The second grid is for everyday miles, whether that means a run, a commute or a long day on your feet. The Mach 7 in oat milk and alabaster is the one I would pick for faster runs, and the Mach 6 low top is its older, simpler sibling. The Mach Remastered, in cosmic grey and dewy pink and in putty and cement, is a retro take on the same name, more for wearing than racing. The Transport 2 is the city shoe of the group, made for walking and commuting, in glimmering blue and in a Gore-Tex version in alabaster.

The rest are easy to wear. The Skyward slip-on in black, white, and jadeite with sea glass is the one I would keep by the door for errands, the Solimar 2 in white is a clean, low-profile trainer for the gym, and the Elevon 2 and the Mafate Three2 Grid are the chunkier pairs for anyone who wants more sole. Together they show how far Hoka shoes have moved from the mountain: most of these will never see a trail.

A pairing tip: the pale colourways, like oat milk and alabaster, look best with grey marl, cream knits and wide trousers, while the blue pairs are easier with denim. What I would skip is the Mach 7 as a walking shoe. It is built for running, and a Transport or a Skyward will be more forgiving on a slow day out.

This is where the story goes back to the start. Hoka's first shoe was the Mafate, and the Mafate Speed 2 is a modern version of that early trail design, now worn as much in cities as on mountains. I picked it in putty and black, in beech wood and stucco, in grout with carbon black, and in a TS version with pink opal and deep mauve. The Mafate Speed 4 Lite in light roast and oat milk is a slimmer, newer take on the same name.

The Speedgoat 2 is the other classic trail line, and I chose it in pebble grey with cliff grey, in slate blue with washed blue, and in a TS version in grout and frost. These Hoka shoes have bigger lugs on the sole than the road pairs, and that grip is the reason I would choose them for gravel paths, wet parks and weekends in the country.

A practical tip: if you will wear these mostly in the city, choose a muted colour like putty, pebble grey or light roast. They read as a fashion sneaker with jeans and a long coat. What I would skip is wearing trail shoes for long runs on pavement. The deeper tread wears faster on asphalt, and a road model will feel smoother.

The last grid is for weather. Gore-Tex is a waterproof membrane, and every shoe here carries GTX in its name. The Kaha is Hoka's hiker, and I picked the Kaha 2 Frost GTX in alabaster with smoky quartz, the Kaha 3 GTX in barley flour and a low Kaha 3 in varsity navy and barley flour. The Kaha 2 Frost Moc is a slip-on, almost a cosy boot, in washed blue with pink opal, and the collaboration with Halfdays in oat milk is my favourite pair in this edit.

Then there are the everyday Gore-Tex Hoka shoes: the Clifton 11 GTX in black and in smoky quartz with deep mauve, and the Challenger 8 GTX in smoky quartz with alabaster, which sits somewhere between road and trail. These are the pairs I would choose for a rainy autumn in the city, when a regular mesh trainer is soaked by the end of the street.

A practical test: Gore-Tex shoes feel warmer than mesh, so try them with the socks you will actually wear in cold weather. What I would skip is a Gore-Tex pair for summer. The membrane keeps water out, but it also holds heat in, and a breathable mesh shoe will be far more comfortable in July.

If I were buying my first pair of Hoka shoes, I would start with a Clifton 11 in a neutral colour. It is lighter than the Bondi, works for walking and easy runs, and looks right with most of what I wear. After that, a Mafate Speed 2 for weekends, and a Gore-Tex pair if I lived somewhere wet.

Care is simple. Loosen the laces before you take them off so the heel keeps its shape, let wet shoes dry at room temperature with the insoles out, and clean the foam with a soft brush and a little mild soap rather than a washing machine. The thick midsole is the whole point, so it is worth keeping it away from radiators and car boots in summer.

Seventeen years later, the brand that began with two athletes on a mountain makes shoes for commuters, nurses, walkers and runners alike. What stays with me is that the big, soft sole was never a trend at the start. It was a practical answer to one specific problem, running downhill, and it turned out to solve a lot of other ones too. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Fall Shoes, Sorted and Shoes With a Following.