Customer Reviews Hoka Challenger ATR 4

When will Hoka make shoes with attractive colors.

I received my first pair of Hoka shoes about 2 weeks ago. Shoes look great and are almost to comfortable and "squishy". I have never had a pair of shoes with this much cushioning. Unfortunately, the 5th or 6th time I wore them, I noticed the rubber "cleats" designed for traction on the sole of the shoe started peeling off. I had not yet taken the shoes for a run or a hike, only wearing around town (grocery shopping, kids sports games). Incredibly disappointed in the construction and that these shoes start falling apart so quickly. Would NOT recommend.

Too much pressure on my arch. Just walking around wasn't comfortable. I have a flatter foot unfortunately these didn't work out.

Love the shoe's cushion and support, but the treads have started pulling out after about a dozen runs.

Was really looking forward to the new ATR 2 after Speed Goat 2 and Clifton 4 - but alas was disappointment. I have a really narrow foot which swam in the huge toe box. The new fit is really inconsistent with my other Hokas, Great sole but just too wide - and not so nimble!

These shoes are very comfortable and I enjoyed running in them. That is the only reason I'm giving them two stars instead of one. I've had them approximately two weeks and today part of the tread started to rip off while I was walking indoors. I'm not an every day runner so I'd say in two weeks I've put between 20-25 miles on them at most, predominantly on pavement. I'm disappointed to say the least.

I originally bought this shoe for short runs (1-5 miles) on the road or walking path, and for hiking. After 5 miles on the road and only 2 short hikes of around 10 miles each, the toe bumper was starting to peel away from the shoe and some of the rubber tread on the bottom was also starting to peel away. The next two times I wore them were on longer day hikes, one of around 25 miles and the other about 30 miles. By the end of these, the toe bumper was pulling away significantly, the side material of the shoe was worn through where my foot touched it, and I was missing several large chunks of rubber from the sole. I did a few short jogs on the road, and I just did one trail run of about 15 miles, and the shoes are officially trash now, having lost well over half the rubber on the sole and with multiple holes and tears in the upper. It seems kind of insane for a shoe to be destined for the garbage after only 15-20 total uses, and only a few of those being single days on a typical hiking trail. Comfort is somewhat OK, but the inside of the shoe below the ankle is quite abrasive, and even on the easier hikes I ended up with large blisters. I've found ways of preventing it now, but I had a large half-dollar sized blister on both feet that didn't go away for over a month. These shoes have a very high ride height for a trail shoe, which frequently causes problems on rocky/rooty terrain because the shoe wants to roll to one side or the other. I also had a hard time with large rocks, as these shoes did not have much traction due to the small amount of rubber (that promptly starts falling off) on the sole. Overall this is a good shoe for running or hiking on well-groomed paths, but is far from ideal for an actual trail.

I purchased these shoes for occasional trail races. The fit great, were extremely light, and had the right amount of traction for the type of trails I was running on. Unfortunately, the tread has peeled off more and more with each use. I contacted Hoka, but they wanted me to pay to send them back and then they would determine if the tread was the caused by material defect or normal wear and tear. Given the one-sided nature of that proposition, I passed and have tried to super glue portions of the tread back on, but new sections keep coming undone. Maybe a good shoe if there are no rocks or roots on the trail.

Changes to the tongue of this version was enough for me to return them buy up all of the old Challenger ATR 3's I could find online. The tongue of version 4 has no padding and the tongue holder was removed! The new tongue design left nasty bruises in two spots - towards the upper-top (near my ankle) of my foot and the lower-top (just above my toes) of my foot. I also really didn't like the larger hard, protective rubber area covering the toes - this led to black toenails during hill running. Other than that, it's a great shoe and has very few flaws. Unfortunately, the flaws are so bad, I am not able to use these shoes! Hoka: PLEASE bring back the Challenger 3 tongue and make the toe guard smaller!

Although last year's ATR 3 had quality problems with the upper splitting across the toebox, and some 2017 lots were made too narrow in the toebox, the two pairs of ATR 3 that I bought in early 2017 served me well for ultras, despite the lugs peeling and upper splitting. In 2018, I am still trying to extend the life of them with duct tape because they work so well for me, and accept orthotics. But the ATR 4 is a completely different shoe. Stiff, hard midsole, excessive arch sculpting, and midfoot too narrow, even without using with an orthotic. They ride like narrow bricks attached to your feet, rigid, poor flexibility and cushioning. Consequently unstable given their high stack height on a narrow platform width. I tried to 'modify' them to add flexibility but to no avail. Can't be fixed. (Speedgoat 2 I also bought this year had the same problems. Teetering on unstable bricks on technical trails doesn't work). Moved then to the Stinson and they are extremely inflexible and can't perform like the ATR 3 on technical trails either. So after several hundred lost $ for three pairs of new 2018 Hokas I can't resell, I am using still using the ATR 3s from last year, applying duct tape. I've exhausted any ATR 3 re-seller availability online. ATR change is similar to the Clifton change from 3 to 4 this year. I liked the Clifton 3, not the 4. Waiting for Hoka to re-launch production of ATR 3 (with the fuller width toebox manufactured in early 2017). But alas, just received and started running in a max cushioned ultra trail shoe from a different brand, the model named after a Greek mountain, and it looks like it will serve me well for ultras up to 100 miles. Until the ATR 3 reincarnation perhaps.

