I was able to find a nice pair of Hoka Rincon 1s on Ebay in my size. They are actually a women's size 8.5, which is equivalent to a mens 7. My first workout in these, I tried them on track and turf.
The yardstick I give for all comparisons is the Clifton 1. These are the greatest running shoes I've ever trained in. Light, soft, protective, flexible, and springy.
From reviews, the Hoka Rincon 1 was highly regarded. The Rincon 2 was similar but slightly heavier with a different upper, so I'm happy I got the Rincon 1s. Despite these are women's shoes, I really dig the color and appearance of these. They call this color, "Lunar Rock / Nimbus Cloud" - white on the outside, striped blue inside:
Fit and feel
The fit and feel of these shoes is good. They came with a heavy stiff after market insole which I later replaced so I think they'll be even more comfortable the next time. The mesh upper is light and airy, and locks down nice and tight. I thought there was more than enough room in the toe box, so much I had to take up the laces in the forefoot.
Specs and construction
These weigh almost exactly 7 oz in my size, just a gram or 2 lighter than the Clifton 1s, likely due to the very light Saucony insoles I put in. (The Clifton 3 insole weighs 9 grams more than the Saucony insole). With the stock insole, I think these may be actually slightly heavier than the Clifton's. Still stunningly light.
The foam sole feels a little stiffer and less spongy than the Clifton 1s. Much of this is due to the fact the Clifton 1s have diagonal creases all the way up to the forefoot which aid in the 'give' of the sole where I impact the most: the outer forefoot. You can see just 2 such creases on the Rincon, but they are below the heel and center.
You can see these flex points on the Clifton 1 clearly as they appear as black diagonal stripes on the side of the sole.
The Rincon seems to have a forefoot cushion about the same thickness as the Clifton 1, 24mm. And remarkably, like the Clifton 1, has a few patches of exposed EVA foam not covered by a layer of rubber tread. These soft foam patches are right under my main foot strike area, which is nice. Nevertheless, the Clifton 1 foam seems softer. In an effort to prolong the life of my Clifton 1s, I covered the exposed EVS foam areas with Shoe Goo, a liquid rubber. Not sure I'll do that with the Rincons, I'll see how they wear. The width of the forefoot measures about the same as the Clifton although the tread pattern is quite different.
Performance
The Rincons seem a little stiffer and perhaps more responsive in top speed and acceleration than the Clifton 1s. With the Rincons, I ran a hard rolling 100m at the end of my workout in 12.4, which was quite fast for me. The traction seems really great. I think these will be best for short low volume workouts and maybe some time trials where I don't want to wear spikes. I will probably prefer the softer Clifton 1s for the bulk of my workouts. I still have Clifton 3s for some high volume stuff. These are a little heavier, wider, more durable for running hills on the road, over distance, etc. The Clifton 3s are about an ounce heavier than the Clifton 1s. I use the Clifton 3s for warmups and biking.
Verdict
These shoes are keepers. I am really impressed with the lightness, cushion, fit, and performance. I'll be using these on speed days. They'll probably soften up a bit as I use them. Although used, there is no wear in my area of foot strike. At 7 ounces, they weigh the same as the Nike meet spikes I used 9 yrs ago before I changed to Pumas. They won't completely replace my Clifton 1s by any means, but will definitely go into the rotation. The Clifton 1s are still a bit softer and weigh almost the same as the Rincon. I actually put a bid on some used Clifton 1s tonight. I doubt they'll ever be made again.
Highly recommended.
UPDATE:
Bought another pair of Clifton 1s used on Ebay.
Can't get enough
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