Customer Reviews Hoka Challenger ATR 4

I tried loving these shoes because a friend I know loves them but they just weren't right for me. I would probably try another Hoka style but these were two painful to run in and I feel like I could not break them in evens after three weeks of running in them.

I used for distance walking as well as daily shorter walks. Didn't get the support from it that I get from the Bondi, so next purchase won't be this model, as I encountered more foot pain than with the Bondi.

Let me start with the positive. I LOVE THESE SHOES. They are comfortable and have good support but are still neutral. I ran my first 50k in them, and had a great run. The rather large downside is I ran less than 50 miles in less than 30 days in two separate pairs of Challenger 4 ATRs and the over-layed sole ripped and started to tear off the rest of the sole. Warrantied both of them and am now am giving the Speedgoats a go and hoping they fare better in the Sierra Nevadas..if I ran on roads, these would probably be fine (amazing), but would have loved to run a couple hundred miles in these before they started falling apart. I run on primarily trails, but it seems that they aren't built for mountainous trails or all terrain. I'm in love with the shoe, but disappointed in the durability of the sole, because running shoes are meant to last at least a few hundred miles.

It seems like they probably changed the toe box to be tighter and less roomy than the 2 and 3. Bummer. It's also less cushiony. The colors and design aren't as fun as the old ones but I may just need a new model.

For the past three years I have worn nothing but Challengers while running/racing ultras. I finished the winter out running in my ART3 and was super excited to get my new ART 4 thinking they would be just as awesome as always and I am disappointed, I put them on and thought they felt super stiff/tight and the heel area felt odd so naturally I thought well give them a few runs (although that was never the feeling in the past with Challengers) now I would say I have log about 100 + miles and I am still waiting for them to get that comfortable/cush Hoka feeling. Bring back the ART3 please!

Hi everyone....I loved the ATR 3 and it is not for sale anymore. That running shoe was perfect for my body mechanics and running. Does anyone know what is comparable to the ATR 3? I bought the ATR 4 and I can't run in them, they hurt my knees and do not have the same stability and shock absorption as I had with ATR 3. Perhaps I may have to search outside of Hoka.

Love the color. Unfortunately, they do not fit since e they are wider than the previous model. I had to return them.

I absolutely swear by hoka's goes I work in the medical field and for me this is definitely the best shoes ever!!!!

I do not like these compared to my previous HOKA's

Has to send back and get refund And no more in my size.

The shoes sent did not match the suggested size, so I'm still waiting to try the replacement

good: light weight. breath well. Other brands' mesh fabrics let dust and sand gets in, this one did a good jobs keeping my socks clean without sacrificing breathability. bad: no cushions on tongue and around openings, such that shoe strings dig into my feet and hurts. Loosing shoestrings and my feet would moves too much inside the shoes

I really wanted to love these shoes because they seemed like the perfect solution for my mixed trail/bike path runs. I noticed the arch seemed a little off but figured it would soften up once I broke them in. It did not. I gave them chance, training for and completing a trail half marathon in them. Maybe my knees appreciated these, but my feet were wrecked for weeks. Both big toe and arch blisters appeared on any run over 5 miles, even with religious taping (and this never happened in any of my old shoes). I will keep them for light hiking shoes, but they are on the shelf for running. Not sure if I will give Hoka's a try again anytime soon.

I absolutely love my Clifton 4's so I ordered the challenger Atr 4. I am so unhappy with them. They don't have the support, nor is the padding noticeable like in my Clifton's! The tongue is made of harder plastic and it rubs my ankle. The only pro, is that they aren't as flashy with crazy color combinations.

I love the way this shoe feels on my foot when running on the rocky trails. The cushion is perfect. Not too much but just enough to give me comfort on the rocky technical trails. I was very disappointed in the disability. I had run less than 50 miles in this shoe when the treads started separating from the shoe. Tried to return/exchange with retailer to no avail. I'll be sending back to Hoka and trying another shoe. I've owned several pairs of hoka shoes and they always held up 200-300 miles. Disappointed in this shoe.

Too wide of a shoe. I was hoping to be able to get them to conform better to my foot over time, but the inflexible fabric makes the shoe too stiff to break in properly.

What I like: great ride. Quick-feeling, stable, nicely cushy. All the stuff you want. Like previous generations, the only trail shoe I can wear on wet pavement & not slip all over the place, great for runs that include trail & road. Not the shoe I pick for the super muddy days. What was revealed at mile 17 on trail that I really dislike: the combination of the unpadded, almost sharp edge of the tongue and the absence of the little place on the tongue where the laces slide through to hold the tongue in place made for an agonizing finish, with multiple stops to tug the tongue up, which would last less than a quarter mile before the stabbing started again. Front side of ankle bruised today- would be raw if I'd worn low socks. Super disappointing. Gotta fix that for the next version, it's so simple!

These are a great fit, but the rubber nobs started popping of the sole after one week of use in Utah. Wish they would of worked because I like them.

These are going straight back. Felt like my feet were slapping the ground hard, there's little spring back responsiveness and they are super stiff. Yes, I understand that there's a break in period but they are so uncomfortable and wide, I'm not putting my feet back in them. Great grip on base, that was the only positive for me but the sole was very firm.

Smaller toe box, not as cushy and flexible as the previous model. Don't like them. I loved the previous model and had bought two pairs. Dissapointed :(

I've been wearing the Challengers since their inception - they were my favorite shoe for the 2nd half of ultras, or running in a lot of water. They fit like a glove, drain like a sieve, and actually had the right amount of arch support for a neutral runner. The 4s are a whole other story. The arch support has vanished, the upper is incredibly firm, and the shoe feels hard and stiff, rather than cushioned. They widened the heel and it's now too loose - my foot slips in the shoe and it just feels sloppy. That's fine if Hoka wanted to come up with a new shoe, but I'm not sure why they are calling the 4's Challengers - because they don't have any of the features that Challenger wearers wanted and loved. I say rename this shoe, and go back to making the ATR 3s, Hoka. Not sure why Hoka took a product people loved and made it something different, but if you liked the old Challengers, this is not the shoe for you.

Had the shoes less than 30 days and already returned then because bottom layer was coming off. haven't received replacement pair yet.