Hoka - Mafate Speed 3

Hey everyone, I’m looking for a trail running shoe that I can use for shorter mountain races—around 25km with 2000m elevation gain (~15.5 miles / 6560 ft)—but with enough support for a heavier runner. Most of the shoes I’ve checked out, like the Hoka Zinal 2, Nnormal kjerag, Merrell Long Sky II, Asics Fujitrabuco, or Terrex Speed, seem designed for lighter runners. I currently train in Hoka Mafate Speed 3 and really like them, but I’d love to have a shoe that I can use for more responsive training sessions and racing. For reference, I weigh 90-95kg (~198-209 lbs) and I’m 187cm tall (~6'2''). PD I have a 13-14US so I can't try any shoe at any shop Thanks in advance!

I've got the Hoka Mafate Speed 3's (which I need to replace) and I find they are better for running downhill than any other shoe I tried, because when I descend I land on my forefoot, and all other shoes thin out too much towards the front (including my Speedgoats). The Mafate Speed 3's, by contrast, maintain their cushioning thickness all the way to the front. You can see this clearly when viewing reviews that cut the shoes in half lengthwise. For instance, here's a typical thickly cushioned trail shoe, with a measured 33.1 forefoot thickness. In spite of the thickness, note how much it thins out towards the front: [https://runrepeat.com/new-balance-fresh-foam-x-hierro-v9](https://runrepeat.com/new-balance-fresh-foam-x-hierro-v9) Compare that with the midsole profile of the MafateThree2 (couldn't find a review on this site of my Mafate Speed 3). Even though its measured forefoot thickness is less (31.7 mm), it effectively offers much thicker forefoot cushioning because it doesn't taper out as quickly towards the front: [https://runrepeat.com/hoka-mafate-three2](https://runrepeat.com/hoka-mafate-three2) Also, their 4 mm drop is about the most I can handle for descents. Anything higher means I feel like I'm running downhill in high heels. Plus, for a given amount of heel cushion, more drop means less thickness up front. I was thus dismayed to find that the Mafate now has an 8 mm drop, which I expect will make it unusable for me (unless I can cut a foam or gel insole in half and put the front half under the existing insole—though I've tried that with a few other shoes and it never feels right).

Not really, they have done them fo a while, it's for flat not technical trail that you could do with normal shoes except they have more protected foam that would otherwise get destroyed by rocks. The naming is really confusing though, mafate speed is great for technical trail while the X (this one) would honestlmy be dangerous to use on something technical So overall it's not a big market, at least regular trail shoes can also be used for hiking, these ones havea very specific use case

Love my Mach’s for the road. Been using Mafate Speed’s for trails. Not sure if they make em in wide.

I know la sportiva kaptiva and use them for technical terrain. Akasha is a strange shoe for me … only works on forefoot. I also use speedgoat 5 and like it - can’t go wrong with 5 or 6. Mafate Speed also more for technical. I have also experience with catamount 1 and catamount 3. I don‘t have any experience with saucony peregrine. Over all the catamount 3 ist for me the most interesting shoe right now: fast on forefoot, rolling in the center and a softer feel on the heel than the speedgoat. No Vibram but the rubber of the 3 feels pretty sticky. All in all a really great shoe of it‘s not muddy. If la sportiva - I would give the prodigio or jackal boa a try. More modern kind of shoe. But: depending on your weight, fitness level, and your foot …

I love my Mafate Speeds. Granted I have only run a relatively flat, but dry, rocky desert 50k in them but I feel like they are giving what you are describing. I do my roadwork in Mach 6’s…totally different feel but the transition was seamless and injury free. I’ve run with the Mafates on the east coast (near home) on the big rocky terrain…no problems at all. Love them and will definitely be using them for upcoming 50 miler and a tbd 100.

For Hokas, I prefer the Mafate Speeds over the Speedgoats. The fit is better and the tread lasts a lot longer — most of the trails I run are pretty rocky, and the Speedgoats only lasted about 150 miles before the tread was worn, whereas the Mafates can get 400+ miles.

This is also my least favorite type of terrain (especially if it’s a steep downhill section). I like the Mafates for this type of trail since the tread is decent, but I’d recommend using Squirrels Nut Butter on your feet if you’re getting blisters. For the ankle twisting issue, I usually just end up hiking in sections like this, otherwise I also worry for my ankles, and my toes always seem to catch rocks and make me trip, so unfortunately I just have to take it slow.

Nice! Are the Mafates looking like a better shoe for longer and technical mountain runs? Also bummed that I’m not liking the speedgoats as much as earlier versions

Came back to say that I’ve taken the Mafates on a few long technical runs now (10-15m, 3-4k feet) and love them! Great shoe!

Hoka Mafate Speed. Haven’t tried the newest version, love the 4s

Gonna be doing the Prickly Pear 50k with you! First ultra so I'm stoked (doing it for fun not time, so my perspective could be wildly different than yours). Personally, I'm wearing the mafate speeds, just what I feel comfortable and confident in. Was debating some others like the hoka challenger and salomon genesis -- both of which I also love -- but the mafates just give me the most confidence underfoot. I live in the country and have frequently worn regular road shoes on that kind of terrain, so really anything will work. There's a world in which I ultimately go with the challengers. Just pick what you're most comfortable with and send it.

The agravic’s narrower last would have me concerned with your foot. The metafuji may be a better option, so long as you don’t regularly roll your ankles because of the high stack height. Out of the other super shoes on the market, I wonder if north face’s options would work? If I recall that has a more traditional, less abrasive upper than most of the current gen trail supers. I wonder if experimenting within hoka’s lineup might make more sense - something like the Mafate speed (even though it’s not a super shoe) might get you most of the way there with a more comfortable upper. Current super shoes really only improve running economy by about 1%, compared to 3-4% on road, so they’re not nearly as game-changing in terms of performance as it might seem (however I do have a few pairs of supers, so that might be hypocritical of me)