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

I also went a similar run today and I just used the Hoka Mafate Speed ones and they're great very sticky sole!! (Edited a typo)

La sportiva prodigio pro is incredible if you're willing to spend the £150 or so. Hoka mafate speed is good, new version looks mega soft

You are absolutely bonkers. I have the utmost respect for finishing in those! Mafate is a good shoe but hokas are too narrow for me and give me blisters unfortunately

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

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)

Happy to see I own three shoes featured on this list. \- Nike Peg Trail: A perfect door to trail shoe. Light, snappy, and can easily log long miles. Advised only for light trail terrain, think California carpet. \- HOKA Mafate Speed: Will just eat any type of terrain. Ran a 50k and never once bothered my feet. \- Nike Zegama 2: Have a pair stashed in the closet, ready for use.

After years of Hoka Speedgoats and not liking the latest model, I now use the Hoka Mafate Speed for my hikes under 16-18 miles and Saucony Xodus for the long runs/hikes.

They have held up well for me! The last two outings I did were 15 miles, 6700 feet of vert and 21 miles, 5600 feet of vert on varied terrain. They don't feel like "running on clouds" as much as the Speedgoats, but they grip rock very well and give you more feel on class 2-4 scrambles. They also aren't as likely to tip and twist your ankles. I think if you're looking to get into ultra distance you might want something built more for a long haul, but I've been fine up to 20ish miles.