HOKA Arahi 8 vs 9: What Changed, and Should You Upgrade?
HOKA kept the foam, the frame and the 8 mm drop, and changed the upper. In the lab, the Arahi 9 needed about 40% less force to twist than the 8, and measured 3 mm narrower at the big toe and 19 g heavier.
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That makes the 8 the more supportive Arahi for a foot that needs holding, and the 9 the softer, roomier-at-the-ball one. If the Arahi 8 works for you, buy another pair while it is still on sale.
This is a spec comparison. We have not measured, worn or scored either shoe. The brand figures below are HOKA’s own; the lab figures are RunRepeat’s, from one pair of each. We keep the two apart because they are not the same tier of evidence.
What HOKA says changed
HOKA’s own pages describe a modest update. The Arahi 9 keeps the dual-density foam, the 8 mm drop and the widths of the 8, and HOKA names the same stability frame on both, its Enhanced H-Frame. The change it points to is the upper: an engineered mesh “with tighter mesh on the medial side”, in place of the 8’s double-jacquard mesh. On 28 September 2026 hoka.com listed the 9 as coming soon at $155; it went on general sale in the US on 1 October, and on 6 October HOKA still sold the 8 alongside it.
| Specification | Arahi 8 | Arahi 9 |
|---|---|---|
| List price | $150 (on sale from $120) | $155 |
| Heel-to-toe drop | 8 mm | 8 mm |
| Weight, men’s | 9.8 oz (278 g) | 10.0 oz (284 g) |
| Weight, women’s | 7.7 oz (218 g) | 8.2 oz (232 g) |
| Heel and forefoot stack | Not stated by HOKA | Not stated by HOKA |
| Stability frame | Enhanced H-Frame | Enhanced H-Frame |
| Midsole | Dual-density compression-moulded EVA | Dual-density compression-moulded EVA |
| Upper | Double-jacquard mesh | Engineered mesh, tighter on the medial side |
| Widths | Regular, Wide, X-Wide | Regular, Wide, X-Wide |
| APMA Seal directory | Listed | Not found |
HOKA US product pages, read 28 September 2026; weights as HOKA gives them, without a size. HOKA’s pages for the 9 already carry its APMA Seal wording, but we could not find the 9 in the APMA’s own directory that day; the 8 is listed. Retailers list a 39/31 mm stack for both.
What the lab measured
RunRepeat cut, weighed and measured one pair of each. Much of the shoe is unchanged: the same base width, the same heel counter score, a heel within 1.4 mm. One number moved a long way, and it is the one a stability shoe is bought for.
| Measurement | Arahi 8 | Arahi 9 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Force to twist (torsional rigidity) | 19.5 Nm | 11.8 Nm | About 40% less |
| Heel stack | 39.4 mm | 38.0 mm | 1.4 mm lower |
| Forefoot stack | 28.1 mm | 27.7 mm | 0.4 mm lower |
| Measured drop | 11.3 mm | 10.3 mm | 1.0 mm less |
| Weight | 259 g | 278 g | 19 g heavier |
| Toe-box width at the big toe | 73.6 mm | 70.5 mm | 3.1 mm narrower |
| Width at the widest point | 95.3 mm | 97.0 mm | 1.7 mm wider |
| Toe-box height | 27.6 mm | 28.9 mm | 1.3 mm taller |
| Midsole hardness (Asker C, higher is firmer) | 35.8 AC | 32.9 AC | Slightly softer |
| Force to bend the forefoot | 18.3 N | 15.5 N | More flexible |
| Heel counter stiffness (1 to 5) | 3 | 3 | None |
| Midsole width, heel and forefoot | 96.3 / 117.6 mm | 96.0 / 117.3 mm | The same base |
| Insole thickness | 4.5 mm | 4.4 mm | Both removable |
Source: RunRepeat lab, one pair of each, read 28 September 2026; its Arahi 9 review is dated 18 September 2026. Torsional rigidity is in newton-metres and hardness on the Asker C scale, the lab’s current methods; of the 24 shoes on this site it has measured for torsional rigidity this way, the median is 14.5 Nm.
What a foot and ankle surgeon takes from this
The Arahi 9 twists much more easily. Torsional rigidity is how hard it is to wring a shoe like a towel, and in a stability shoe it is a large part of what stops the middle of the foot from collapsing inward. The Arahi 8 needed 19.5 Nm, the third-highest of the 24 shoes on this site the lab has measured this way; only the ASICS Gel-Kayano 32 and Gel-Nimbus 28 needed more. The Arahi 9 needed 11.8 Nm, and only three of the 24 twist more easily. HOKA names the same frame on both. One pair of each is not proof that every Arahi 9 is built this way, but a gap of this size is unlikely to be pair-to-pair variation alone.
