Customer Reviews Hoka Speedgoat 6

I have been wearing these shoes for more than 6 years, and I run a lot of miles. Bought this version, and started training for an ultra expecting similar results with prior models. Almost immediately, I started experiencing very bad foot pain. After about 6 miles on every run, these shoes caused blisters on my inner arch. I tried swapping out the insoles, changing my stride. Nothing worked. You might be a speed goats loyalist like me, but I suggest trying these out before you commit to running longer distances in them. Hoka may have lost my business when it comes to trail shoes.

The Speed Goat 6 is poorly made. After 3 months the sole is tearing off. I had the speed goat 5 and it was great. Trying to return them under warranty is a pain. You would think that Hoka would let the stores that sell their product do the returns but apparently they dont. I would definitely stay away from this shoe.

The biggest change from the 5 to the 6 is the significant reduction of interior cushion around the heel joint, which leads to pain in the ankle joint due to the collar hitting that joint with every step. The padding in all the former speedgoats was thick enough to push the collar of the shoe away from the ankle joint, but not these. I have been deperately stockpiling the 5's but was just recently forced to start buying the 6's and dealing with the lain until I find another option.

I like the shoes - light, stiff and good traction. I actually wear them MTN biking but the fabric in the uppers on both shoes is coming apart after very little use.

3 generations ago this was a good shoe.

Vibram sole delaminates from the foam sole. One pair after 25 miles, second pair was at places delaminated (not glued) right out of the box.

Didn't see the half-moon chunk taken out of the tongue. Could not grip to force my right foot into the shoe with my splint. I wear a splint to assist with walking with foot drop. Didn't even attempt the left foot.

I own 6 pairs of Hoka shoes (Clifton 9, Challenger 7 and Bondi 8s. All are 13EE and they fit great. The Speedgoat 6 (same size) was actually painfully tight. I can't wear them. They look cool and seem well made, but unfortunately are useless to me.

Vibram sole delaminating from foam sole. I would add pictures, if I could. Terrible quality. Hoka wants you to ship it back for warranty evaluation (1 week) and then evaluation (3 weeks). Does it sound reasonable to be without running shoes in the middle of a season for one month? Maybe Hoka wants runners to buy another pair while you wait for denial because the shoes are designed for smooth trails without rocks.

I've been a fan of Hoka in the past, so despite reading some negative reviews about the newest model of the Speedgoat, I decided to give it a try when I bought them in March 2025. Right out of the box, I noticed there was very little heel cushioning. It wasn't painful, but there was a pinching sensation that wasn't great. I broke them in with a few short training runs and then wore them on a 10-mile backpacking trip. Shockingly, the fabric in the toe box completely disintegratedthere are stress tears and rips all over the shoe. They have less than 40 miles on them and are basically destroyed. To make matters worse, this is the first pair of shoes I've ever owned that developed terrible odor after just a few uses. I've worn many trail runners over the years and never had this issue before. While the grip was decent and they were moderately comfortable and light, the poor quality of materials and total lack of odor control make this a huge miss. I'm really disappointed in Hoka and am seriously reconsidering buying any of their products again.

I loved the looks of this shoe, but it felt like walking on a steel plate. I have a pair of Clifton 9's that I love. Wanted a trail shoe with a cushioned feel but more aggressive tread. I will be returning.

I had never heard anyone say that the Speedgoats were too narrow. So why make the shoe, in v. 6, have even less room?! I don't understand the changes to this version. I've worn Speedgoats for years and I'm kind of in shock. This shoe is now much firmer (to the point of being uncomfortable). Please, offer the Speedgoats in extra-wide (and/or stop tapering the toe box); and bring back the comfortable cushioning of the previous versions. This is a unique shoe because of the incredible traction but Hoka kind of ruined it with this revision.

Deckers has absolutely ruined these shoes, after consumers including me loved the previous versions. Quality of materials and workmanship seems far lower than past versions, and mine started having issues in a couple months. Has cutting costs become Deckers priority, versus Hoka's original mission of building great shoes? After owning a couple dozen pairs, I will not purchase another pair of Hokas.

Every time Hoka releases a version of this shoe, the common complaint is they are too narrow!!! And this version is no different. Hey Hoka, if you're going to make them narrow then make a XW/4E version so people that need wides actually get wides. I guarantee XW would sell out as none of your competitors make them, yet everyone is screaming for them. Be a leader not a follower!!!

I have owned 4 pairs of Clifton and two Bondi and I've loved them all. These Speedgoat are not at all similar. They were incredibly uncomfortable for everyday wear and I was hopeful they would be more durable for coaching and outdoor recreational activities. They just are not comfortable. In the process of trying to exchange. I'm hopeful that process will go well. Back to Cliftons

2 Problems: 1) The shoelace eyelet grommet is digging into my skin. I'm having to put 2 layers of tape on my skin and thicker socks to stop the pain. 2) The heel strap that you pull on when inserting your foot, ripped on Day 1.

I kept hoping they would break in or feel better. I've owned 10+ Speedgoats previously, and they were all perfect. Exactly the right balance of traction and cushion. The SG6s are a bit slippier inside and out, but the worst problem is that I find the shoe to be painfully stiff. With the prior versions, I could bomb down rocky CA trails like I was running with grippy pillows attached to my feet, and my joints never got sore even running ultras for hours. These SG6s feel like the opposite. I feel every pebble, and my joints are sore after a run. To be honest, I've had my SG6s too long now to return them. So, my fault for that. I'm really only leaving this review in the hopes that Hoka returns these icons to their tried and true design for SG7. In order to offset this negative review, I'll go drop a 5* review for the Clifton 9. They are amazing.

I've used the SpeedGoat 4 and 5 for several years. They were the perfect shoe - I could put them on fresh out of a box and use them with no break in period. The 6 is not that, and other reviews have covered why pretty well. I will never understand why a company takes a perfectly good and populate product design and makes drastic changes until it becomes a different product. I thought I wouldn't have to spend days of my time finding another perfect shoe, but unfortunately I do.

These Speedgoats are garbage. The pull tab on both shoes tore out the very first time I put them on. I had heard nothing but good things about Hoka shoes and I am extremely disappointed. After talking to customer care I learned that I have to send my shoes what 1-3 weeks for an evaluation and then they'd send out a new pair. I can't go that long without running shoes. I asked if they could send a new pair out and when those arrived I could send my junk pair in and they refused. I even asked for some sort of online credit and I would just deal with the tab problem. Again they refused. I will never buy another Hoka product and when this pair fall apart shortly I will be buying something else. 100% garbage customer service.

My men's Speedgoat 6 runs almost a full size small than my Speedgoat 5 and 4.

Ugly

Ugliest shoes ever! Not even that comfortable!

I've owned the Hoka Speedgoat 4 for a while but hadn't put many miles on them since I stopped trail running. Unfortunately, I made the massive mistake of taking these on a pilgrimage in Shikoku, Japan. Within days, I developed painful blisters so severe I needed urgent medical care. It completely derailed part of my trip. For context: I'm a Boston Marathon qualifier, and I've logged thousands of miles in many different shoes. I was wearing cushioned Balega socks, which I've used consistently during marathon training without issue. So I know this wasn't user errorit was the shoe. Whether it's the shape of the upper, the seam placement, or just poor long-wear design, these shoes were absolutely the wrong choice. I will never buy Hokas again.