HOKA - Mach 5

Hoka Mach 4, then Mach 5, now Mach 6

* Easy/Recovery: Hoka Skyflow (52 mi) - Honestly, not my favorite shoe, but I bought them so I'll keep using them. It's probably back to my trusty Rincons after these are done. * Speed: Hoka Mach X (224 mi) - Still one of my favorites, especially for tempo runs. * Speed: Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 (225 mi) - The original speed was one of the first shoes I fell in love with, and this shoe has different mechanics from the Mach X. * Long/Race: New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4 (190 mi/19mi) - I have two pairs. One that I've done all of my long marathon training runs in, and the new pair that I'm using for Philly this weekend and then Love Run in March. I wanted something wider and cushioned enough for longer runs, and while these aren't the fastest supershoes I've ever used, they're certainly reliable enough for 26.2. Ideally I'll replace them with the Cielo X1 3 when they're released. * Race: Hoka Rocket X 2 (146 mi) - I think these have one more race in them and then they'll be relegated to training. I adore this shoe and have to decide if I grab another pair or go with the 3 when I replace them. Also in my closet but not currently in use: * Brooks Ghost 15 (136 mi) - These feel like having a 2x4 strapped to your foot. They really ruined the shoe with this model and it's made me hesitant to try Brooks again. * Hoka Clifton 9 (153 mi) - I like the Clifton, they're just not ones I reach for on a regular basis. * Hoka Mach 5 (153 mi) - I bought these because of the hype around them, which I ended up not agreeing with. They're "fine" enough. * Hoka Skyward X (113 mi) - I've tried on and off to use these, but they make my peroneal tendonitis flare up. * New Balance More v4 (155 mi) - Another shoe that was overhyped for me. They never felt as "plush" as others talked about. * Saucony Endorphin Pro 4 (65 mi) - I bought these to use for my half marathon last year because of how much I loved the previous version. I strongly dislike this as a half/full marathon shoe because of the firmness, and it's not comfortable over 9 miles, to the point where I ended up using my almost-dead 3s for the race. They don't have a place in my rotation because the Rocket is a more aggressive shoe over the 5K/10K distance. I may end up using them for speed work when my current speed shoes are done.

Does it last better than the Mach 5 because mine have about 150-200 miles and it looks like I sanded them 😂

Novablast 3 and Mach 5 but they’re both discontinued sadly. The newer versions are still good though, apparently! I’d also recommend checking out RunRepeat.com to compare stats like weight and cushioning :) 

I thought the Rincon was very firm? I’d recommend the Mach series instead 

Enjoying the Mach 5s

I’ve run some trails I definitely should not have been on in Hoka Mach 5s. They weren’t great but they got the job done. You really don’t need much. 

I am currently training my foot strength and avoid stiff high-stack shoes during training, wearing them occasionally for fun 2-4 times a month, but otherwise i stick to more flexible 20 - max 40mm options. This weekend are another Rebel V3/Mach5 days.

I personally love Hoka Mach or Saucony PWR Run. I always size up (half to full size) than my normal shoe size as your feet tend to swell during runs. Everyone raves about Brooks but their shoes gave my shin splints and didn’t provide support. I recently discovered Mount to Coast R1 shoes and I LOVE them

I was always this girl and I may be again soon but I’ve accidentally built up a collection 🙈. I’ve always in just brooks adrenalines. My coach said she’d like to see me in another shoe too, perhaps one with a slightly lower drop. I liked the idea of a tempo shoe so I ended up with a pair of hoka machs. Recently my current pair of adrenalines were causing knee/shin pain which was in line with the 300+ miles I’d put on them so I went back to the shoe store. I’ve been curious about straying from adrenalines because I have HEFTY callouses / blisters on my big toes and I question how normal that is. I ended up with a pair of ASICS GT 2000 14s - a lighter stability shoe… and a new pair of adrenalines in case I don’t like the asics 🙈. So now I have 3 pairs. A tempo shoe for faster shorter distances, a light stability shoe, and a heavier plushier stability shoe 😅. I still feel monogamous in my very sole though so we’ll see if I don’t just gravitate towards one shoe anyway

Brooooks. I’ve been running in just adrenalines for years. I have bad arches and those + custom orthotics keep me upright and mobile. I recently bought a pair of Hoka Machs which I do like but if I could only pick one brand of shoe I’d stick the brooks and just get some kind of brooks tempo shoe

I’m a dedicated Hoka wearer, and I just do speed work in my Bondis, which are the most cushion you can get. I can’t justify buying a “speed shoe” when I only do speed work 1x per week. Until last week I was rotating 3 pairs of Bondis, two of them Bondi 9s, the other was a Bondi 8. I had gotten one pair of the 9s and the 8s as a used resale, and the 8s worked great as a speed shoe. I also tried the carbon plated racing speed shoe in the panic that was 2020, and it just wasn’t worth the $$. I have ran in the Rincon, Mach, Clifton, and my forever favorite but sadly discontinued Cavu. I would say those are all decent contenders for a mid-weight shoe.

Hoka rocket/mach? Sounds like they'll fit your feet. Saucony pro 4, Evo SL, Rebel v5? More cushioned 1080 and vomero.

I tried these models and they were short and wide for me. More so than nike, puma (duh) and nb. Would have bought them otherwise.