Hoka - Challenger 7 GTX
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Dec 25, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
1898
551
"I even washed them accidentally and still worked perfectly fine afterwards."
"Been using them for about four years working out in my gym, and cycling daily (45+ minutes on a bicycle outdoors)."
"They last absolutely forever (I know 1980s models still in daily use)"
480
156
"Ran a 50k and never once bothered my feet."
"They have a normal heel and midfoot, but the forefoot is very roomy. ... My feet haven't felt so good in years."
"They have a normal heel and midfoot, but the forefoot is very roomy. ... My feet haven't felt so good in years."
113
19
"the shoes felt great, had no slippage whatsoever, were cushioned, responsive, and comfortable. I ran up and down the mountain without much concern about where my feet were placed... the shoes handled it wonderfully."
"If you're a bigger guy and are looking for a road-to-trail, groomed trail, gravel shoe.... Buy with confidence!"
"slightly tougher/longer lasting tread than speedgoats ... Challengers can tolerate it due to the tougher outsole ... nothing stops you from almost literally running them into the ground with how much of an outsole they've got on them."
171
74
"Very good on rocky, technical terrain. ... Use: any trail up to marathon distance."
"I've worn Xodus runners for years on class 3/4 scrambles in the PNW, in addition to leading a few low class 5 routes with them as well."
"Got me through a week with everything Utah can throw at you - snow, mud, dirt, gravel, sand, slickrock, slot-canyon scooting, and the occasional stream crossing - and I never felt unsure of my footing."
31
10
"Best shoes for the pnw! What I use as well"
"They got me through an entire bandon dunes trip where it rained for 3 days straight."
"The Peg GTX is my favorite trail running shoe for transition season here in Canada. There are about 6 weeks where the ground is wet from snow, ice, slush, or just puddles and it is between 20-40f most days, and that shoe shines there."
Disliked most:
17
59
"Also, the grip was really crap, particularly when it’s a purpose built trail shoe."
"outsole does not perform well on wet rock ... I agree 100%, and it's a pity because in all other aspects Saucony makes excellent trail shoes. I just hope they will follow the xodus ultra 4 trend and implement vibram on the peregrines 16"
"I’m not convinced the Zegama is suitable for terrains that are moderate and up in terms of technicality. ... And I’m not convinced they can hold up on slippery surfaces. ... If I’m going to go for a mountain run with small rocks and tree roots, where there might be some damp/water, I’m going to reach for another shoe."
91
88
"the toebox is too narrow for me and gives blisters on the outside of my big toes. ... the toe box is just too tight for me."
"They fit more rigid with more pressure points and have less room in the tow box. ... They were never as comfortable out of the box or hiking as a topo athletic shoe and I’ve had several pairs. ... I’m always very ready to take these shoes off at the end of the day.. ... after a long day, my feet feel like they were in a rock crusher since the cushion 0%."
"They fit more rigid with more pressure points and have less room in the tow box. ... They were never as comfortable out of the box or hiking as a topo athletic shoe and I’ve had several pairs. ... I’m always very ready to take these shoes off at the end of the day.. ... after a long day, my feet feel like they were in a rock crusher since the cushion 0%."
4
20
"I’m not convinced the Zegama is suitable for terrains that are moderate and up in terms of technicality. ... And I’m not convinced they can hold up on slippery surfaces. ... If I’m going to go for a mountain run with small rocks and tree roots, where there might be some damp/water, I’m going to reach for another shoe."
"I’m not convinced the Zegama is suitable for terrains that are moderate and up in terms of technicality. ... And I’m not convinced they can hold up on slippery surfaces. ... If I’m going to go for a mountain run with small rocks and tree roots, where there might be some damp/water, I’m going to reach for another shoe."
"shit at contouring"
61
87
"And then during a race in September the mid sole of one pulled right off with less than 200 km on them."
"My Timps got holes after 4 weeks of wearing lol ... Forgot exactly where but it was the toe box. ... Never seen running shoes with such a shitty build quality before. ... Altra is definitely skimping on the materials since they were sold a few years ago."
"I beat the ever living shit out of my shoes in the Colorado high country and have had to shoe goo the soles twice in spots so it’s definitely not bomb proof."
