Customer Reviews Hoka Evo Mafate

This is a really nice shoe, a better shoe for me than the Challenger ATR 4...which was not as good for me as the ATR3, which I loved. They've held up well to use on 3-4 mile trail hikes every other day...sooo solid on wet rocks...I like my NB 1080's for cruising the city, but this shoe is much better for trails...a snug fit, very good cushion, and the rock solid and easy to clean soles.

My go to shoes with over 200 miles now. Love the grip of these lugs here on the PNW wet trails and have quick responsive soles. Lower profile than the Speedgoat 2 keep me from twisting ankles on fast descents. The material is bomb proof and may be a little over board as it is a bit stiff during the first 50-75 miles. The toe rand on each started to come unglued at about 100 miles. I'd prefer a little longer tongue to help eliminate the shoe strings from digging in when using the lace lock. I've used a few other brands and models in 2018 and this is my favorite overall

I like a lot of things about this shoe. I just love the speedgoat 2 way more. I've tried the challenger 4 and 5 but didn't feel Like they offered me enough cushion. This shoes feels more stiff in the midsole like the challenger but man can it climb! Ultimately I like a little more cushion especially on the descents but if you feel like the speedgoat 2 is too much cushion for you then this shoe will be perfect for you.

Excellent shoe for the right feet.

4.5 stars-- great traction and support, not too narrow of toebox like the speedgoats, better responsiveness than the mushier mafates, relatively lightweight, so overall an outstanding shoe. I thought the upper might feel a little stiff as my foot rotated through steps (as some others have mentioned), but that has not been a problem at all for me and I have actually come to really like the support and protection of the stiffer upper. I think they fit true to size (I wear size 11 in Asics, Nike, Salomon, La Sportiva, Hoka, etc.). With the wider toe box I cinch down the laces a little tighter for shorter faster runs, or I relax the laces to open it up for longer runs where my feet may swell more or where I have thicker socks, which allows me to have surprising versatility in a single size for a variety of runs. I only wish there were a little more drop in the shoe-- after breaking them in and running a couple hundred miles in them mostly on mountain trails with packed dirt, mud, rocks, and tree roots, the heel lugs wear down much faster than the front lugs (which are much more numerous than in the heel), and the heel foam compresses a little, meaning the shoe essentially feels like a no-drop shoe with the thick foam at the forefoot. I really wish there were about 2mm or more height in the heel. I filed down the front lugs to match the rear and the shoe feels much better (but loses some life and still feels almost like a no-drop shoe). Even with the worn lugs I feel that the traction is great on a variety of terrain. If this had a little more heel height and drop I would wear no other shoe but this one on trail runs.

Love this shoe, sole is fantastic not too cushy but just right for me. My one complaint is similar to another reviewer, the top material just at the bottom of the laces is too rigid for me, it puts a ton of pressure on the top of my big toe joint. I persevere through it as I love the shoe otherwise and once it heats up it is a bit better. If you have wide feet I would think this toe box would be a bit tight for you.

Love the shoe, great stability, excellent cushioning ( I'm a heavy 200lb runner ), nice roomy toe box. I fit best in a half size smaller than my other 8-10 pairs of HOKAs. I'm normally a 12.5 in Bondi, but 12 in this model, I think because of the roomy toe box. Only issue was the sole at the toe come unglued after a 20 mile traverse in the White Mountains of NH. I was given a new pair by local shop, no charge. I put several thin coats of E6000 cement where sole is glued to upper at the toe. Did the 31 Mile "Pemi Loop" in the White Mountains of NH with them, no issues, comfortable all day !!

I really really love the midsole and the grip of this shoe. Great cushion, feel, and pretty lightweight. Traction in both the dry and mud has been great, though I sometimes notice that little rocks get stuck in the cutouts of the outsole. My only real gripe is with the upper, which I find to be a little stiff. There is a big crease in the material over my toes where the upper folds in when the shoe flexes. Periodically this is uncomfortable and I once developed blisters in the same location on both feet where this crease came to a point on the side of my big toes. As mentioned by others, the tongue is pretty short and there is no padding at the top where the laces tie. This can be uncomfortable depending on how tight you tie the laces. I have the Clifton 5 and love that upper. I think the Clifton upper with the Evo Mafate mid/outsole would be absolutely perfect.

