I haven’t been a big user of Hoka shoes for years, especially in the years when I racked up a lot of kilometers and races (2015-2021).
However, I have always carefully observed the progress and improvements that this brand brought to the world of running and trail-running from year to year.
In 2023 I was looking for a shoe that would give me a certain stability and comfort over long distances, above all to protect my weak (crystal) ankles as much as possible.
So I focused on this shoe: the Hoka Mafate Speed 4.
I bought them in May 2023 and until today (October 2024) I have used them on different types of terrain and distances, proving above all excellent travel companions for a couple of long walks/runs and a couple of big races in the past months:
- Tour du Mont Blanc-TMB: info, review & gpx | EmigranTrailer
- Kilimanjaro trekking: info, review and gpx | EmigranTrailer
- OCC – UTMB Mont Blanc – Post Race review | EmigranTrailer
- Lavaredo 80K – Post race review | EmigranTrailer
To date I have collected around 1400 km and almost 180,000 meters of altitude difference between climbs and descents. So I decided the time had come to do an objective analysis of this shoe.
Introduction
When it comes to shoes, however, it is very important to give more information about the person wearing them. Therefore, for the analysis and the impressions in the following paragraphs take into account that in these months:
- My weight fluctuated between 70 and 73 Kg;
- My standard shoe size is EU43, UK9, US10;
- My motion control is neutral;
- Usually I wore Danish Endurance, Thyo or Mico socks;
- Usually I wore anklets, because of past/recent injuries;
Moreover, as usual, following the next paragraphs, please consider that I have been practicing Trail-Running for more than 10 years: My Trail Running Experience – Emigrantrailer | EmigranTrailer.
Hoka Mafate Speed 4
As usual I took some photos on the day of purchase in order to accurately document the starting point.
After wearing them in the first few weeks, I was immediately able to appreciate their comfort & stability.
In particular, I was positively surprised by their ability to adapt to different types of trails. But above all I was surprised by how much my ankles felt immediately at ease for the first time.
The other surprising aspect was the good responsiveness. I honestly expected a shoe that had penalized this quality to focus more on comfort over long distances. And yet, not.
As for other system, the lace system was the standard one, which I tend to prefer.
The sole was Vibram which is synonymous with a guarantee of stability and durability (Shop Online: Scopri tutti i Prodotti Vibram | Vibram).
As previously done with the Saucony Xodus (Saucony Xodus Ultra – A review after 1000km | EmigranTrailer), I also decided to test these Hoka shoes for above average mileages.
After more than 1400 km and almost 160,000 meters of elevation gain and loss, I can clearly state that these shoes are really durable and comfortable.
The photos I add below are from these days (October 2024).
Obviously it can be observed the normal degradation of the sole after so many kilometres. And in fact on hard or rocky terrain, the support on the ground is less soft than in past months. However, I continue to use them on paths or soft terrain and for medium/short distances.
Indeed, the upper is still in good condition and still guarantees a good hold of the foot and ankle.
There are small signs of degradation towards the toe of the shoe, while there are no particular signs of deterioration on the inside of the shoe.
I then always check the deterioration in the heel part and here too the signs of degradation are practically absent.
In general, I can say that this shoe went far beyond my expectations. Thus, I have already bought a second pair.
General Recommendation
In my opinion, these shoes are perfect for medium and long distance trails (more than 50 km). Even after using them for 1400 km I still found them very comfortable, stable and minimum signs of wear.
Summary table and additional information
The following table summarizes the main impressions about these pair of Hoka Mafate Speed 4 shoes. Please use the link below in case you want to have a better reading of the table.
If you want more information or technical details related to this review, please do not hesitate to ask or comment below.
Last but not least, I hereby confirm that I have no personal or professional connections with Hoka. Everything I wrote, it is based on a transparent feedback of my experience, without any prejudices for or against.
Enjoy Trail-Running! 🙂
Andrea De Filippo
Original post in english language. For other languages, please open with a web browser (i.e. Chrome) and apply the automatic translation.
You might find of interest other articles with hints here: Trail Running Tips | EmigranTrailer
