Hoka Speedgoat 6 Review

The Hoka Speedgoat 6. All pictures: iRunFar/Bryon Powell

The Hoka Speedgoat 6 ($155) is the latest replace of a well-loved shoe that has been a favourite within the path operating and ultrarunning communities for a very long time. The 5-millimeter lugs present sufficient traction for many sorts of terrain with out being a burden on roads and harder-surfaced trails, and the Vibram Megagrip outsole with Traction Lugs sticks to rocks in each moist and dry circumstances. The shoe’s drop has elevated from 4 to five millimeters, nevertheless it’s a barely noticeable distinction. The 38-millimeter and 33-millimeter heel and toe stack heights for the ladies’s shoe and 40-millimeter and 35-millimeter stack heights for the boys’s present loads of cushion, even with a firmer midsole materials.

The shoe has an precise weight of 9.8 ounces (280 grams) for males’s measurement 9 and is a superb all-around shoe for coaching and racing. With a lighter midsole materials and extra cutouts on the outsole, the shoe has misplaced a pair grams from the earlier model. Hoka has up to date the higher and given it extra construction, making a design that resembles the Hoka Speedgoat 4 (evaluate) rather more so than the Hoka Speegoat 5 (evaluate) and brings again that locked-in midfoot feeling.

iRunFar’s Travis Liles takes a deep dive into the updates of the Hoka Speedgoat 6 and the way it differs from the earlier two variations of the shoe.

[Editor’s Note: For those looking for alternative looks, additional colorways will be released around July 15.]

Store the Males’s Hoka Speedgoat 6Store the Girls’s Hoka Speedgoat 6

Hoka Speedgoat 6 Assessment Transcript

Hey, and welcome to Path Trials, the video evaluate part of iRunFar. My title is Travis Liles, and on this video, we’re going to check out the brand new Hoka Speedgoat 6. Let’s test it out.

Let’s begin with the fundamentals right here. That is the sixth iteration of a really well-loved shoe within the Speedgoat. It has a 5-millimeter heel-to-toe drop, which is one millimeter greater than the earlier technology. It is available in at 9.8 ounces in a males’s measurement 9. That could be a half-ounce lighter, based on the web site. [Editor’s Note: We measured a smaller, 4-gram reduction in weight.] It has a unique higher, a unique midsole, a unique tongue, and a unique outsole. So, we’re going to check out all these and see what this shoe is all about.

Hoka Speedgoat 6 Outsole

The outsole of the Hoka Speedgoat 6.

Let’s begin by speaking concerning the outsole of the Hoka Speedgoat 6. In the event you take a look at the outsole, it seems pretty acquainted. And by that, I imply this can be a very acquainted lug patterning. It’s a really acquainted look to what the earlier Speedgoats additionally have been. This makes use of Vibram Megagrip and in addition has Traction Lugs. In the event you look actually shut, you’ll be able to see these little dots throughout right here. These are supposedly including extra traction, and I suppose by simply advantage of additional floor space, that’s what’s occurring right here. You get a little bit bit of additional grip by having these further tooth. From a patterning standpoint, you’ve bought reverse lugs for braking while you’re going downhill. You’ve bought forward-facing lugs while you’re going uphill.

The most important distinction between this and the earlier model is a barely totally different sample. You may see a little bit little bit of change when it comes to these channels right here, of the midsole poking by. There’s a little bit extra publicity. You had the holes and the dots on this aspect, however only a barely totally different appear and feel.

Efficiency-wise, I don’t assume it’s even noticeable — for my part, and in my put on time. Hoka says that that is meant to be extra like a hoof, and I suppose that’s the fork right here. However in efficiency, I don’t assume you’ll discover something. In the event you’ve favored what earlier Speedgoats did for rock, moist, mud, and all of the issues that I feel the Speedgoat does effectively with one of these tread sample and compound, I feel the shoe is not going to disappoint. And with 5-millimeter lugs, they’re deep sufficient to grip, however not so deep that if you happen to do have street operating or extra of a tough floor, you don’t discover these lugs poking again by.

Hoka Speedgoat 6 Midsole

A lateral view of the Hoka Speedgoat 6.

I’d say the midsole is among the main updates for the Hoka Speedgoat 6. The reasoning is that it’s a brand new compound. That compound is meant to be a little bit bit lighter, and this shoe is a half-ounce lighter total. A few of which may be within the much less tread. A few of which may be within the midsole as effectively. It’s a single-density foam all the way in which round, identical to earlier generations. I’d say from the step-in and the texture of placing this shoe on, it nonetheless has the rocker. The drop moved up from 4 to five millimeters, however I don’t really feel it’s noticeable in step, in top, or simply standing within the shoe.

You’re going to note the firmness, and particularly while you examine it to one thing just like the Hoka Mafate Pace 4 (evaluate), and even earlier variations of the Speedgoat. This has a firmer really feel. It has extra of a rebound to it. Particularly, while you’re operating on tougher surfaces, you’ll be able to really feel rather less dampening of the vibration, however you get a little bit extra return while you’re doing turnover. So, it’s a firmer midsole, however when it comes to match and really feel, I feel the bottom really feel is similar as prior to now.

Hoka Speedgoat 6 Higher

A medial view of the Hoka Speedgoat 6.

