HOKA - Challenger 7

My go-to road-to-trail shoes are Hoka Challenger. I've been running in the 7 for a while, haven't tried the 8 yet but I will when it's time to retire the 7s. I've done long runs of up to 20 miles in them, and folks have done 100 milers in them. I have about 300 miles on mine, maybe 40% of that is road, and the tread is still fine and I have no problem running technical trails on them.

My go-to for that situation is the Hoka Challenger. I've been running in the 7s but the 8 is out now and it looks like the tread is improved. The lugs on the 7 are basically just square, on the 8 they have more angles for more grip. My biggest complaint is that they can be slippery on wet pavement. Not like I'm worried that I'd slip and fall, but sometimes when running up a steep paved trail in the rain they just don't have much traction. I'm not sure if the 8 fixes this. I don't have that problem at all in any of my trail shoes with Vibram soles, or my soft squishy road shoes (NB 1080v14).

Ik heb idd ook de ATR 7, kreeg van de week de 8 binnen maar er is iets veranderd in de foam waardoor mijn enkel naar binnen wil kantelen, heel raar. Heb maat 48, ik kan ze er niet meer in vinden (de 7).

I have one pair at a time and I thought I was being annoying, buying the same (basically discontinued) model on eBay only to learn it’s the same shoe that Andy Glaze wears. So I figured it’s fine to stay exclusive for now. Hoka Challenger 7. I’m at the beginning of my journey so I’ll probably evolve eventually, but I’m with the Challenger 7 for now.

Those are the exact 3 pairs in my rotation now. The hokas feel a bit firmer in my opinion. The brooks have the softest inside and fit the best. The NB are my favorite though (only issue is the mesh that holds the tongue gives me hot spots on my arches). I’d vote for the Hokas but it totally depends on how they feel on you not me. Also a great review site to check out is runrepeat .com, great to see all the different ways a shoe could be different and find what factors matter most to you. Makes it a little easier in the future to narrow down the selection when you inevitably get more shoes. Good luck!

Hoka changed my running from a casual fling to proper hobby. i never cared about running times, but the moment i put on them shoes i was running a lot faster.

Hokas or brooks (ghost) are the best. It’s worth spending the money on them. Once you know what you like, start looking for a second pair on sale. Eventually it will happen! You’re supposed to change them out around 250 miles I think. I’m always looking, and if they are on sale I buy them for later.