EVO Speedgoat
Running these analyses costs money. Buy through my links to help keep lights on! I may get a small commission.
Top Pros
Top Cons
Reddit Reviews
Speedgoat EVO was even better
Speedgoat EVO or GTFO.
As a fan of the Speedgoat 2 and the EVO, I shifted to other brands until the Mafate 5 came around (which I love for longer/slower runs). I tried the Speedgoat 7 in the same size as my Mafate 5... And I'm going to go up a half size. The toe box is much lower volume than the Mafate 5 (and tapers like older Speedgoat models).
Hello. I come from the same issue. I had major issues with Plantar Fasciitis after running in the Speedcross and S/Lab Speed for many years. My first shoe was the Hoka Speedgoat Evo. That was an epic shoe, but sold out everywhere so quickly I only ever ran in one pair. Since then I’ve tried many similar shoes, looking for great grip, soft and bouncy ride, but good stability as I over-pronate, plus I recently developed osteoarthritisin my big toes. So, I really rate the following: - Hoka Mafate Speed 4. Good all rounder - Salomon S/lab genesis. A little narrow and unstable but speedy and shed mud quickly - La Sportiva Prodigeo Pro - great foam and good grip, lightweight. - Saucony Xodus Ultra - 1 and 3 are pretty good, ignore the 2. - Hoka Tecton X 3 - my go-to race shoe for hard packed trails and gravel I like the Speedgoat, Catamount, Fuji Lite, Ultra Glide too but they all have compromises that the shoes above don’t have in the same way.
Hello - I would say that the Prodigio Pro will feel a bit too squishy for general walking around. I walk the dogs in a pair of Salomon GTX Thundercross. They’re stable enough, comfy, and waterproof. The Ultraglide are also a good option. I’ve also had numerous Inov8 Roclite, Trailfly which are also good for hiking if you like zero drop. Hoka are also comfy if you stay clear of the racing shoes - Challenger ATR or Speedgoat. I also like the ASICS Fujilite for walking. I’d suggest avoiding the S/Lab Genesis, Tecton X3, Mafate 5, Prodigio Pro, Nike Trail Ultra, or anything with a PEBA Foam or really pronounced rocker. They will be too squishy, unstable and wobbly underfoot.
They need to just re-release the evo's...it's not that hard.
They were the best version of the speedgoat. Good foam(not really a supercritical bounce but still good). Good traction. And a perfect upper. They weren't overbuilt. Exactly what you needed to run nothing more.
Got a 1000km on my speedgoat 3, 800km on my evos ( which I still use on dry trails) and 480 on my 5's. I don't think 5's will see 600. Haven't used them since May.
Really loved my old Hoka Speedgoats but the new iteration just isn't durable like it used to be. Swapped to Nike Zegama 2: super grippy, nice and cushioned, higher on the ankle, great laces, comfortable toe box with no hot spots for me.
I have and not a great fit unfortunately. Still a little tight in the midfoot. I’m sure they’d break in fine, but wasn’t my glass slipper out of the box lol
good eye! Yes. they did well during the race. when I switched to the Speedgoats at mile 50 is when my feat started to hurt. maybe that was the speed goats, maybe it would have happened anyway. I don't know. but my feeet were feeling pretty good for the first 50 in the Mafate X.
I’ve run my last two pairs of Challengers into the ground. Probably a bit too much with my last pair at almost 1,400k! I have had bad “luck” with my previous Speedgoats where the inside of the back of one felt really odd and rubbed against my Achilles loads. No issues with a newer pair. My latest Challengers feel a bit less tight on my feet but maybe I need to change my lacing. That happening twice to you doesn’t just feel like bad luck though.
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).
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.
I use goretex running shoes as my daily walking / running shoes on rainy and snowy days. It used to be Adidas Supernova, which had amazing grip and survived for a long time until the midsole snapped in half. Then Hierro v6 which were super comfy, but started showing wear and tear of the upper after only 6 months. I moved to hoka speedgoats, which are not known for their durability, but I found 2 pairs in price of 1, so I thought a set would last me long enough. Indeed the vibram lugs after 18 months of using mostly on hard surfaces were destroyed on one side. And that may happen in general to trail shoes with big lugs instead of more asphalt oriented outsole. Despite some opinions, their traction on wet or icy asphalt is very good. The only specific situation when they turn into slipgoats is when I come from very low temperature and step on wet concrete like puddles of melted snow in a garage. There is yet another option. Couple of years ago my wife bought herself Reebok Work n Cushion. They were quite comfy, ridicuosly cheap and simple oldschool shoes. There are other brands making shoes for work. Something like Hoka transport, which can have interesting upper with its cordura lining plus the rich midsole.