First Look: Hoka Mafate 5 Gives Plush Journey for Distance on Trails

Two miles into the descent of a Colorado front-range path, I dashed amongst sharp rocks because the early morning mild intensified. I targeted on my ft to maintain tempo alongside the technical path that skirted a steep cliff to my proper. I felt planted and agency on the bottom despite the fact that I bounded on the thick midsole of Hoka’s latest path working shoe, the Mafate 5.

I’d already determined that I appreciated the shoe, and knew the place I’d use it in my quiver: longer distance days on reasonably technical trails. With a excessive stack, responsive midsole, cosy but comfy match, and aggressive outsole, this shoe is made for lengthy, quick days.

In brief: The Hoke Mafate 5 is a really protecting path working shoe that’s wonderful on reasonably technical trails. It gives quite a lot of cushion with its 44mm to 36mm (heel to toe) stack top. Hoka’s new Rocker Integrity Know-how, primarily a curved TPU plate sandwiched within the midsole, helps preserve rocker form over a number of miles for a quick step. An aggressive Vibram outsole and forgiving, supportive higher spherical out a shoe that can give path runners a lot of safety for longer path days.

Evaluate the Mafate 5 with others on our information to the most effective path trainers.

Hoka Mafate 5 Assessment

To be clear, I’ve had the Mafate 5 for about 2 weeks and solely gotten to run in them a number of instances. My longest path run to date was a 5-mile loop on the Colorado Entrance Vary. I’ve additionally taken it out on a number of morning runs on combined pavement, grass, and gravel.

This can be a very early first have a look at a shoe that launched as we speak. I do have some good, typically constructive impressions of the shoe to date, however count on this overview to be up to date with extra impressions quickly.

Working the Beaver Brook/Chavez Path loop close to Evergreen, I discovered the footwear to be, firstly, protecting. With 44mm of stack beneath the heel and 36mm beneath the forefoot, this can be a thick shoe. It insulates the ft from each affect and irregularity within the path floor, which protects ft over lengthy miles on rocky or tough floor.

After all, the draw back of all this foam is a normal lack of floor really feel, which, in actually technical terrain, means much less proprioception and safety. But it surely’s a tradeoff many runners are keen to make, particularly when working trails that aren’t too dicey.

Preliminary Impressions

The Mafate 5 feels comparatively quick for such a tall shoe. It’s gentle, however not too gentle, and provides a sensation of propulsion throughout a working stride at toe-off.

Whereas working, there’s a little bit of bounce in the course of the stride — after touchdown and proper earlier than toe-off — which I took as a constructive. The shoe feels environment friendly whereas conserving ft blissful.

I attribute that feeling to the “Rocker Built-in Know-how” that Hoka touts as a “suspended journey expertise.” Within the model’s personal phrases:

“[It’s] an revolutionary breakthrough that helps preserve rocker form over a number of miles, this curved plate constructed from mild, pliable TPU delivers snap with each step. Positioned between a firmer SCF EVA layer instantly underfoot and a softer CMEVA foam layer beneath it, the Mafate 5 boasts a suspended journey expertise in contrast to its predecessors and redefines conventional dual-density foam techniques. This new expertise permits the shoe to soak up uneven terrain and adapt to the path, whereas sustaining a responsive foot strike and environment friendly toe-off.“

Sure, that’s quite a lot of advertising and marketing jargon. However I have to agree, the shoe feels responsive, but protecting.

Outsole

The Mafate 5 has a really aggressive Vibram outsole. I ran over hard-packed dust, rock, and moist boulders, and thru a stream and dust. I solely slipped as soon as, which occurred after working out of a stream and instantly onto easy rock.

The moist sole skittered a bit, and I used to be in a position to catch myself rapidly. Apart from that misstep, the footwear have been very grippy on all surfaces.

The only real is nice for many off-pavement surfaces, and I didn’t catch my toes in any respect, even when ascending, which I are inclined to do greater than I like.

