18 in Trail Running Shoes
Hoka - Mafate Speed 4
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Reddit Reviews:
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Based on 1 year's data from Mar 17, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
13
3
"Ran a 50k and never once bothered my feet."
"last longer than the Speedgoat 5s. ... Current pair is at 400 miles and still feels great."
"I just finished the Norte-Primitivo, Portuguese, and the Fisherman's Trail, about 800 miles all in one pair of shoes."
21
4
"Ran a 50k and never once bothered my feet."
"I just completed my first 80k with Hoka Mafate, I recommend those to everyone !"
"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!"
25
2
"Oh and the grip, the MS4 has the best outsole I’ve ever run in, complete and utter confidence bombing down Lake District fells or chamonix mountains."
"Yes they're great. I live in PNW and am always on slippery rocks and roots"
"Live in the woods and terrain is woody or technically rocky, excels at both."
19
2
"Oh and the grip, the MS4 has the best outsole I’ve ever run in, complete and utter confidence bombing down Lake District fells or chamonix mountains."
"they grip rock very well ... give you more feel on class 2-4 scrambles."
"Yes they're great. I live in PNW and am always on slippery rocks and roots"
14
4
"Yes they're great. I live in PNW and am always on slippery rocks and roots"
"immediately stopped rolling my ankles"
"They also aren't as likely to tip and twist your ankles."
Disliked most:
2
3
"would never use it in slippery/ muddy conditions. ... It has nowhere near the grip in those conditions compared to my Saucony Peregrines."
"These were pretty poor in the muddy and boggy sections in miles 0-10 and 65-78"
"I trust vibram Megagrip too, but it’s not as good as VJ rubber on wet rock."
4
4
"soles of my feet felt a bit mashed ... when doing a desert ultra over mostly rocky surface ... probably not *enough* cushioning"
"soles of my feet felt a bit mashed ... when doing a desert ultra over mostly rocky surface ... probably not *enough* cushioning"
"I wanted slightly more cushioning."
4
2
"I did find that when I was using Hokas that I had an increased tendency to roll my ankle after about ten miles. ... The thing with trail runners is when you are tired, it is easier to roll your ankle. I have only found this to be a concern when I was using Hoka."
"I did find that when I was using Hokas that I had an increased tendency to roll my ankle after about ten miles. ... The thing with trail runners is when you are tired, it is easier to roll your ankle. I have only found this to be a concern when I was using Hoka."
"it’s quite a narrow platform for the stack height; I rolled my ankles a bit to start with moving from the SG."
5
4
"the toe box was too narrow and was giving me blisters"
"I have a mafate speed 4 pair, intended to use them for long technical outings in replacemt of trabucos, but they are too narrow and I'm not confortable longer that 2 or 3 hours with them."
"Mafate 4s are actually wider, but still not enough for me if I'm going long."
1
4
"wouldn't recommend for dry conditions above treeline or the shoes really dry out and start to peel"
"wouldn't recommend for dry conditions above treeline or the shoes really dry out and start to peel"
"my pair was done after maybe 300 miles"
abqandrea 1.0Hoka Mafate Speed 4 - I find them as protective and cushy as the goats but not as "dead" feeling. Bouncier. And BONKERS tread. Recently have been hearing great things about La Sportiva Prodigio. Tried them on but didn't purchase. Felt amazing.
Active_Patient_4592 1.0I loved as well the 5th iteration of the speedgoat, and I have been enjoying the mafate speed 4 more than the speedgoat 6.
aidancrow654 1.0i’m really enjoying my hoka mafate speed 4’s. i’ve heard the new ones are shit though.
airhunger_rn 1.0I ran through six pairs of Lone Peaks, they rocked for traction but usually exploded around 300 miles. After 10yrs of Altras I switched to Mafates and immediately stopped rolling my ankles, had near-complete resolution of my bilateral anterior tibialis pain, and the shoes easily last 100-200 miles longer. Mafates all the way if no other reason than durability
Nordas. Dyneema construction, designed for durability. May/May not be a good shoe for your needs. Designed to give double the mileage than Altras/Hokas. That said, I've found my Hoka Mafates routinely give me 500+ drama-free miles, whereas all my Altras would usually explode at ~300miles.
AlfalfaConfident6692 1.0I am a big fan of the Mafate speed 4. And so i bought the 5. I was soooo disappointed! This is a totally different shoe. Soooo heavy and unsportive. I really hate this shoe. My toes also hurted: they are not even the same size. I just don't get it! Why not keeping it on the same track as the 4? The 5 has nothing to do with the 4. I really don't get it. I just sent them back. Really hate this shoe
AraAraGyaru 1.0It looks cool, was one of the only ones using Vibram Megagrip as standard early on before Covid made trail running more popular. As more companies either use Vibram exclusively or have a version with it, it’ll lose its edge. My main beef with hoka is that they just seem to keep adding foam (thereby increasing weight) instead of just innovating. They also messed up the mafete series so badly. People loved the mafete speed 4, should’ve just ruggedized it instead of axing it.
arod2788 1.0I've had the mafate and currently have the speedgoat 6. I hate the speedgoats and can't wait to wear them out so I can get my next pair of shoes. Mafates were excellent. I use them for trail running at all distances.
I require a wider toe box as well, and the mafate has it. I had mafate first and then tried speedgoat and they were terrible for me. Mafate for much better. I currently have Norda 001 and the toe box isn't big enough
Away-Owl2227 1.0Speedboats are probably the worst trail shoe I have ever tried. Had the 5 and have not bothered even looking at the 6. However the hoka mafate speed 4 is probably one of my favourite trail shoes. Run well over 1000ks between a few pairs and zero complaints with them. Lightweight and trail do bot really go hand in hand,dont think I have a single pair under 300g a shoe for my US12 One I am really enjoying this year has been the la sportiva prodigio pro, simply cannot fault that shoe at all.
I would take the hoka mafate speed 4 over the speedboats any day of the week, miles better shoe for me
Speedboat 5s are known for wearing super fast. I had 2 pairs, put about 200k into each and haven't used them in years because honestly they just feel shit. Got way more life out of mafate speed 4s, tecton x2s and X3s. Mafates i have multiple pairs over 400ks and nearly 500 on tecton x2s and they still feel great.
BeansFoDinner 1.0Hoka Mafate speed 4 homer, but recently moved to the Hoka Stinson 7 and they are amazing. I plan on having the Mafate’s for more mild terrain and the Stinson’s for more technical trails.
BigHairyNordic 1.0I'm a huge fan of Hoka Mafate Speed 4. It is soft, yet very stable. It's also no slouch on technical stuff.
4s are my daily trainer and I love them. This looks like a major misstep for my preferences.
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