Type a shoe name, like Pegasus, Clifton or Kayano.

HOKA Arahi 3

Daily trainer · Stability · Road · 9.1 oz · 32/27mm stack · 5mm drop

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The HOKA Arahi 4 replaced it

How it ranks

The HOKA Arahi 3 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 8 runner reviews and 7 other rated shoes in the Arahi product line.

HOKA Arahi 3

of 5

Decent

70
Overall
70
Cushioning
90
Comfort
80
Value
74
Durability
71
Appearance
59
Confidence

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.

See the product line's history

Confidence

89 High

89

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.

  1. Product line track record
  2. Our ratings
  3. External ratings

What runners say

“Well cushioned and comfortable, yet surprisingly lightweight”
4/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS Dynaflyte 2
“Not the most durable outsole, disappointing given the cost”
4/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v4
“Essentially a slightly-stiffer Clifton for runners needing support”
5/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v3
“Previous pair at 1-year mark has visible wear, fraying of fabric, holes”
4/5 Full review 20 mpw came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 19
“Has the cushioning, support, and speed for an everyday trainer”
5/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v3
“Great comfort and cushioning while keeping it relatively light and airy”
4/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Structure 21
“Cushioning is excellent”
4/5 Full review 20 mpw came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 19
“Heel area seemed to wear away”
4/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS Dynaflyte 2
“Having blister problems on 10-mile runs”
4/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Structure 21
“Not great for tempo runs or interval training”
4/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v4
“Super light with great cushioning”
4/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Structure 21
“I have a wide foot, and still comfortable”
4/5 Full review 20 mpw came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 19
“Very supportive and obviously cushioned”
4/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v4

Prefer this shoe over another

50% 7/14

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 several note it stays light with it.
  • Two reviewers find it comfortable straight out of the box, with no break-in needed.
  • Two reviewers use it for tempo runs and track workouts, while one says it is not great for either.

Cons

  • Durability is among its lowest-rated dimensions at 3.9 out of 5, and three reviewers report the outsole or heel wearing sooner than they expected.
  • One reviewer gets blisters on 10 mile runs and wonders if there is too much room in the toe box, and another finds it a touch loose after break-in.
  • Appearance is its lowest-rated dimension at 3.6 out of 5, and one reviewer dislikes the solid light gray colorway.

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.

Confidence
50 60 70 80 90 100 25 50 75 100

Better Shoes Rating

Arahi 3 rates 70. This shoe has high confidence. See how we rate shoes.

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.

Rating

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.
  • Arahi 8

    2025 · 1 review

    84 Good

    66 Confidence

  • Arahi 7

    2024 · 1 review

    76 Decent

    70 Confidence

  • Arahi 6

    2022 · 38 reviews

    86 Good

    97 Confidence

  • Arahi 5

    2021 · 3 reviews

    71 Decent

    73 Confidence

  • Arahi 4

    2019 · 2 reviews

    66 Below average

    76 Confidence

  • Arahi 3 This shoe

    2019 · 8 reviews

    70 Decent

    89 Confidence

  • Arahi 2

    2017 · 13 reviews

    55 Bottom-tier

    91 Confidence

  • Arahi v1

    2017 · 9 reviews

    57 Bottom-tier

    88 Confidence

Runner Ratings

8 ratings
5/5 3
4/5 5
3/5 0
2/5 0
1/5 0

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight
9.1 oz
Men's / women's
Men's 9.5 oz · Women's 8.6 oz
Release
2019 Q1
MSRP
$130
Stack
32/27mm
Drop
5mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Showing 1–5 of 8 written reviews

Perfect lightweight support

5/5

Overall

If you haven't ran in a high-stack shoe before, it may take some adjustment, but for me the Arahi has been a gamechanger. It's essential a slightly-stiffer Clifton for the runner that needs some support. I have a pair of Clifton 5s that tend to aggravate some muscle injuries I've had forever. The Arahi is the first shoe that has the cushioning, support, and speed necessary to be an everyday trainer for me. I've ditched the rotation. No longer need the cushioned/supportive shoes for long and easy days and something lighter and more responsive for tempo days--all I need is the Arahi and a racing shoe now.