The latest iteration of the Challenger (ATR 4) has a new, firmer midsole that just doesn't cushion like the previous models. I wish Hoka wouldn't make significant changes like this to a shoe's handling characteristics. It's like you never know what you're going to get. One year they're great, the next year it might as well be a completely different shoe. The new lower-volume tongue is fine, but it makes the shoe a half size bigger. I've been buying my Challenger ATR's online ever since the first model came out. This is the first time I've had to send a pair back and size down. Annoying. All in all, I'm not a fan at all of the new ATR4. The midsole cushion is significantly firmer and it's a different shoe than the one I fell in love with. Come on Hoka, let's get some consistent product lines, please. Hoping they bring back the softer cushion in the ATR 5. For me, this shoe is going back to the store. If you love the Challenger, I wouldn't bother with the ATR4. Get the Speedgoat 2, which has the same marshmallow cushion as the previous ATRs (and much better durability).

Love the shoes, light, cushioned, good traction, but after four runs the outer sole on the heel of one shoe has begun to peel off. I don't complain about shoe prices (Hoka is up there though), but at full price they should hold up a little better. I sent mine back for an exchange. I'll keep you all posted on how the replacement shoes hold together.

Comfortable enough, but I question the quality as the colored (blue) treads have failed on two consecutive pairs. The symmetrical nature of this failure (same location on left and right shoe) leads me to believe quality control is lacking.

I love the shoe for the most part. Most of my running is done on the generally hard pack trails of Forest Park in Portland, OR. For the hard terrain, and the rough, rocky road that I use for transition from trail to trail, this shoe has been a dream. The ride is soft, but doesn't feel squishy. There is enough feel and responsiveness that I am confident on most terrain. The downside is that the shoe and lugs are on not aggressive in the least. A little slick snot on top of the hardpack dirt and you MUST stay on your forefoot or you'll slide out. Downhill running the heel has almost no grip and if you let your feet get ahead and heel strike you are asking for a wipeout in anything but dry conditions. When you get into sloppy, muddy conditions, these shoes are all over the place. The Speedgoats were tighter and didn't fit nearly as well, though they are significantly more agressie. These shoes have quite a bit of room in the toebox. In my opinion, these are great hardpack shoes. I really enjoy wearing these... to the point where they have been by far the best trail shoe I've ever worn. They feel so good I wore them during a recent Half because they are better than my current road shoes. 5 stars for the comfort, and use in the correct conditions. The downside...and it is a big one....I bought these on February 21st. Today is March 28th and the upper is tearing out by the ball of the foot where it adheres to the sole, and is also torn by the pinkie toe. I've put roughly 150 miles on the shoes in the last month and it appears they are are almost toast. The next few runs should see them tear out completely. The lugs on the soles haven't even worn down at all. Fortunately the running store I bought them at have already committed to replacing them.

I was so excited about these. I am a big Hoka evangelist and this is the first time I have been deeply disappointed. I ran through 3 pairs of ATR 2s and 2 pairs of ATR 3s, and found these to be a steep departure, both in terms of ride and appearance. After a test run (and I know, these do require a small break-in period), I found that the ride felt bloated compared to the previous gen Challengers. It is a bummer finding the "perfect shoe" and then seeing the manufacturer take it in a completely different direction. I was able to get a pair of ATR 3s on sale in my size, but am unsure what I will do once those wear out. My next shoe will not be the ATR 4, but hopefully still a Hoka.

So excited for the ATR 4 since it is way lighter than the previous model however the mesh on the sides of this new ATR is not pleasant to my feet even with socks. Totally disappointed.

My second pair of Hokas because first pair fell apart

After 3 runs of more than 15 miles each the shoes still ride very hard. They are not even close to any other Challanger model I have ran in. 6 different Challagers, they all ride better than these shoes. I bought 2 pair of Challenger 3s and I will probably donate these shoes.

I've always been a 13 in the challenger ATR, but these feel much bigger and not as stable as previous models.

I bought these because you advertised them as one of the best cushioned shoe you sell. I just came home from Disneyland and after walking in these shoes for 7 hours I thought my leg was going to fall off. These are terrible shoes to wear if you plan on hiking or long walks in them. I returning them because I don't think I had them a month yet.

I use this shoe for light walking and around the office. I am far from being a runner. This is my second pair of HOKA shoes(Tor Summit and Challenger ATR 4). Both pair started falling apart after less than 6 months. I have had shoes last me years. The HOKA shoe is at the top of the price list but at the bottom of the durability scale. That being said it is one of the most comfortable shoes I have had on. But with the durability issues it's hard to buy another pair at that price for the amount of service you get.

Bought the first pair December of 2018. Had replaced under warranty in March, by October 2019 second pair did the same thing. Tread splits from the bottom of the shoe. The warranty process was great and on the second pair they refunded my money. Will be trying out another Hoka Shoe

I bought a pair of these from the sale rack at an outdoor store in Berkeley, CA and, after about 60 miles, they started to fall apart. I returned them using the Hoka online form and never heard a thing from Hoka about them. I have had several pairs of Hokas, but those will be the last.

Have been a long time Hoka wearer and was not satisfied with this version of the ATR. Lugs on the heel literally fell off after about 20 miles of use. This happened on my last ATR's after about 300 miles of use.