Challenger Series

HOKA Challenger 7s HOKA Speedgoat 7s (but still getting some kms out of my 6s as well) Not a fanboy of the brand but every time I’ve gone into a shop to try on different shoes they’ve always been my favourite. 

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’ve had three pairs of Challengers; first two were great but the third really rubbed on my Achilles. Maybe just unlucky as I will probably get another pair at some point as the other pairs were so good. 

I have Speedgoats and like them but depending on how technical/difficult a more hybrid shoe like the Hoka Challenger might be a better one.  If you can, definitely get to a shop and try some out as you never know what will be right for you. 

I wore hoka challengers v7 for 3 of my non technical 100’s last year. One I didn’t I wore a combo of roadfly max and trail fly max and my extensor tendons really suffered for a long time after.

I'd suggest looking at the Hoka Challenger ATR 7s. Good crossover shoe, leaning a little more to trail, but still good on pavement. Looks like the 7s are at the end of their life - I'm seeing them for good discounts at the moment, so expect the 8s soon. A friend just got a pair for 40% off here in Aus.

I really love my speedgoats, and they are on an okay discount at the moment, but with the mixed terrain and particularly the hard granite, I'd be suggesting the Challenger 8 instead. They're also on a pretty good special at the moment as well.

When I say the 7 fit my foot perfectly it was like an absolute dream. But like I said I’d hit like 300 miles and that was it. It’s like it deflated. I’m 220lbs, so I’m not exactly light on my feet. So that’s probably part of it.

The Hoka challenger is a shoe that fits me like a glove. Like it was custom made just for me. I’ve had six pairs of them over the years but they break down between 3-350 miles every time and I can’t be buying new shoes every 10-12 weeks. I tried the speetgoats, which are much more durable, but the fit isn’t the same. The challengers….a near perfect shoe.

Ive have several pairs of challengers and two pairs of speedgoats. I loved them but found after time they just don’t hold up. I was getting like 150-200 miles out of them before I had to replace which is just not within my budget.

Hoka Skyflow - 736km - bought these after a long time as a Clifton wearer. A bit disappointing tbh, heavy and unresponsive, though from time to time I quite enjoy a run in them. Wearing them on slow runs only now and won’t be buying another pair. Evo SL - 595km - loved the Hoka Mach 5 for longer and tempo runs, but preferred these over the Mach 6 (seriously Hoka, what have you been playing at the last few years?). My best all rounder, will certainly replace them unless the Mach 7 is amazing. Kinvara 15 - 134km - light and quick and the closest I get to a minimal shoe. Good for speed work, track sessions and fast stuff up to about 5 miles. Low drop, get me nicely onto my fore/midfoot and give the calves a good workout! Begin to feel the lack of cushion eventually though. Hoka Mach X2 - 253km - great for longer faster stuff and racing, quicker than the Evo SL and more stable. Should wear them more really, especially as it looks like the Mach X3 looks decent. Hoka Challenger 7 - 363km - my current go to trail shoe - not that exciting but suit the kind of mixed road/trail routes near where I live. Peregrine ISO - 168km - a heavier duty trail shoe which I’ve used much less than I thought I would since they’re fairly horrible on hard surfaces. Good in the mud though, and useful for XC where the ground isn’t suitable for spikes. Nike Dragonfly XC - 35km - have gone all in on XC this season, and these have been excellent, especially as I found them for £40. Light and responsive and a joy to run in.