Midsole

Right here lies the magic of the Mafate 5. The midsole is each plush and responsive, a difficult steadiness in a high-stack shoe. Hoka explains its design as a TPU plate sandwiched between two EVA foam layers with various densities. Hoka clearly put quite a lot of thought and engineering into the midsole, however I’m specializing in the way it feels on a runner’s foot.

Whereas working, it doesn’t really feel squishy, however it does have a bit little bit of bounce. It undoubtedly promotes ahead propulsion, and I seen myself rolling rapidly from a mid-foot touchdown to my forefoot and toe-off.

On uneven rock surfaces, the midsole permits the shoe to adapt to the bottom fairly properly. This leads to good traction and stable connection of the runner to the bottom. I didn’t discover myself misplaced in house, a sensation I’ve had sometimes on high-stack footwear.

As a substitute, the Mafate 5 offers sufficient suggestions for the physique’s pure instincts to stay. Proprioception is, whereas a bit restricted with the shortage of floor really feel, nonetheless fairly good.

I haven’t performed any huge outings on these but. However I believe it’ll be superior when ticking off 20+ mile days. I’ll attempt to get out on an extended run within the coming weeks for an replace to this part.

Higher, Laces

First off, I just like the Mafate 5 laces. Nothing flashy right here, the laces tie simply and keep tied. It appears foolish to have to say this, however I’ve skilled too many path trainers that overengineer laces, which then untie on a regular basis. These are easy, good, and efficient.

Beneath the laces, wrap-knit materials with an anti-fray remedy varieties the idea of the higher. It feels gentle and stretchy, however retains ft properly anchored throughout the shoebed. They’ve a TPU cage that helps preserve ft solidly in place. It additionally dried rapidly after a touch via a stream and after some wet hours at a campsite.

I did discover a bit slop whereas sidehilling on steep terrain, one thing that I seen extra at climbing pace than whereas working. I personally assume that the higher may be very good and geared toward path runners going for lengthy distances. But it surely’ll be a bit gentle for actually technical or off-trail terrain. That’s not likely the marketplace for this shoe, so I feel it’s a sensible compromise to purpose for consolation over inflexible safety.

I haven’t run this shoe sufficient to deal with sturdiness, however after a few weeks, some runs, and a few days of sporting it round a campsite, the shoe doesn’t look any worse for the damage.

As a Mountaineering Shoe

Only a temporary word right here as a result of many hikers think about path trainers for backpacking. The Mafate 5 is definitely a succesful shoe that provides respectable assist and excellent traction.

Nevertheless, I personally discovered it a bit bouncy for a strolling gait. Whereas shifting from a full run to a climbing cadence for some longer climbs, I seen that the shoe offers a bit extra rebound and cushion than I’d need if I have been carrying a heavier backpack.

It’s fully high-quality for energy climbing throughout an extended path run. It nonetheless gives good rebound and an environment friendly stride. But when including the load of a backpack and slower tempo, I’d most likely select one thing with much less stack top and a firmer sole for a bit extra sound connection to the earth.

Hoka Mafate 5: Who Ought to Purchase It

Whereas it’s been a number of years since I participated in an organized path race, I nonetheless like big-mile days. And I feel ultra-runners will admire the Mafate 5’s steadiness of cushion and efficiency. I do know I’d have beloved it on some 100-mile races the place my ft screamed from abuse after many hours on the path.

When you’re contemplating a high-stack shoe for lengthy races or coaching days, I feel the Mafate 5 ought to be proper close to the highest of the checklist. I’ve a really common foot form and discover the width works very properly for my ft. These with very slim or very extensive ft might wish to take a look at different choices, because it appears the Mafate goals proper down the center of the match spectrum.

I examined a dimension 9.5 and located it suits true to dimension.

Once more, I nonetheless don’t have huge miles on this shoe. My preliminary impressions are typically constructive, with some withholdings to be used as a climbing shoe. However outdoors of that non-core use case, I feel the Hoka Mafate 5 can be a powerful performer as a protecting shoe geared toward lengthy miles.

I plan to replace this overview after my subsequent long-mile day. Till then, I feel the Mafate 5 can be an ideal choice for path runners, particularly these on the lookout for mix of efficiency and safety.