The Hoka Speedgoat 6 ($155) is the most recent replace of a well-loved shoe that has been a favourite within the path working 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, however 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 lads’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 dimension 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 (overview) far more so than the Hoka Speegoat 5 (overview) 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.]
Shop the Men’s Hoka Speedgoat 6Shop the Women’s Hoka Speedgoat 6
Hoka Speedgoat 6 Review Transcript
Hey, and welcome to Trail Trials, the video overview part of iRunFar. My identify is Travis Liles, and on this video, we’re going to try the brand new Hoka Speedgoat 6. Let’s test it out.
Let’s begin with the fundamentals right here. This 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 increased than the earlier technology. It is available in at 9.8 ounces in a males’s dimension 9. That is a half-ounce lighter, in accordance with the web site. [Editor’s Note: We measured a smaller, 4-gram reduction in weight.] It has a special higher, a special midsole, a special tongue, and a special outsole. So, we’re going to try 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. If you take a look at the outsole, it seems to be 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. If you look actually shut, you may see these little dots throughout right here. Those 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 additional enamel. From a patterning standpoint, you’ve acquired reverse lugs for braking if you’re going downhill. You’ve acquired forward-facing lugs if you’re going uphill.
The main distinction between this and the earlier model is a barely completely different sample. You can see a little bit little bit of change when it comes to these channels right here, of the midsole poking via. There’s a little bit extra publicity. You had the holes and the dots on this aspect, however only a barely completely different feel and look.
Performance-wise, I don’t suppose it’s even noticeable — in my view, 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. But in efficiency, I don’t suppose you’ll discover something. If you’ve appreciated what earlier Speedgoats did for rock, moist, mud, and all of the issues that I feel the Speedgoat does properly with this kind of 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 should you do have highway working or extra of a tough floor, you don’t discover these lugs poking again via.
Hoka Speedgoat 6 Midsole
A lateral view of the Hoka Speedgoat 6.
I’d say the midsole is likely one of 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. Some of that could be within the much less tread. Some of that could be within the midsole as properly. It is a single-density foam all the way in which round, similar 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 peak, or simply standing within the shoe.
You’re going to note the firmness, and particularly if you evaluate it to one thing just like the Hoka Mafate Speed 4 (overview), and even earlier variations of the Speedgoat. This has a firmer really feel. It has extra of a rebound to it. Specifically, if you’re working on tougher surfaces, you may really feel rather less dampening of the vibration, however you get a little bit extra return if 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 Upper
A medial view of the Hoka Speedgoat 6.
The main updates of the Hoka Speedgoat 6 are within the higher. Just for reference’s sake, I’m going to tug up two variations right here — that is the Speedgoat 4, 5, and 6. If you take a look at these, there’s extra occurring within the 4 and the 6, because it pertains to the higher. The 5 acquired 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 all the way down to get a match that simply by no means, in my view, held properly for actually technical terrain and downhill working. I at all times felt like my foot was shifting round loads, particularly once I in contrast it to the 4.
When 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 can really feel them on the within of the shoe. Probably the simplest visible is that this spot proper right here, the place you may see grime on either side. There’s a little bit strapping inside this shoe that takes the lacing system and brings that all the way down to the midsole. And there’s extra of that on the shoe’s outdoors, or the lateral aspect, as properly.
There’s a little bit little bit of caging on the within, so if you put your foot in there and pull the laces, as a substitute of simply material 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, however it’s undoubtedly noticeable. Your foot stays locked in.
The secondary piece including to that locked-in really feel is that the higher is way, far much less stretchy. Versus, once more, this kind of stuff [in the 5] that you could simply see has a ton of flex in it. You can actually transfer that throughout. This is a way more structured higher. It’s very a lot a extra locked-down really feel. If you moved from the 4 to the 5 and didn’t have that, you’re getting it again within the 6.
Another factor to name out right here that’s completely 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 prime the place you’re going to lock your laces down. You can see that little bulbous piece right here, and if you’re tying your laces, you may see that the highest of these laces are going instantly over it. It’s a little bit small. I’d prefer it to come back up a bit increased, 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 prime.
The toebox may be very comparable in dimension to the 5, which I feel is nice. 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 far more practical versus a design choice. 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, however 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 tug your shoe on. You in all probability don’t want it a lot with this huge wing right here within the again, however that’s there. [The wing] is a little bit bit knocked down from the earlier model. It is likely to be arduous to inform from this video, however that is undoubtedly a little bit bit shorter and never fairly as pronounced, which can be a pleasant replace. And then lastly, commonplace stuff right here, the toebox across the toes itself is frivolously strengthened with this overlay. And then very a lot a robust apex right here that wraps up from the midsole and offers safety from kicking issues.
Hoka Speedgoat 6 Overall Impressions
A prime view of the Hoka Speedgoat 6.
I feel if 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 way much less stretchy than on that model. When you consider the Speedgoat, you consider 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 acquired a firmer midsole. There’s simply no denying it. This is a firmer, springier kind of really feel, and that’s acquired its execs and cons. If I’m working on the highway, I would need that. If I’m form of going over repetitive terrain over and over and over, it undoubtedly will not be as forgiving and as delicate because the earlier model. Really, if you evaluate it to one thing just like the Hoka Mafate Speed 4, and I’d say these sneakers fill the same house, however the Mafate Speed is softer. You’ve acquired an choice right here, which is the excellent news. If you desire a softer, extra beneficiant total match, the Mafate Speed fills that. If you need one thing a little bit firmer, a little bit extra athletic, a little bit tighter package deal total, the Speedgoat goes to try 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 appreciated and also you’d like that extra beneficiant and unfastened match, or again to this little bit of a tighter package deal? Leave questions and feedback beneath. Thanks for watching. We’ll catch you subsequent time.
Shop the Men’s Hoka Speedgoat 6Shop the Women’s Hoka Speedgoat 6
Call for Comments
- Did you just like the adjustments to from the Hoka Speedgoat 4 to the Speedgoat 5?
- Are you excited for the brand new updates within the Hoka Speedgoat 6? If so, which replace to this shoe do you suppose makes the largest distinction?
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