Customer Reviews Hoka Challenger 7 GORE-TEX®

I use these shoes everyday, after about a month of wearing they finaly got worn in they started to tear on the gortex lining. It rains often where im from, I bought these shoes thinking I'd be safe, for the first month I was but since they are now tearing this feature is useless. For the amount of money and the poor quality I'm not sure what the hype is about.

Me and my dog average 3 miles a day walking. While I like my Stinson 7s better for walking, these are better choice for the stirrups on my bicycle

I really like. Light, waterproof, and rugged enough for city or trail. Slightly too narrow and not as cushioned.

I really like. Light, waterproof, and rugged enough for city or trail. Slightly too narrow and not as cushioned.

Using the challenger 7 GTX to mainly hike the trails with my Aussie pooch. The foot bed is fairly soft so you don't feel every bump in the road, this is a good thing. Most mornings the grass is very wet and I wanted a shoe/sneaker that could stand up to some moisture and so far it has met my needs by keeping my feet dry. I find the size to be a little snug, but a larger size would probably allow too much movement in the shoe. On wet pavement with tree droppings I find the shoe will slip when going up hill, maybe it will grab better as it wears over time. It will grab well on any rubber surface, such as exercise mats. Overall a good looking shoe that is a bit overpriced as compared to others.

Using the challenger 7 GTX to mainly hike the trails with my Aussie pooch. The foot bed is fairly soft so you don't feel every bump in the road, this is a good thing. Most mornings the grass is very wet and I wanted a shoe/sneaker that could stand up to some moisture and so far it has met my needs by keeping my feet dry. I find the size to be a little snug, but a larger size would probably allow too much movement in the shoe. On wet pavement with tree droppings I find the shoe will slip when going up hill, maybe it will grab better as it wears over time. It will grab well on any rubber surface, such as exercise mats. Overall a good looking shoe that is a bit overpriced as compared to others.

My feet feel good at the end if the day. I seem faster stride by stride. I unintentionally sprayed them with waterholes at work, they're waterproof for sure! No such thing as break'um in (perfect from jump).

Have had many Hoka trail walking/running shoes. These by far are the most comfortable. Feet stay dry when walking in heavy morning dew. Going to order another pair while I can!

Pulled these out of the box and they looked so good I thought it would be a good idea to do the Mailbox Peak hike in Washington. Mailbox Peak is a 4,000 vertical hike in just over 2 miles. The sign on the trailhead says the average time round trip for the hike is 8 hours. The trail was relatively dry with some areas of mud, roots, and rocks. The shoes were great in all conditions and the only part of my body that wasn't in pain was my feet when I reached the summit after about 2.5 hours. I can usually fly on the down hike so figured I would be back at the van in an hour. Almost immediately my knees, hips, thighs, and calves were on fire. It was the longest down hike ever. Visions of me having to call my wife on the walkie talkie to have her call SAR kept flashing through my head. I finally made it to the parking lot after about 3 hours of agony and as I write this review 5 days later I struggle to stand up I'm so sore. The one part of my body that didn't hurt and don't hurt today were my feet. I did get some small rocks in my shoes on the way down but the thought of bending over to take my shoes off was far worse than just dealing with the pebbles. Sorry for the long winded review just wanted to give some perspective. I would strongly recommend the shoes.

This was my first pair of Hoka's. The toe box is extremely narrow and the length overall is too short. The sole has the comfort that Hoka'a are known for.

As an aircraft mechanic, my husband is on his feet, on a concrete floor all day. He's been wearing these shoes about one and an half years and his feet hurt so much less. They wash up really nice too. I hand wash the shoe strings, throw the shoes in the washer and then put them on the back porch to dry. They look almost brand new! I highly recommend these shoes.

I like my new pair. My feet feel protected , warm and comfortable! I tested it on a rainy day and it feels fantastic!

I needed a shoe that can be in the rain, mud and sand. This shoe handled it all. I'm in the elements for at least 8 hours at a time. My feet are tired but not sore. Very happy with the Challenger 7 GTX.

What I like about my new pair is a perfect fit. I just had a a morning walk and it feels great, we had a rainy day and my feet stayed very comfortable.looking forward for a hike in Sierra Nevada mountains!

I was hoping so badly that these shoes would fit my wide feet, I even ordered a half size larger. Unfortunately they were just too narrow. Love the shoes, just can't wear them. If offered in a 2E, I'd buy again.

After about 5 Months the show is starting to rip at the front where the cloth meets the harder material. Unfortunate since I paid 150 for the shoes. Will probably try another brand.

Running on asphalt is fine but it's much more proficient off-road

To start, I've converted from another major brand and now my go to are a pair of Clifton's. Then I use the Challenger 7 for trail, which feel just like the Clifton but perfectly designed for the trail. Looking ahead at the wet forecast for a race I immediately decided to invest in a pair of Challenger 7 GTX. I especially was drawn to the awesome new color and got a ton of compliments on the race. Ok here it goes. I soon learned the GoreTex was good at keeping the splash of water out of the shoe but as rain ran down my legs the water was trapped inside my shoes. That wasn't the worst part, as I would have endured the same wet feet in my other pair of Challenger 7's. So after about 8 miles into a 31 mile race I realized these were not the same Challenger 7 with GTX added. I had lower back pain for the duration of the race, as I later realized the GTX version are much more "plush." These would be great for a short/light recovery run/hike on the trail, but not good for a distance race. Haste makes waste and that's why you don't use anything new on race day!

80% of my jogs are on trails. Other on roads. This shoe is great mix for me

I was running in a pair of Nike Pegasus Goretex trail running shoes. After an 8 mile race a few weeks ago I could barely walk and big toes bruised. I ran a half marathon in my Clifton 7 (not trail running shoes) and and no pain - so I figured I'd try the Challenger. Ran 8 miles again this Sunday and had little to no pain in my toes and feet afterward.

It says its "cushion" but realistically I felt it very responsive, but I only been using it on the roads and not really on the trails. It truly lives up to the gortex name, HOWEVER, that narrow toe box is not a good time. I was worried it would be narrorw because recently Hokas have been having more and more of a narrow toe box, so I went up half a size and that still didn't help. So please Hoka start making WIDE options for your GTX please

It says its "cushion" but realistically I felt it very responsive, but I only been using it on the roads and not really on the trails. It truly lives up to the gortex name, HOWEVER, that narrow toe box is not a good time. I was worried it would be narrorw because recently Hokas have been having more and more of a narrow toe box, so I went up half a size and that still didn't help. So please Hoka start making WIDE options for your GTX please

I use these shoes for running and outdoor activities in wet and damp/cold conditions. It is a better-than-average gore-tex running shoe.

The higher outside higher lateral piece of rubber in the recent design causes foot pain for me. Had to try many inserts to make them wearable. Sadly, I will be leaving a brand that I truly loved. They are a great product for those who's foot fits the design.

It's 7 out of 10 for what it is. Very good ground feel/cushioning, allows you to pick up the pace. Tackyness of the rubber is mediocre runs a full size bigger that my mach X and Bondi 8 which is not ideal, would buy it again and get a size smaller.