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Top Pros
Top Cons
Reddit Reviews
Hoka 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.
Just took my first spin in my new North Face Vectiv Enduris 4 and they are SCHWEEET. Nice bounce, decent low profile tread, medium drop. Only a tiny bit narrow in the toebox so be aware of that. My other favorite "daily" trail shoe is Hoka Mafate Speed 4, if that helps.
I loved as well the 5th iteration of the speedgoat, and I have been enjoying the mafate speed 4 more than the speedgoat 6.
I'm amazed that most people here aren't getting more distance out of theirs. Doing some quick math, my last pair of Mafate Speed 4s got over 1,500 miles, and that's because the backs wore out (usually where mine fail). The only pair of Hokas I've had break apart like OP's are my Arahis, and I put just about as many miles on those. Even those only failed after I rolled my ankle and put a ton of force on the sidewall on a single track trail. Still finished my 50k that day.
i’m really enjoying my hoka mafate speed 4’s. i’ve heard the new ones are shit though.
I 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
I have raced both MS4 and Prodigio Pro in mountain races. Prodigio Pro is a liability in technical terrains, its bouncier foam, narrower platform, softer collar/heel (all relative to MS4) will cause stability issues when \*running\* in rocky and steep surfaces unless you're a pro. My legs get tired faster in Prodigio Pro than in MS4 despite the former is 30 grams lighter per shoe. The regular Prodigio is a better in that regard but range limited.
I’m still pissed that the Mafate evo 2 was discontinued. My absolute favourite running shoe without an argument. The speed 3 and speed 4 just don’t have the same feel nor do speedgoats
It 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.
Rankings by Use Case
Top recommendations from others in the same boat
Best for Deep mud and soft ground

Top pick
Salomon - Speedcross Series
Best for Quick draining and drying for wet trails

Top pick
Hoka - Speedgoat Series
Best for Road-to-trail transitions

Top pick
Nike - Pegasus Trail Series
Best for Steep technical descents

Top pick
Salomon - Genesis Series
Best for Technical rocky terrain

Top pick
La Sportiva - Prodigio Series
Best for Ultra-marathon racing

Top pick
La Sportiva - Prodigio Series