Anonymous runner · Jan 3, 2020

45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v3

Comfort
5/5
Cushioning
5/5
Durability
4/5
Appearance
4/5
Value
5/5

Hoka One One Arahi 3 Review

4/5

Overall

On my first few runs it was obviously noticeable that the shoe was well cushioned and very comfortable. Despite this it was surprisingly lightweight. This meant that I felt comfortable wearing it not only for easy runs, but for tempo runs and track workouts as well. After a few months of being my all-round go-to trainer, the heel area seemed to wear away. I was already thinking it was time for a new pair of shoes, but this confirmed my inkling as they became a bit uncomfortable to wear. All in all I think it was a great shoe and would like to get it again in the future, hopefully for a slightly lower price.

Anonymous runner · Dec 30, 2019

50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS Dynaflyte 2

Comfort
4/5
Cushioning
4/5
Durability
3/5
Appearance
4/5
Value
4/5

Lightweight and cushioned, but not necessarily comortable

4/5

Overall

Hoka Arahi 3 felt great out of the box. Super light and felt like great cushioning. I slowly worked them in using short runs until felt good to try them on a long run. I've done a couple 10 mile runs with them and am having blister problems. I'm not sure if it's because too much room in the toe box, if I need to experiment with different lacing, or if they just aren't right for me. But for that issue, I would really like them.

Anonymous runner · Aug 12, 2019

20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Structure 21

Comfort
3/5
Cushioning
4/5
Durability
4/5
Appearance
3/5
Value
4/5

Hoka One Arahi

4/5

Overall

Good, comfortable shoe. Cuhioning is excellent. I have a wide foot, and still comfortable, maybe even a touch loose after break-in. The latest color I am wearing is a solid light gray, not the most attractive nor good match with my other running attire which is mostly darker colored. Previous version was navy/orange - definitely better. I keep shoes after they reach end of running life to wear as every day casual/walking shoes. The Arahi has held up pretty well, my previous pair is hitting the 1-year mark but has some visible wear, particularly inside - fraying of fabric, holes etc, but they have many miles on them so reflect my choice to keep wearing. The comfort makes them worth well worth it.

Anonymous runner · Aug 10, 2019

20 mpw came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 19

Comfort
5/5
Cushioning
5/5
Durability
4/5
Appearance
3/5
Value
4/5

Hoka Arahi

4/5

Overall

Very supportive and obviously cushioned. Comfortable right of the box; no wear-in time needed. Great for overdistance and some faster running. Not great for tempo runs or interval training. Not the most durable outsole, which given the cost is disappointing. If you need a supportive cushioning, consider this shoe.

Anonymous runner · Aug 9, 2019

20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo v4

Comfort
4/5
Cushioning
5/5
Durability
4/5
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.

Current shoe
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Reference shoe
Lightest / Newest
Lowest price / Best overall / Best comfort
Shoe properties
Type
Daily trainer
Daily trainer
Daily trainer
Pronation
Stability
Stability
Neutral
Weight
9.1 oz
8.8 oz Lightest
9.9 oz
Stack
32/27mm
39/31mm
40/35mm
Drop
5mm
8mm
4mm
Release
2019 Q1
2025 Q3 Newest
2022 Q3
MSRP
$130
$150
$165
Best price
—
$117
$95 Lowest price
Ratings
Overall
70 Decent
84 Good
99 Exceptional Best overall
Comfort
80 Good
82 Good
99 Exceptional Best comfort
Cushioning
90 Very good
89 Good
99 Exceptional Best cushioning
Durability
71 Decent
76 Decent
97 Exceptional Best durability
Appearance
59 Bottom-tier
66 Below average
75 Decent Best appearance
Value
74 Decent
74 Decent
77 Decent Best value rating
Specific shoe

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