Great advanced trail running shoe, more responsive than the Stinson and with an interesting upper (check it out). BUT, toes need to splay in an ultra trail running shoe, and like all Hokas (excepting perhaps the Stinson ATR4) the toebox is too narrow and does not allow proper splay.

Love these!!! Coming from wearing Salomon Slab Sense 4,5,6, Slab Ultra, Nike Kiger 4 and Wildhorse 4. Always wished for more cushion overall and even more on forefoot but with race like fit. EVO Mafate fits nothing like other older Hokas, forefoot is bit wider and great mid foot lock. Cushion is great, will be great for 100 miles. Love the toe box height, taller than Salomon and Nikes. Right out of the box did 30 miler in the AC100 course and no problems. Only minor issues: shoe tongue has holes and it let's small things in the shoe. Tongue can be more cushioned and have something to keep things out.

First Hoka trail shoes are hands down the best. I picked up a pair of Mafates and they were marked down to a nice price. I must sat the toe box is narrow, the tongue is interesting, after 11 mile trail run the toe has come unglued but not the end of the world. There is definitely some issues with the padding inside and midsole cushioning after 9 miles I found it a bit uncomfortable. I'm hopeful once they break in it will go away? These certainly do not compare to the Evo Speedgoat which I have experienced nothing but miles of joy. Kinda of kicking myself for not getting the Mafate 2s. I suspect with the panel in the toe box it be a bit more comfortable. Anyhow the grip/confidence in the shoes goes without saying!

The Upper material appears to be a very stiff synthetic weave with possibly a laminate over the toebox. This material is so stiff it creases. It even made a popping noise and feel until the crease formed. Now the crease pushes down into the first metatarsal joint with each stride. To over come this pain and tissue damage you must always wear a thick sock. I think it is acceptable for a light weight race shoe to sacrifice durability, so the hard upper material is unnecessary. The Upper on the speedgoats have always outlasted the soles and they are a heavier shoe. My guess is we will not see this shoe for long in it's current form. Toebox shape, midsole, heel, sole, everything else we're fantastic.

Nearly perfect in many ways for trail running with Great tread, ample cushion and super light. They're not narrow like the speedgoat. The pair I recieved had a sharp plastic seem where the tongue is joined to the toe box that would crease down and rub hard against the tops of my feet.

Great fit - really happy to see this shoe adopt a slightly more accommodating width. Tongue is quite short, however, causing some lace discomfort over longer runs. Surprising response and even a hint of pop until the midsole began its slow decline - for me at 70 or so miles. Satisfying traction and predictability in technical terrain. Excellent drainage. However after a modest taper period and a brutal 100 mile race these shoes are done. The outsole resembles a veteran hockey player's grin, and as another reviewer noted the upper has separated/delaminated. While a really strong effort from Hoka - and one that I found to perform admirably over the course of an especially heinous race - I got one mile out of these shoes for every dollar spent (170 miles). So there's that.

I bought these at my local running shop after a recommendation of friend ( as well as seeing Tim Tollefson rave about them on Instagram). I love the torrent, so figured these would be even better. I took them out of the box and on a 17 mile, 4,000ft run. The fit is awesome, the upper is rad, the grip? Phenomenal! To me the ride was just so so, I don't feel that "pop" other people are talking about. The deal breaker for me was that the shoe caused a lot of arch pain. I also ended up with shin splints, which I haven't had in years. I only put 25 miles on them and the overlays on the upper are also delaminating. Maybe a I just got a defective pair, I don't know. Big bummer!

Very comfortable shoe, height of shoe took a little getting used to, a little wobbly until I worked down the lugs a little. Unfortunately there is a crease just below the tongue that cuts like a knife drilling holes on each of the tops of my big toe on each side. They were identical on both sides of my feet, so I know it was not isolated. I re-laced the shoes, but experienced the same issue again on a short 5-6 mile trail run. Disappointed I had to take them out of the rotation. If it wasn't for the major crease issue, the shoe would be a five star!

Fantastic shoe.... except for the rigid upper. A permanent crease formed on my right shoe. It dug in near top of my big toe, put a hole in my sock and caused a blister. Felt like a butter knife digging in on the uphills.

Not sure if it was a defect in the manufacture of the shoe or the design of the shoe but the really hurt my feet. I logged 12 miles but could not take pain in my left foot any longer. They did grip the trails very well.

Hoka Mafate Evo wearing it's upper after 3 runs; not quality . Can send pictures. Clearly not a shoe for regular use.