simple and casual. It has fewer ridges and a single strap in the upper with a narrow slit in the mid giving it the appearance of two straps.

With the sporty look and the wider soles, Hoka is best for wider feet. Because the Oofos are relatively narrower.

5. Pricing: Worth the Investment for All-Day Recovery

Oofos are more expensive than the Hoka Ora slides at the time. But it is also worth the value for money because of the therapeutic effects of the Oofos features.

The price difference between both is very low to affect the decision making. In general, both are good value for money as they give you the essential features for recovery. Both have EVA technology, a support system, traction grooves, and a resilient midsole. These features make both pairs better than other plastic-made slides.

How to Choose Your Perfect Pair between Hoka ora vs. Oofos

Matching Your Lifestyle and Needs:

Your perfect pair depends on your lifestyle. It is because your daily life activities determine the recovery needs of your feet.

If you are a sports person, then your feet are under extreme functional load. In such a scenario, you must choose the Hoka Ora pair of slides. Because they have neutral stability and plush cushioning to provide relief. Hoka Ora provides your feet with enough recovery after high-intensity training or games. Athletes with normal foot alignment only need a rest from the ground reaction forces. This rest is achievable with the Hoka Ora.

But, if you have fallen arches, plantar fasciitis, or heel spur then you must go for the Oofos. Because of their therapeutic recovery feature, Oofos deals with biomechanical malaligned feet. Its therapeutic patented sole is soft. It has a medial arch support for releasing the tension developed in your feet. As you already know by now the recovery features of Oofos are therapeutic in nature. Compared to that, Hoka Ora has more athletic recovery features.

Try Before You Buy:

Getting your perfect size is of utmost importance for greater comfort and recovery. It is better that you try your pair of slides before purchasing them. Get a pair that fits in size and contours your foot shape. You must feel that the shoes are supporting your feet rather than being a burden on your feet. When shopping for slides, I make sure my heel and big toe are both inside the sole and not touching its edges. I also move my foot at various angles and bear equal weight on both legs to understand how balanced the pair is. You can always try and exchange your Hoka and Oofos slides if they don’t fit.

Are Hoka Ora vs. Oofos easy to clean between wears?

Yes, both pairs are easy to clean between wear. Oofos slides are machine washable whereas Hoka Ora are not. You can clean Hoka ora with a wet cloth or wash them with water but not in a machine. You can also not use any bleaching agent on these shoes. Using soap is fine for both pairs.

The Verdict:

There are many similarities and differences in the features of the Hoka Ora and Oofos slides. You can use the Hoka Ora for athletic recovery due to its stiffer midsole and rebound capacity. Whereas, Oofos is best for foot pain, plantar fasciitis, heel spur, and metatarsalgia. Hoka is grippier than the Oofos on the ground because of the strategic groove arrangement on the outsole. Oofos are lighter in weight because Hoka Ora has an extra weight from the thicker outer shell and sporty design.