Who that matters for. A flexible flat foot that hurts, a painful posterior tibial tendon, arthritis in the middle of the foot, or a heavier runner: these are the feet that need a shoe to resist twisting, and on the lab’s numbers the Arahi 8 does that and the 9 largely does not. If you need that control and the 8 is gone, the stiffest stability shoes we hold figures for are the ASICS Gel-Kayano 32 and the New Balance 860v15.
The toe room moved in two directions. The 9 is 3.1 mm narrower at the big toe, which is worse for a big toe that has drifted and for hammertoes, and 1.7 mm wider at the widest point, which is better for the bump of a bunion and a broad forefoot. The drop barely changed and, on both, sits above HOKA’s stated 8 mm: 11.3 and 10.3 mm in the lab. For heel pain the two behave alike. The 9 is also a little softer and easier to bend, which a stiff big toe joint will not thank it for, and the lab weighed it 19 g heavier, more than HOKA’s own figures suggest.
Should you upgrade?
Stay with the Arahi 8 if…
- It already works for you. A shoe that has settled a problem is worth more than a new model year.
- You need the shoe to resist twisting: a flat foot that collapses, a posterior tibial tendon problem, midfoot arthritis or more weight to carry.
- A drifting big toe or hammertoes need room at the front of the shoe.
- You want the lighter and cheaper shoe: HOKA has the 8 on sale from $120.
Buy the Arahi 9 if…
- The 8 felt rigid or harsh, and you want a softer, more flexible stability shoe.
- Your forefoot is broad, or a bunion rubs at the joint, where the 9 measured wider.
- You need a size or width the 8 no longer has.
- You are buying your first Arahi. It is the one HOKA will keep in stock.
Orthotics and inserts
Both insoles lift out, at 4.5 and 4.4 mm, and the 9’s toe box measured 1.3 mm taller, which helps a full-length orthotic a little. A custom orthotic works best on a base that does not twist easily, and on these numbers that is the 8. Neither HOKA nor the lab publishes how much depth is left once the insole is out; take it out in the shop and check, as our Orthotic Volume Rating explains.
Questions runners ask
Is the HOKA Arahi 9 better than the Arahi 8?
Not for every foot. The lab found the 9 slightly softer, more flexible and wider across the ball of the foot, but it needed about 40% less force to twist and measured 3.1 mm narrower at the big toe. For a foot that needs holding, the 8 is the stronger stability shoe on paper; for a runner who found the 8 rigid, the 9 is the upgrade.
Is the Arahi 9 more stable than the Arahi 8?
Not on the lab’s numbers. Its torsional rigidity fell from 19.5 to 11.8 Nm, from one of the stiffest shoes on this site to one of the least stiff, while HOKA names the same Enhanced H-Frame on both. The base width and the heel counter are unchanged.
Did HOKA change the drop on the Arahi 9?
No. HOKA states 8 mm for both. The lab measured 11.3 mm on the 8 and 10.3 mm on the 9, so both sit steeper than the label, and for heel or Achilles pain they behave alike.
Is the Arahi 9 wider than the Arahi 8?
At the widest point, yes, by 1.7 mm; at the big toe it is 3.1 mm narrower. Both come in Regular, Wide and X-Wide, so a wide fitting still does more than the model change.
When did the HOKA Arahi 9 come out?
It went on general sale in the US on 1 October 2026, the date US retailers gave, though reviewers had pairs from July. On 6 October HOKA’s US site had it in stock at $155, in Regular, Wide and X-Wide.
Is the HOKA Arahi 8 discontinued?
Not yet. On 6 October 2026, with the 9 already out, HOKA’s US site still sold the Arahi 8, men’s and women’s, at $120, down from $150, though some sizes were running out. Expect fewer sizes and widths as stock runs down.
Read the full analysis
Our Arahi 8 spec analysis has the full table for the 8, and we compare it with its rivals in Bondi vs Arahi, Gaviota vs Arahi and Arahi 8 vs Saucony Guide 19. For a foot that rolls in, read our guides to shoes for overpronation and flat feet.
- HOKA US product pages, read 28 September and again on 6 October 2026: Arahi 9, men’s, women’s; Arahi 8, men’s, women’s.
- RunRepeat lab reviews: Arahi 8 and Arahi 9.
- Fleet Feet, Arahi 9: US availability and retailer stack figures.
- APMA Seal of Acceptance directory, HOKA Arahi 8.
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