Mildly supportive cushy distance trainer
5/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Jul 19, 2019
55 mpw training for a marathon came from the Brooks Ravenna 7
- Comfort
- 4/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 5/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 4/5
HOKA Arahi 2
Daily trainer · Stability · Road · 8.9 oz · 5mm drop
Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The HOKA Arahi 3 replaced it
How it ranks
The HOKA Arahi 2 trails most daily trainers in our data. Cushioning and comfort are its strongest sub-ratings. Looks scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating is based on 13 runner reviews and 7 other rated shoes in the Arahi product line.
Bottom-tier
Confidence
How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence is low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.
Confidence
91 High
Based on
The bars show roughly how much each source contributes to this shoe’s rating. Their influence depends on how many reviews we’ve collected, how many earlier versions are in the product line, and the external ratings available.
- Product line track record
- Our ratings
- External ratings
What runners say
“Close to 700 miles and still have life left”
“Heels ripped up after 100 miles and dig into heels”
“Maximum cushion in a super light shoe”
“Very well cushioned but not so soft you feel like running on a sponge”
“Super light and comfortable with modicum of stability”
“Over 600 miles out of each pair”
“Run small once you get into size 14 and up”
“The opposite of a minimalist; it's maxed out”
“Material on top started coming apart almost immediately”
“Solid mix of cushioning, stability and fairly light weight protects chronic injuries”
“Most consistent training of my adult life in them”
“High stack height makes it dangerous on technical trails”
“Not as soft as Bondis, usable for more than just easy runs”
“Fit rather narrow and caused blisters”
“Too much sliding, can't lock the shoe down properly”
“Provides the cushion I like with the support I need”
“Not much cushion in heel—walking in a daze after hard effort takes getting used to”
“Wide option is comfortable and upper lasts longer”
“Wears down without encountering an edge”
“Support post is mighty”
“Probably too much support for me”
“Could stand to have more ventilation”
Prefer this shoe over another
40% 4/10
Where to buy
No offers available
Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.
Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.
Pros
- Reviewers rate cushioning 4.8 out of 5, and four say it is cushioned without being so soft it is unusable for tempos.
- Four reviewers call it light for a stability shoe, and two credit it with keeping chronic leg trouble away.
- One of thirteen reviewers so far gets over 600 miles per pair.
Cons
- Reviewers rate durability 3.9 out of 5, and two report the upper or heel collar coming apart, one at about 100 miles.
- Three of thirteen reviewers so far record it as running small or big, and two report sliding or heel rubbing.
- One of thirteen reviewers so far says the high stack makes it risky on technical trails.
Rating & Confidence vs. other shoes for sale
Each dot is one rated shoe for sale, placed by its rating and by how much evidence sits behind it. Shoes toward the top right are both well rated and well established.
Better Shoes Rating
Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the HOKA Arahi
Each dot is one version of the Arahi, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.
Release year
-
2025 · 1 review
84 Good
66 Confidence
-
2024 · 1 review
76 Decent
70 Confidence
-
2022 · 38 reviews
86 Good
97 Confidence
-
2021 · 3 reviews
71 Decent
73 Confidence
-
2019 · 2 reviews
66 Below average
76 Confidence
-
2019 · 8 reviews
70 Decent
89 Confidence
-
Arahi 2 This shoe
2017 · 13 reviews
55 Bottom-tier
91 Confidence
-
2017 · 9 reviews
57 Bottom-tier
88 Confidence
Specs & fit
Sizing and ride details at a glance.
- Weight
- 8.9 oz
- Men's / women's
- Men's 9.5 oz · Women's 8.3 oz
- Release
- 2017 Q4
- MSRP
- $130
- Drop
- 5mm
Runner reviews
The most comfortable
4/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Jul 10, 2019
45 mpw came from the HOKA Arahi v1
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 4/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 5/5
Tons of cushion. Maybe too stable?
3/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Jul 8, 2019
16 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 13
- Comfort
- 3/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 3/5
- Value
- 4/5
So. Soft.
4/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Jul 3, 2019
30 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Structure 20
- Comfort
- 4/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 4/5
Heel rubbing
4/5
Overall
Smiles_0902 · Jun 7, 2019
30 mpw training for middle distance
- Comfort
- 3/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 3/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 4/5
Alternatives
Other shoes worth considering.
More from HOKA
Compared to other shoes
See how this shoe compares to others like it.
HOKA Arahi 2 In Context
More on the HOKA Arahi
- HOKA Arahi 8
- HOKA Arahi 7
- HOKA Arahi 6
- HOKA Arahi 5
- HOKA Arahi 4
- HOKA Arahi 3 next version
- HOKA Arahi v1 previous version
Reviewers Also Ran In
- HOKA Arahi v1 2 runners
- Nike Air Zoom Structure 20 1 runner
- HOKA Stinson 1 runner