Customer Reviews Hoka Evo Mafate 2

First, let me say that I really like the Evo Mafate 2s. Second, I bought the EM2s to replace my Evo Speedgoats, which are, in my limited experience, the best trail running shoe made. So, with that framework in mind, here are my thoughts on the EM2s. I have just over 40 miles on my EM2s. I've done hill work/elevation training runs and long runs in them. I run on the rocky trails of the Wasatch Front. The EM2s offer great traction on steep inclines and declines of 20% or more. They also provide a great ride on long runs. I didn't notice any meaningful discomfort in ankle/knee/hip joints throughout the runs. That's a great thing for me, as I've had a number of surgeries over the years to several of those joints. My first issue (of 2) is that on long and steep descent runs (between a half mile and a mile), my heel won't stay locked down. I have plenty of room in the toebox, which is awesome. But my heel kept slipping. It didn't really hurt my toes that much to be shoved into the front of the shoe, but I had to stop twice on my latest elevation run to retie my shoes. I think part of the issue may be with the elastic laces. I tape my heels as a matter of course before hill work, but I started to feel hot spots on my heels in my last run. Also, with my feet so far forward in the shoes, I seem to kick up little pebbles or debris into the back of my shoe. It's annoying. I didn't experience this issue in the Evo Speedgoats. My second issue is that the ankle collar on the inside of my right shoe came apart during my last long run. It didn't prevent me from finishing the run, but I've only got 40 miles on them. But, I really like the EM2s. I've already ordered a replacement pair. And HOKA's return policy is second to none. They'll let me return my current pair for a full refund. I'm definitely an advocate of the brand. HOKA will keep you running.

I am a 6' tall woman with size 13 feet. Unfortunately, that means I usually have to wear men's athletic shoes. Normally, as a woman, I find the shoes too wide and they come up too high on my ankles causing discomfort and irritation. However, I am usually able to find shoes to my liking without too much difficulty. I was very excited to receive this new shoe from Hoka based on the images, description, and reviews. I ordered a men's 12.5 (a wm 13.5), needing something with a little extra room to accommodate swelling that can occur after many miles on the trail. However, these shoes were soooo narrow! They looked more like women's shoes than men's, which is not a bad thing; however, with socks, they were very snug. I'm not sure how they're going to hold up with all that stress on the thin fabric over the long haul. Additionally, for a trail shoe, the fabric seems really flimsy. I'm not sure it's going to a) hold up, or b) provide any protection from the elements I'm bound to encounter. Lastly, the toe box is so narrow and pointy! There is a good inch of unusable space at the end of the shoe, and my toes still feel squished. I don't know how men can wear this shoe. I am sending these back for the next half size up to see if there's any improvement, but I am skeptical.

I am an intermediate ultrarunner that was looking for a highly (plush/soft) cushioned shoe. The shoe actually fit my feet fairly well for the most part; if not a bit too narrow in the heel and toe. I found the shoes very aesthetically pleasing, well made, stable, fairly good grip, and fairly comfortable overall. they obviously have plenty of cushion, but the underfoot cushioning was too firm/almost stiff for what I was looking for. My feet started hurting after only a few miles. Because I know your brand is the king of cushion, I also have a pair of Speedgoat 3s and Challenger ATR 4's that I'm eagerly waiting to try. i definitely think positively of your brand overall and will keep giving you a chance!

The rocker effect is not as prominent as the earlier model. I would prefer at bit more drop from front to back like 6 to 8mm would be better.

Tried these on a hill repeat training day. Unfortunately with almost 2000 miles logged for this year, this was the pair of shoes that inducted me to the hall of the black toe nail group. The mega grip? awesome! The fit, too narrow. Wish these fit more like the torrents.

I am in search for a trail shoe that will get me through my training and to the finish line of many ultras. Having experienced the torrents, speedgoats, and Stinsons atr's, these had to be the one! At first yes, a tad snug in the toe box but nothing major until my second day of hill repeats. Not only was my left heel blistering from the high back heel, I began to have the "bunching up of the sock" feeling by my right pinky toe. Low and behold after a small 16 mile, 4700 foot elevation training run and the removal of my injinji toe sock, my pinky toenail was purple as can be. Unfortunately after all of my miles, this will be the shoe that finally inducted me to the black toenail club. I wish these shoes were roomier maybe like the torrents. The mega grip is absolutely superior!

Overall I like the shoes but I'm still not convinced it's the correct shoe for my foot. The heel slip and inability to lock down is by far the worst part of the shoe. The tongue while better than the first is still bothersome and takes effort to keep from sliding down. On both shoes I had to relace the shoes stretching the tongue to its maximum so to prevent it from sliding down. Overall the laces and tongue cause significant foot pain as once the tongue slid the laces put direct pressure on the top of the foot. Moreover, in order to get the heel to stop slipping I had to over tighten the laces causing additional foot pain. I ended up replacing the stretchy flat laces that came with the shoes and that resolved most of the fit issues although not entirely. The arch is a bit high, firm, and narrow in the mid foot curing medial lower leg pain. The shoes are also marginal no technical terrain. While the lugs provide great traction given the medial leg pain and fit issues anything significantly off camber is painful. On gravel or better groomed single track they perform much better but so do road shoes. The best part of the shoes and the reason I keep fiddling with fit is the foam and toe off is fantastic. There's wonderful balance between cushion and responsiveness. Additionally the rockered sole is well balance so long as you adjust your stride/foot strike to let the shoe do what it wants to do. I would love to see Hoka use the foam combination in more of its shoes. It would also be great to see a more flexible version of this shoe with a slightly wider mid foot both for fit issues and stability. Clearly the tongue and laces could be improved as well. Overall though I'd recommend the shoe as it works at various speeds and seems to do quite a bit of the work for you.

I'm using the new one since 80 km and the shoes are already destroyed.... Confort is really good lightweight and super dynamic. But fabric and stitching is a pain... The shoes are already open on the top... I'm ready disappointed for the price, I was expecting much more quality and durability.

The shoe is awesome on long trail runs. Very cushioned and my legs were never tired. They performed not good on muddy runs though. Very slippery. The worst part about them is rolling your ankles. I have never rolled my ankles before, until I bought these. I rolled them three times in a race. The last time put me in a boot. I happened to read a review on them from outdoor gear lab talking about them being possibly the worst shoes on the market to roll your ankles.

...but there was zero support on the heel. I felt like I was gonna fall backward. Immediately started hurting my back.

I put I 30 miles and the fabric inside the heal pulled away from the sole. I contacted support and the only option is to replace them. The problem I had was the 240 mile race in 3 days. I didn't have time to replace them. I was looking for a dependable shoe. Based on the price, I would think you get what you pay for. But in this case the high price tag doesn't reflect the poor quality. I will look elsewhere for dependable shoes.

however! i think the stitches are a little weak in the toe box area. I had to order a replacement after only wearing them 3 times. The stitches were coming out.