0
2
"had some real, uhm, "challenges" with my knee (very swollen) after my last 100 ... feel like I might need a bit more "cushion" for a 100 ... I've had horrible knee swelling after a 100 in Challengers and obviously that could be from a lot of different things BUT I wondered if a bit more cushion might help mitigate the issue."
"Anyone else find the foam in Hokas goes dead way too quickly? ... I literally got < 300km out of my Challenger 7’s before my knees started hurting"
"had some real, uhm, "challenges" with my knee (very swollen) after my last 100 and feel like I might need a bit more "cushion" for a 100. ... I've had horrible knee swelling after a 100 in Challengers and obviously that could be from a lot of different things BUT I wondered if a bit more cushion might help mitigate the issue."
Hoka Challengers are my go to shoe for mixed terrain with light trails. They feel like slippers when they’re on and I’ll choose them over my Speedgoats whenever I can.
r/trailrunning • Trail shoes for mixed surface ->Hoka Challengers are my go-to for most runs. Must be 1,000km into this pair at least. And Speedgoat 6s for the heavier stuff. Went into the shop to go for something else after a bad experience with the 5s but they were still the best fit of everything I tried.
r/trailrunning • What shoes are you rocking at the moment? ->Love my Challengers. I use them for over 80% of my runs and the tread doesn’t wear too quickly on the tarmac; I’m about 1200k into this pair and probably looking to replace them soon. They’re like wearing slippers compared to my Speedgoats.
r/trailrunning • A versatile trail/road shoe ->I’m on my third pair of Hoka Challengers as they’re great for the majority of what I do, with a pair of Speedgoats for harder terrain. They last pretty well too with my most recent ones going for 1,200k before I retired them and I still use them for walking. (I’m not a Hoka fanboy but whenever I’ve been into a shop to try new shoes, I’ve still always preferred these ones).
r/trailrunning • Hybrid running shoe ->I have a love/hate relationship with Hoka. I've had two amazing pairs of Challengers and a pair of Speedgoats but I've also had a pair of each I've had to ditch because of severe rubbing on my Achilles. Same size and fit as what I've had before so can't find any reason for it. But I've yet to find shoes I like better than those models.
r/trailrunning • Hoka Speedgoat 7 ->The Hoka Challenger is a really good door-to-trail shoe.
r/trailrunning • Road to Trail shoe ->The foam on the zegama 2 is more comfortable for me for long efforts than the challenger. My feet get sore in the challengers a lot faster than the zegama.
r/Ultramarathon • Nike v. Hoka Trail Shoes for NON technical 100 ->I swear by the hoka challenger. I know some folks who only do trails prefer the speedgoats. I’d say go to a shoe store and get fitted up and see what you like.
r/trailrunning • Shoe recommendations for beginner ->Hoka challengers or adidas terrex for dry days, Salomon quest 4 gore tex for wet/muddy/snowy days
r/discgolf • Disc golf shoes? ->I have tried ASICS Gel Nimbus TR and Hoka Challenger. ASICS is way more comfy esp on the road, but has slightly worse grip on the trails. Challenger looks much better imo, so I like using it as a travel do-it-all shoe, but for road to trail runs I’d pick the ASICS every time.
r/trailrunning • Lightweight trail shoe that also doubles as a road runner? ->I went back to hoka, using the challenger 7 atm. To be honest all my issues went away when I really pulled the laces apart and wore them super loose
r/Ultramarathon • Altra trail shoes ->Thanks for your perspective. My boots are Merrells and my trail shoes are Hoka Challengers. I just did Baldy in the Challengers so I’m sure they’d be comfortable enough for Catalina. Just wondering mostly if the additional backpacking weight would necessitate sturdier footwear.
r/socalhiking • Boots or trail runners on Catalina? ->First, there is nothing that wrong with using road shoes on trails. 25 years ago there was no such thing as trail running shoes and people did fine. If you do want specific shoes and like Hoka then: Hoka Challenger if they are smooth trails or mixed road trails. Hoka Torrents if they are rougher trails.
r/trailrunning • Beginner trail shoes recs ->I've never worn Speedgoats, but I've got Challengers and Cliftons that fit true to size for me!
r/wildcampingintheuk • Hiking/trail Hoka ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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