Customer Reviews Hoka Speedgoat 4

I have been buying Speedgoat 3 and since they don't make them anymore I bought Speedgoat 4. My only big issue with them is the tongue. It pushes into my foot. I actually am dealing with it instead of returning the shoe because I love the fit and cushion.

I normally wear a 7.5W for the Cliftons. I bought a 7.5W for the SpeedGoats. Out of the box, they're spongier than my Cliftons. And considerably wider. This is utterly HEAVENLY as I'm always wearing the thinnest socks even when I'm in a wide for the Cliftons. I now have the option to wear cushier socks for my winter trail runs. Please don't change this in the wide version! They're grippy and no issues with slippage so far. However, my gait gets lazy at times and I've tripped towards the end of my runs. I've also used my Cliftons on the same trails and haven't tripped before so I found this odd. My best guess is there's something about the beefy tread around the toe. It just means I have be deliberate and mindful about picking up my feet. It's something to watch out for. And finally, one major complaint. At first, I didn't mind the tongue and didn't notice the notorious feedback by others. However, after my second run, the tongue started cutting into my ankle. This is a major flaw. I found it quite distracting. It's quite stiff so I've been taking advantage of that to a certain extent by bending the tongue away from my ankle. It seems to stay out of harms way for the most part for awhile but I expect I'll have to adjust this quite frequently.

Husband already had a pair so knee they would be good, great for hiking in the tropical forests

This is the first time buying Hoka shoes on recommendation from my foot MD. Great feeling shoes, good cushion for my post surgical feet. Only downfall is how high the tongue comes up above my socks and is oddly shaped. It is rubbing on my skin and creating a sore. usually order a size 7.5 or 8 in a running shoe. Had to size down to a 7. The Hoka website was great about return and exchanges.

I just wore them for the first time the other day, they do take a bit to get used to. I wish you made bigger sizes with more choices in women's. I wear an 11and had 2 options of colors and styles to choose from. I bought a pair 1- because they came highly recommend &2- after I saw how well they withstood the hubby.

This is my 2nd pair of Hoka, and I loved the Speedgoat 3. They "upgraded" to the 4 and when I questioned the representative, she assured me that the changes in the 4 were cosmetic. I beg to differ. The fit is different, there appears to be more volume in the forefoot, and the ankle cut is closer (steeper) to the ankle bone, and I got an abrasion near the bottom of my ankle bone. I run about 4-5 miles 3-4 times a week on trails in Colorado. I am not giving up on them yet, but I am definitely not as happy.

It is perfect for trail running and light hiking.

I really like the overall shoe. It is just as supportive as my prior Hokas, and the styling is nice too. The new tongue may help keep it from moving left and right in the shoe, but after a longer walk I ended up with cuts on both of my ankles, one piece of the tongue is longer and it rubs my ankle. If I make sure to pull my socks up far enough it helps. I may just cut the tongue back a bit.

I absolutely LOVE the grip on these shoes as I hit the trails. There is no slipping and sliding for me with my awesome new shoes. However... the tongue on these shoes is like nothing I have ever seen. It's thin and might even hurt the top of my ankle if I didn't wear socks that are tall enough to provide protection for my skin. It is a flaw that needs to be fixed sooner rather than later. But overall, I'm happy with these shoes.

Very light weight. They add spring to my step as I use them for walking. Walking is vital to my rehab

Soft for my old knees

I use these for trail running and the cushion is the best I have found. The speedboat 4 isn't as supportive as the speedgoat 3. The arch support was better in the 3 but I still love them.

Best shoes ! Love it.

I'm a casual runner, going about 16 miles a week, but I'm noticing more knee and hip pain in the last year. I've been a dedicated Asics consumer, being identified as an over-pronator, but I decided to switch. I tried so many brands and Hoka seems to be the most comfortable. The Speedgoat was the only one that fit my skinny feet, and it could be a little tighter around the heel area. I was worried about the lower htts, but it hasn't bothered me at all after a month of usage. I haven't felt any knee or hip pain, and I feel like I'm running differently. The only complaint I have is the tongue on the shoe does rub on my ankles. It doesn't hurt at all, but there is a red welt where it makes contact with my ankles. Seems like an easy design fix for future, but love my current Speedgoats. I wear 8-8.5 in regular shoes. I wore 9.5 in Asics. I got the 8.5 in the Speedgoats.

I give 4 for the shoe, 0 for the tongue. I read the reviews before purchasing and saw that performance and comfort was great except the tongue might be a problem. Those reviews were right! The shoe itsel is super comfortable on trails and uneven ground, rocky beach... a bit too much shoe for paths and pavement but that's not what it's meant for. I really like the shoe but... the tongue! It has a thin, almost sharp edge and is cut high so it pokes above ankle socks. I was wearing mine walking to try out first, the tongue was uncomfortable and I worried these would start to cut or blister on a longer or vigorous distance. I saw other reviewer suggestions on this website just to trim the tongue and finally decided to take the chance (because I liked the shoe itself so much). It didn't help. Might be worse. Now the tongue (so hard!) feels like it cuts in right at the ankle joint (through the sock) instead of above the sock on the skin. I don't know if Hoka will take a return now because I altered the tongue, so if not this becomes a dog walking shoe... but it's really too bad about this terrible tongue on an awesome shoe. I also wish there was an option to purchase replacement laces in other colours.

I use my speedgoat for everyday walking... I can wear them for hours and my feet still feel great! But after several hours of use I have a scar because the tongue has rubbed my ankle raw. I actually saw blood the other day so I had to change my shoes....

FINALLY, Hoka folks offered "W" in these spongy grippers, but they need to offer "W" in more colors than 1. I have wide, flat & bunioned feet, so the width in these were much better than the reg. I did change the insole to gel type instead to provide more bounce. I've only used these shoes so far for flat terrain, cement to grass trails. I liked them b/c the grip is great. And the size was on the dot for me, 9.5. As stated w/ other comments, i had the opposite result, the tongue/ankle part for me didn't effect my running. No skin irritation or pinching occurred so far. Although, I've only used these shoes for 5miles or less. I'm dead sure, if I ran 10mi or more, ANY shoe would irritate my wide feet, esp in hot Hawaiian weather where your feet swell a bit.

I love everything about this shoe and it's almost there, but the tongue needs to be shortened. It's impossible to wear low socks with these or you end up with cuts to the front of your ankles from it digging in. It only took me one short run to realize my mistake. I do love the stability and extra cushion, it's been great for my ultra training and I'll continue to buy, but Hoka PLEASE consider revising the tongue somehow to accommodate us low sock lovers!

I've been a Cascadia die-hard for the past 12+ years until Brooks decided to redesign the last, making the toe more narrow. I had been wanting to try the Speedgoat for a while, so I took the plunge. All-in-all, I really like the shoe for both smooth and technical trails, although the change in cushioning did take some getting used to. BUT the tongue in these shoes is very poorly designed. There's no padding, which is uncomfortable, but the worst part is that the top (I think it's supposed to look like a mountain, maybe?) rubs my ankle above my sock. I always wear Belega blister resist no-show socks, but I've had to resort to an old pair of quarter socks to protect my ankles.

They are comfortable but I wish they had more arch support. I tried several trail shoes and chose these because they were the least wide and most comfortable. But still too wide for me. I do not have unusually narrow feet.