Hoka - Mafate Speed Series
Models:
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Dec 5, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
43
8
"Ran a 50k and never once bothered my feet."
"Agreed , I much prefer the mafate speed 4 .I hated the tongue on the speedgoat 5s, I couldn’t get good heel lockdown without awful lace bite."
"a lot of bounce and responsiveness"
44
6
"I feel invincible in them (wet / icy road, packed trail or mud) ... stomped on a random stone which I think in most shoes would’ve broken my foot (it was painful enough for me to stop and go oh shit)."
"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"
34
5
"I feel invincible in them (wet / icy road, packed trail or mud) ... stomped on a random stone which I think in most shoes would’ve broken my foot (it was painful enough for me to stop and go oh shit)."
"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"
20
4
"Ran a 50k and never once bothered my feet."
"I just finished the Norte-Primitivo, Portuguese, and the Fisherman's Trail, about 800 miles all in one pair of shoes."
"last longer than the Speedgoat 5s. ... Current pair is at 400 miles and still feels great."
23
11
"I feel invincible in them (wet / icy road, packed trail or mud) ... stomped on a random stone which I think in most shoes would’ve broken my foot (it was painful enough for me to stop and go oh shit)."
"Yes they're great. I live in PNW and am always on slippery rocks and roots"
"immediately stopped rolling my ankles"
Disliked most:
5
5
"the toebox is too narrow for me and gives blisters on the outside of my big toes. ... the toe box is just too tight for me."
"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."
5
3
"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."
"But so ‘tall’ that I would sometimes roll my ankle."
"it’s quite a narrow platform for the stack height; I rolled my ankles a bit to start with moving from the SG."
8
5
"The tread was meh for steep/tech trails. ... The lugs are pointed like skinny arrows, rather than the massive mud-tire tread of the Mafate Speed. ... And super rocky technical trails might eat this shoe alive."
"the X (this one) would honestlmy be dangerous to use on something technical"
"would never use it in slippery/ muddy conditions. ... It has nowhere near the grip in those conditions compared to my Saucony Peregrines."
2
5
"I would be guaranteed to bite it on our downhills in Agravic Speed Ultras or Mafate X, it's just too much shoe and too unstable when dealing with the rockhopping."
"they’re so heavy that they didn’t really feel like race shoes"
"This is by far the SQUISHIEST and highest stack height shoe I've ever worn — and that would take getting used to."
10
5
"And the tread does not cover the entirety of the foam, which makes me wonder if they will break down or delaminate like other recent models. ... There's a big rock-grabbing hole in the foam, to boot."
"The tread was meh for steep/tech trails. ... The lugs are pointed like skinny arrows, rather than the massive mud-tire tread of the Mafate Speed. ... And super rocky technical trails might eat this shoe alive."
"my pair was done after maybe 300 miles"
Mafate Speed 4 is still great. Big fan of the Nike Zegama 2 these days too. Both are on the heavier side but are very protective and have great grip. I feel a bit more nimble in the Mafate though. I have a Kjerag that I really like but I guess I have poor footwork because I think I need more cushion. I really hurt my foot landing on a root in the last race I wore them on. Mafate Speed 4 Lite is very cool but I want to see some reviews from trail runners. Hoka is positioning it as a lifestyle shoe which I think is odd and is causing it to be looked over by real runners (I think).
r/trailrunning • What's your preferred trail running shoe for (US) northeast trails? ->good eye! Yes. they did well during the race. when I switched to the Speedgoats at mile 50 is when my feat started to hurt. maybe that was the speed goats, maybe it would have happened anyway. I don't know. but my feeet were feeling pretty good for the first 50 in the Mafate X.
r/Ultramarathon • The Power of Attention ->Mafate Speed 4. Just enough squishy cushion, and bonkers tread. I still remember one of the first legit trail shoes. The asics gel Moro. At the time they were a pretty great option when there was almost nothing else. They came out around the same time or maybe even slightly before the Montrail Vitesse.
r/trailrunning • What’s the best trail running shoe you’ve ever owned and why? ->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.
r/Ultramarathon • Alternatives to Hoka Speed Goats ->Mafate Speed 4. Love love love these things. Used to love Topo but now they feel so heavy.
r/trailrunning • Want a faster shoe but love Topo Ultraventure ->I found the fit on my mafate’s to narrow for anything more than a 25k. Honestly wouldn’t recommend them even at that distance if you have a wider than a normal D size.
r/trailrunning • What's everyone using for shoes these days? ->i’m really enjoying my hoka mafate speed 4’s. i’ve heard the new ones are shit though.
r/Ultralight • More durable/longevity trail runner and hiking shoe options? ->I 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
r/trailrunning • Hoka Mafate Speed 4 versus Altra Lone Peak 9 (or 9+) ->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.
r/trailrunning • Most durable trail running shoes? ->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
r/trailrunning • Has anyone tried the Mafate 5 already? ->I'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.
r/trailrunning • Is Speedgoat 6 that bad? ->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
r/ultrarunning • Hoka Speedgoat - more durable, wider toe box alternative? ->I use mafate speed 4s for most my runs but with use tecton x2s or tecton x3s for races depending on terrain.
r/trailrunning • Looking for a Trail Running Shoe for Short Races – With Enough Support for a Heavier Runner ->I thought the 5 was awful and haven't even tried the 6. Have 2 pairs of 5s with about 100k in each. Lugs wore quickly and you felt every rock in them. Very little energy return from the foam. Switched to mafates and they are a better shoe is every way for me
r/trailrunning • Are the Speedgoat 6s really that terrible? ->Speedboats 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.
r/trailrunning • Trail running shoe question – Hoka Speedgoat 6 issue & alternatives? ->Few are duplicate pairs because i like the shoes that much. 3 pairs of hoka mafates and 2 pairs of tecton x2s
r/trailrunning • Do you own multiple pairs of shoes? ->I would take the hoka mafate speed 4 over the speedboats any day of the week, miles better shoe for me
r/trailrunning • Advice needed: Best trail shoe for a 24-hour 80 km mountain hike/run? ->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
r/RunningShoeGeeks • Hoca Mafate X trail, to be released sometime in May allegedly. ->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
r/RunningShoeGeeks • Hoca Mafate X trail, to be released sometime in May allegedly. ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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