Customer Reviews Hoka Mafate Speed 4

I actually like these as far as comfort over my speedgoats Fit & feel is perfect , only one little problem the stretchy part in the toe box needs to be made smaller in the next iteration so the big toe doesnt come up in that area & just feels ackward catching in between the stretch part & the overlay

Very comfortable

Very comfortable easy to break in mainly used for walking trails and blacktop roads!

I was a little skeptical about these shoes because I own multiple Bondi 8 (which I thought felt the best). But holy cow, the Mafate Speed 4 has shot to the top of my list for comfort. So much that I had to buy two so I don't wear the one pair out so quickly.

This is what the speed goat should have become, better cushioning and responsiveness. I still run occasionally in my SG5 but it just feels clunkier and not as springy as the MS4. The only knocks for me are that the MS4 runs a little narrow , not bad but a wide version would be great, and they're a little spendy .That being said, this is my favorite trail shoe and I'm on my second pair and will definitely buy a 3rd. I don't see myself buying another SG even when the SG6 is released

This is my 4th pair and I can easily take them past 400 miles. Comfortable and durable.

It's not a hot take that the Mafate 4 kicks, but if you're someone reading this review and on the fence about the shoe or the price tag, just buy it. It is simultaneously one of the most responsive, technical, grippy shoes I've worn, while still being incredibly bouncy. Usually that's a tradeoff, but not here. My one nit, which is specific to me, is not being wide enough in the forefoot. After a longer run, the inside edge of my foot would have been hanging out just enough for just long enough to be irritated. That said, I ran through this shoe, used it in a 25k race (would def use it for a 50) and swapped it out to be a hiking and casual shoe once the tread got low. Through circumstance I have two other trail runners right now so don't need another pair, but can't wait to buy another soon.

I always use to buy the Speedgoats, and they are fantastic trust me! In my latest Speedgoat 5's I started feeling some of the rocks under foot during trail races. And when I switched to the Mafate Speed 4's, that feeling went away. I'm tending to like them a little bit better.

Always wore the Speedgoat but tried these and I like them a little better. They seem to shield the rock-under-foot-feel a little better. Perfect balance of stability and cushion!

I just ordered my second pair of Mafate Speed 4's, so excited. I put over 400 mile on the first pair on some really rugged rocky PA terrain and I loved every minute, almost. My recommendation is to break the shoe in for about 25 mi before you make any decisions. The lower is perfect from the get-go and the upper is almost perfect from the start. My pinky toe on my right foot got rubbed just a little bit, but once they were broken and I had no issues. I ran two 100k races in this shoe and never felt like I had to change them mid-race.

I recently took up trail running again, after a long hiatus to farm. I bought these brand of shoes because they kept coming up. Even though they seemed to get good ratings, it seemed like a lot of accolades for not much. They seem to have good cushion, but other than that, they look like any other pair of trail running shoes. Was I wrong! It only took 1 run & at lest 5 more since that. I totally love these shoes. They fit & I mean really fit. I don't even like my shoes tight, so as I always do, I bought then a little larger even though I wouldn't for trail running shoes. But it doesn't matter it'll like running in socks with fluffy clouds underneath. But you can still feel the trail, & roots, & rocks!

I've seen so many people with the Hoka shoes. I finally asked a few friends and random people how they like the shoe. They all said they loved the shoes. So i bought a pair and took them to London with me and walked all over London with them on. I'm a Nike guy, but my nike shoe aren't even close when i judge them against my new Hoka for comfort.

I originally purchased these shoes after I tore the upper on a pair of SG 5's hoping to have a go-to cushioned trail shoe for everything from quick weekday runs to long slogs in the mountains. These did not disappoint however having put almost 400mi on my first pair, I have noticed some limitations. But first, the pros. On the first few runs in these shoes I was super pleased with the dual density midsole. Perfect balance between cushion and responsiveness. After many weeks of use I did notice the midsole flattening out a bit and it resulted in a bit of a firmer, less bouncy ride however I am overall impressed with the durability of the midsole materials. I feel like a bit of flattening is normal but this shoe still maintains a decent amount of snappy responsiveness even after close to 400mi of use. Another positive is the upper has also been a solid performer. After tearing through the upper on the SG 5's after 200mi, I was a little hesitant but I can attest to the fact that the upper on these Mafates have held up exceptionally well. Another pro is the outsole, the traction initially from the Vibram litebase outsole is great. For a cushioned trail runner these shoes perform considerably well on technical terrain although I would not buy these for that purpose. and here is where these shoes reach some limitations. I would say that if you're looking for a shoe to take into the mountains and tackle rocky/ technical terrain day after day, these shoes may not be a good fit. A few reasons why. First, although the vibram light base outsole has great traction and stickiness to it, it wears relatively quickly. The traction on my current shoes have about a 1/3 of the material left on the outsole and I have been slipping a ton on dry rock. Granted I have almost 400mi on the shoes but still. Also, the fit is on the roomier side which is great for long runs but for technical descents, it's slightly sloppy. Overall, impressive shoe that can do it all.

Daily wear. Super comfortable.

This shoe is awesome. Very supportive for any range of miles, protective on the trail, great traction. Only gripe, is I can feel my toes against the protective upper at the tip of the shoe. Other than that, this is my go to trail running shoe.

Long-time Speedgoat fan, but these are better. They're not as fast up as my Zinal 2s or Torrent 3s, but only slightly and they mow over tough terrain. And are fantastic descenders. 100% protection. Fantastic upper with a thin crew sock on (the upper was a little small until I did that). Totally locked in with the extra eyelit, first time use. Very durable. Less soft than the Speedgoats which is a good thing for durability and control. I wear these (as a speed hiker+) when I don't want to cherry pick through terrain and they have great grip. It's slippery these days on the SoCal steeps with the dirt and gravel, and these are the best! I'm an 11D, but wear 11.5D in HOKA.

Best trail shoe ever - perfect balance of cushion, grip, comfort, weight

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Extremely aggressive tread works great in the sand and soft environments.

I use these for hiking. They are my favorite hiking shoes now. My feet don't get near as fatigued and they stay cooler. Grip and balance are spot on.