Customer Reviews Hoka Mach 6

I have a ton of experience running just like any other 2:30 marathoner or 14 min 5k'er out there. The mach 5s were complete garbage! No support, no response, nothing in the mid foot, etc. This show brings it all! I have had many injuries throughout my life including compartment syndrome, runner knees, two penetrating disks, hiatel hernia, posterior tendonitis, etc, and these shoes didn't let me loose the notion of going straight and staying straight! I was gliding on my first run! The 5mm drop is excellent along with the extra support helping to keep your foot landing straight. The other thing that wowd me were the laces being long enough where there were a little more than enough to create a double knot. Lastly, the mid sole protectant is a MUST! I battle achillies tendonitis time and again! Not this time! This shoe beats out the current asics stability shoes and this is a neutral shoe. I'm very happy to be running with hoka on my feet where I can not have to focus on cadence to protect my knees or my calves. Thanks hoka!

Shoes are comfortable and look great. I have been trying to break them in, for everyday walking they have felt very good. For running not the best experience yet. It is my first-time using haka as I usually use brooks or Nike. They have felt a bit stiff on 3 runs that I have done, 5 miles each, a bit of pain on the soul of my feet. Could just be my foot but I have been recommended to these after shoe fittings in road runners. Conclusion, look and feel great for everyday use, not the bets for running. But this is just my experience

I love the way these fit! Definitely changed the way I was running, I could feel my hamstrings working more and my lower back didn't tighten up like it usually does after a 10k. Still alternating shoes for break in period but so far I love these.

Amazing fit. Ran 5 miles 3x in first week and all good!

I've been a big fan of the Mach 5 and even recommended it to friends and family who also loved it. The Mach 5 was low, wide, cushioned and responsive. The Mach 6 is taller, narrower and with more cushion, making it feel more like a Clifton. You completely lose the feel for the surface you are working out on, and the height makes it feel unstable. Try it before you buy it.

Love the feel of the Mach 6. Super light and can feel the extra cushion throughout the midsole to heel with responsive feel on the toe off. Amazing job with this model, great improvements all around!!

Best yet

Marathon training

Beware, this is not an update to the Mach 5; it's a completely different shoe. The fit is longer and narrower, the sole is thick and sluggish, and feels much more like the Clifton or any other daily trainer. It is NOT a responsive, uptempo trainer. The heel is clunky and almost forces you to heel strike, or to pitch forward awkwardly if you're a natural midfoot striker. Out of the box the Mach 5 was a responsive, quick, soft trainer that could pick up the pace or cruise along. Picking up the pace in the Mach 6 is like trying to go fast in a diesel pickup (not what they do well), and trying to cruise isn't all that comfy or pleasant. The stack height is excessive and the shoe feels less stable than the 5. I loved the 5 for the fit and the responsiveness; both are completely gone on the 6, which doesn't seem to know what kind of shoe it wants to be. Hoka has a buncha of max stack shoes, so why they turned the Mach into one as wellas opposed to it remaining distinct from their other offerings is puzzling. Super disappointed and not interested in returning for something else.

I never leave reviews on shoes but this is too good not to. I've been a Mach fan since the 4, each iteration has been better than the last and the same is true for the 6. It has incredible energy return and because the stack height isn't through the roof it maintains a light weight. The Mach 6 feels highly versatile for a variety of runs, easy day/recovery runs, speed intervals/tempo runs, as well as long runs. Also, the colors are amazing, I bought the Virtual Blue / Bellwether Blue, looked great online and even better in person.

I was excited about the new Mach 6 release. Hoka eliminated a few shortcomings of the Mach 5: reintroduced the gusseted tongue and adding a rubber outsole for better wear. However, taking them out for a run today they felt sluggish. Contrary to advertisement, the Mach 5 feels snappier. The Mach 6 feels more like a recovery run shoe akin to the Bondi. This is not bad by itself - I like Bondis and have owned a few pairs, and use them for more relaxing recovery runs. But in competing with the Bondi this shoe is redundant for me. Another thing I noticed is that the extended heel spur is gone when compared to the prior version. This heel spur really helped me cure out an Achilles injury a couple years back as it cantilevered my foot down gently as a predominantly heel striker. It does not have to be as exaggerated as a Ten Nine, but a slight extension really helps. I am a big Hoka fan, and that has not changed. I will always look for Hoka running shoes first. However, I've decided to sit this one out and pick up a Mach 5 on sale for now , poor wear and tongue and all, to replace an older worn out model until the next Mach version arrives.

I was in the market for a road shoe for training as I've been out running on asphalt and concrete more often lately as I wait for the trails to clear of snow and mud. I tried various different shoes from countless brands and ended up disappointed in all of them. Then I saw a YouTube video of someone who got their hands on these shoes early and had great things to say about them so I decided to hold out for release and try them for myself as my trails shoes are speed goats and I've had a pretty pleasant experience with Hoka so far.. WOW and I happy I made that decision, I ordered them as soon as they were available and the arrived super quick, and the running experience is absolutely astonishing! I've had these for just under a week and I've already set my new PR for 10k and my legs didn't feel like I had just ran that distance at all, let alone at my fastest pace! Despite not having a plate, the Mach 6's are insanely responsive and have phenomenal energy return, with enough cushion to take some of the impact load of your feet and legs without limiting your ground feel or having an insane amount of drop. I'm also really pleased to see that these came in wides as most road shoes I find tend to run too tight for my feet. I'm definitely picking up a second pair and I can't wait to run my next 10k in them! Great job Hoka! If you're thinking about getting a pair of these to try do yourself a favor and Fly Human, Fly!

I got the Mach 6's a couple days ago and have taken them out on 2 runs/workouts including an 11 mile walk. These are very firm for a Hoka and caused some serious shin pain that cut this mornings workout short. These aren't as soft or fun to run in as the Mach 5's and really lack that road feel. The new grip on them creates an unpleasant feel underfoot on long walks and isn't a positive for the shoe. On a run these are good for picking up the pace but feel very bland and unexciting overall. These are also a narrow shoe that feel very unstable underfoot so be conscious of that. They do look great and have good turnover when picking up the pace but that's where the positives end. A disappointing 6/10 type shoe for me.

I purchased a pair from a local running store the day they came out and have done a couple runs in them. Compared to the Mach 5, it fits better on my foot. With the Mach 5 my foot slid a bit more forward sometimes causing a purple toe if I did a lot of downhill running. That is not the case with the Mach 6. However, the largest improvement is in the sole and ride of the shoe compared to the Mach 5. The Mach 6 is bit firmer, with added stability. It has a less spongy feel, something I prefer. I always felt the Mach 5 more of a race shoe. The Mach 6 is now something I want to train in every day. It's a nice balance between a racer and something more hefty. The Mach 6 now has treaded rubber "pads" at the contact points. The Mach 5 lacked these, was a bit slippery, slightly sloppy feeling on runs and most importantly the sole ground down very quickly if running on concrete. This all seems to be addressed. It's basically what I would personally have changed to improve of the Mach 5. Time to order more of them :).