
Hoka - Challenger 7 GTX
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Dec 5, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
13
7
"the tread doesn’t wear too quickly on the tarmac ... I’m about 1200k into this pair and probably looking to replace them soon."
"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."
"I got some hoka challenger 7’s with 600 miles on them! ... They’re toast now but have held up so well!"
21
7
"I just did Baldy in the Challengers so I’m sure they’d be comfortable enough for Catalina."
"They’re like wearing slippers compared to my Speedgoats."
"I find them very comfortable ... I run a couple HM distances and never had an issued nor pain"
28
4
"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."
"I absolutely love Hoka Challengers. ... Work well on streets and less technical trails ... I fell in love taking them to Peru ... now use them anytime I need a hybrid."
"Hoka challenger is designed specifically for this. ... they are fantastic for road and any non technical trail"
9
6
"They’re super grippy and have gotten me up 4k+ft of tough trail"
"Hoka challengers is exactly what I wear in this situation. ... They are literally made for road to trail. ... I run to the trails on rainy days, smash around than run home. ... Best shoe."
"I've used Challengers for some pretty technical trails and never had a slipping issue."
2
2
"I needed a waterproof shoe for running in the rain and also trails. I went with the Hoka Challenger 7 GTX and couldn’t be happier."
"The hoka challenger 7gtx, 350km, still waterproof. ... Im very happy with the gtx"
"I love gtx shoes, they keep my feet warm and dry in wet conditions"
Disliked most:
0
5
"bad enough at that in wet weather"
"Challenger don't have good traction on wet surface (both tarmac and offroad) ... so I avoid them on wet"
"when the road is wet, they lose grip and the foot almost slide back when you are putting force to propel yourself forward"
2
3
"Just beware that wide in most traditional shoes, Hoka included, widens the midfoot without really widening the toebox. ... I have wide Challengers I was trying out and they're great shoes, but the pointy little toebox just isn't working for me. ... My two big toes have some pretty awful blisters right now from being pressed in."
"Just beware that wide in most traditional shoes, Hoka included, widens the midfoot without really widening the toebox. ... I have wide Challengers I was trying out and they're great shoes, but the pointy little toebox just isn't working for me. ... My two big toes have some pretty awful blisters right now from being pressed in."
"the outside edge of the toe box curves in too early for my feet putting pressure on the small toe."
0
4
"if the race is even somewhat technical I wouldn’t race in them"
"For more technical and trail only runs I switch to Speedgoats."
"Not much grip"
5
8
"Mine developed a tear pretty quickly (100 miles or so) ... the grip started coming away from the sole… ... they were relegated to dog walking shoes after about 150 miles. ... do not last."
"The exact same thing happened with my Challenger 7's after a few months. ... to have a massive chunk just fall off the bottom of the shoe is ridiculous."
"The exact same thing happened with my Challenger 7's after a few months. ... to have a massive chunk just fall off the bottom of the shoe is ridiculous."
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."
"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."
"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"
I also returned a pair of SG6. Mine were the GTX Mid version. They are just too stiff and narrow. I needed a waterproof shoe for running in the rain and also trails. I went with the Hoka Challenger 7 GTX and couldn’t be happier.
r/trailrunning • Trail running shoe question – Hoka Speedgoat 6 issue & alternatives? ->Got the Trail iv, so far i ran 415 km in them, theyre still waterproof. The hoka challenger 7gtx, 350km, still waterproof. Im very happy with the gtx
r/trailrunning • Nike Pegasus Trail 5 GTX vs non-GTX ->I love gtx shoes, they keep my feet warm and dry in wet conditions but im not wading through streams, so no water coming in. So far im using the nike trail iv and the hoka challenger 7 and so far the gtx Works Well
r/trailrunning • Goretex shoes for new trail runner? ->I wear HOKA Challenger GTXs and pack a pair of Keen whisper sandals. I just wear black hiking pants and I don't do anything that would require being "stylish."
r/travel • What’s your biggest struggle with shoes when traveling light? ->Hoka Challenger 7. Matibay lugs nya sa road. At makapit din sa trail.
r/PHRunners • Road to trail running shoes recommendation. ->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 ->I would recommend you to use the shoes you ran with it the most. You have a lot of mileage in the speedgoat? Use the speedgoat, even on road. If you really want a road shoe and you have a lot of mileage in speedgoat, go try some Hoka. But if it's a loop, don't forget to bring the speedgoat/favorite shoes. The speedgoat 6 have a 5mm drop, don't start to play with drop atm, use a 4 to 6mm drop if your body is used to that. The Hoka Challenger 7 is a road/trail shoes with a 5mm drop like the speedgoat.