The most important updates of the Hoka Speedgoat 6 are within the higher. Only for reference’s sake, I’m going to drag up two variations right here — that is the Speedgoat 4, 5, and 6. In the event you take a look at these, there’s extra occurring within the 4 and the 6, because it pertains to the higher. The 5 bought very, very stripped down. They used this engineered mesh — there have been no inner or exterior cages, and plenty of floppiness. I actually needed to crank it right down to get a match that simply by no means, for my part, held effectively for actually technical terrain and downhill operating. I at all times felt like my foot was shifting round loads, particularly once I in contrast it to the 4.

After we pull the 4 in, what I’ll name out is you had this exterior caging that locked your laces down and allowed that midfoot to lock down loads higher. You don’t see that externally on the 6, however they exist. You may really feel them on the within of the shoe. In all probability the simplest visible is that this spot proper right here, the place you’ll be able to see filth on either side. There’s a little bit strapping inside this shoe that takes the lacing system and brings that right down to the midsole. And there’s extra of that on the shoe’s exterior, or the lateral aspect, as effectively.

There’s a little bit little bit of caging on the within, so while you put your foot in there and pull the laces, as a substitute of simply cloth holding it in, there’s a little bit bit of additional mechanical strapping that retains your foot in place. It’s not as aggressive because the exterior strapping on the 4, nevertheless it’s positively noticeable. Your foot stays locked in.

The secondary piece including to that locked-in really feel is that the higher is much, far much less stretchy. Versus, once more, one of these stuff [in the 5] which you can simply see has a ton of flex in it. You may actually transfer that throughout. It is a rather more structured higher. It’s very a lot a extra locked-down really feel. In the event you moved from the 4 to the 5 and didn’t have that, you’re getting it again within the 6.

One other factor to name out right here that’s totally different is a padded tongue. It’s solely actually padded from concerning the lace keeper within the center up, and it’s most prevalent up right here on the high the place you’re going to lock your laces down. You may see that little bulbous piece right here, and while you’re tying your laces, you’ll be able to see that the highest of these laces are going instantly over it. It’s a little bit small. I’d prefer it to return up a bit greater, particularly for me with a slim heel — I exploit this again eyelet. Most of this top-of-your-foot stress is dispersed, particularly at this lock-down level on the high.

The toebox could be very related in measurement to the 5, which I feel is sweet. This stretchy mesh space was additionally within the 5, whereas within the outdated variations, it was a giant piece of plastic that simply sat there. They up to date it, and now it’s rather more useful versus a design determination. And that is stretchy, so it permits a little bit little bit of respiration room out of right here, I’d say for getting warmth out, nevertheless it additionally permits this toebox space to flex a little bit bit and provides your toes some room to wiggle.

There’s a deal with on the again to drag your shoe on. You in all probability don’t want it a lot with this massive wing right here within the again, however that’s there. [The wing] is a little bit bit knocked down from the earlier model. It could be onerous to inform from this video, however that is positively a little bit bit shorter and never fairly as pronounced, which can also be a pleasant replace. After which lastly, normal stuff right here, the toebox across the toes itself is frivolously strengthened with this overlay. After which very a lot a robust apex right here that wraps up from the midsole and offers safety from kicking issues.

Hoka Speedgoat 6 Total Impressions

A high view of the Hoka Speedgoat 6.

I feel while you take a look at the three collectively, the Hoka Speedgoat 6, 5, and 4, you’re getting again to what the Speedgoat is most recognized for, which is a locked-in really feel. I feel the Speedgoat moved again, or fairly darn near, the place it was with the 4. All that stuff that occurred within the 5 with that stretchy higher that didn’t lock your foot down has been acknowledged and adjusted. There’s the inner cage that’s inside right here that locks your foot down.

The higher materials is much much less stretchy than on that model. When you concentrate on the Speedgoat, you concentrate on hammering downhills and going throughout rugged terrain. This locks your foot in significantly higher than that earlier model and far nearer to the two, 3, and 4 of this shoe — getting again to the roots, if you’ll.

The distinction is that it’s bought a firmer midsole. There’s simply no denying it. It is a firmer, springier kind of really feel, and that’s bought its execs and cons. If I’m operating on the street, I’d need that. If I’m form of going over repetitive terrain over and over and over, it positively just isn’t as forgiving and as comfortable because the earlier model. Actually, while you examine it to one thing just like the Hoka Mafate Pace 4, and I’d say these sneakers fill the same house, however the Mafate Pace is softer. You’ve bought an possibility right here, which is the excellent news. If you’d like a softer, extra beneficiant total match, the Mafate Pace fills that. If you’d like one thing a little bit firmer, a little bit extra athletic, a little bit tighter bundle total, the Speedgoat goes to do this.

So, with that mentioned, questions, feedback. Are you enthusiastic about this new Speedgoat? Is the earlier model of the Speedgoat, the 5, one thing that you simply actually favored and also you’d like that extra beneficiant and unfastened match, or again to this little bit of a tighter bundle? Go away questions and feedback under. Thanks for watching. We’ll catch you subsequent time.

Store the Males’s Hoka Speedgoat 6Store the Girls’s Hoka Speedgoat 6

Name for Feedback

Did you just like the modifications to from the Hoka Speedgoat 4 to the Speedgoat 5?
Are you excited for the brand new updates within the Hoka Speedgoat 6? If that’s the case, which replace to this shoe do you assume makes the most important distinction?