r/ultrarunning • Shoes for 24 Hour Ultra ->Trail (and ultra)Running (which developed from the more traditional and original fell running) comes in a few different forms these days, mostly due to its exploding popularity. NB: contrary to popular thought, ultrarunning is more ‘doable’ than people think - it’s less intense than road marathons, less competitive between average runners (every course is different, the same course is different on different days / weather conditions). It tends to be more ‘self-competitive’ if you’re not an elite and the trail running community is generally very chill and inclusive. It’s also worth noting that the skills gap between men and women seems to dramatically shorten the further you run. Running on trails for fun, mental health, general fitness. Ultramarathons very much have a huge mental challenge to them. Trail half- and full marathons. Ultramarathons, anything longer than a marathon - 50k, 50 miles, 100k and 100 miles (and beyond!) being the ‘usual’ step up in distances. There are also ‘timed’ races (how far can you run a certain loop or round a 400m track in, say, 24 hours). Plus multi-day events. Even more recent are Back Yard Ultras - a loop of 4.167 miles, and you have to complete 1 loop every hour…until you can’t! Last person standing wins. You can fathom the logistics / challenges of this yourself! Eating, sleeping, toilet stops! 4.167 miles because 24 loops in 24 hours = 100 miles. Then there’s all sorts of wacky and mental variations on the above. Trail and ultrarunning also takes place over differing terrains. Some are flat, most are hilly to varying degrees, some mountainous, some in deserts - basically anywhere you can do an endurance race there is one! Often hill / mountain training - both up and down - is essential to training. Most non-elite ultrarunners will hike the hills and run down. Both need practice and differing fitness. I recently did 10YFan (10x up n down Pen y Fan in 24 hours), partly as training for other forthcoming events. It tested out my uphill hiking fitness and helped my downhill fitness and speed over ‘technical’ terrain. There’s a knack to chucking yourself downhill as fast and safely as possible and it takes practice. NB: I’m a bog standard ultra runner. Shoes very much depend on terrain. Some popular brands are (and I’m not extolling the virtues or otherwise of any): Hoka, Nike, Salomon, Saucony, Altra, Brooks, On, Inov8, New Balance. There’s loads. Have a look on SportsShoes.com and search trail shoes. There’s different models with different pros and cons for different terrain. I’ve got loads of different pairs / brands (it’s a sickness!) but FWIW I used a hybrid trail/road shoe for 10YFan - Hoka Challenger 7. Very spongy and soft, durable AF, with decent enough grip for that terrain. It’s very much personal preference though. As an aside, there’s TONNES of amazing ultrarunning films on YouTube. Hit me up if you want some recs. In short, there’s a lot of overlap on the Venn Diagram of hiking, trail running and fast packing. And some kit is interchangeable for reach. I can’t be arsed to spell check this, so if there’s any grammatical errors - SOZ!
r/UKhiking • Ben Nevis descent. ->Unpopular opinion, but I got some hoka challenger 7’s with 600 miles on them! Last 200 were single track mixed with pavement. They’re toast now but have held up so well! Where my heel sits is ripped through and the lugs are finally worn from transitioning to more pavement running for the start of a road marathon block. I have tried my best to keep them dry and use my old pair on rain runs, they’re being retired on Tuesday as I finally bought some road shoes for my upcoming marathon block.
r/trailrunning • Most durable trail running shoes? ->You are me! I weigh 200. I run to the trails in my hoka challengers! They’re awesome I do such a mix that they cover everything! I even ran my first marathon in them on the road XD I finally bought some road shoes too though. But when ever I run to the trails it’s the challengers
r/trailrunning • Good Road to Trail shoe recommendations ->Hoka challengers is exactly what I wear in this situation. They are literally made for road to trail. I run to the trails on rainy days, smash around than run home. Best shoe.
r/runninglifestyle • What are the best men's running shoes for rainy city miles with occasional trail detours? ->TNF enduris 4. I have a ton of miles in Challenger 7 and the Enduris and you won’t be dissapointed. TNF shoes always seem to be on sale online also.
r/Ultramarathon • Alternatives to Hoka Speed Goats ->speedcross is really for running in the mud I'd say. Feels fast, but wouldn't pick it for an ultra. Running in many different shoes myself, currently would pick my Salomon UltraGlides or Hoka Challenger 7, but currently like my UltraGlides better
r/Ultramarathon • Shoes for first ultra ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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