Customer Reviews Hoka Evo Mafate 2

If you are reading this you are one of 3 people. A obsessed Trail Runner that loves nature the mountains, desert, West Coast, East Coast, anywhere with dirt, mud and beautiful Lush scenery to run through while treading as light as possible in your environment. Or you are a wannabe hipster / D bag that's getting ready for their first Ultra after training for a month, and will inevitably get spanked buy a 50 + year old lady and wonder how you got humbled so easily. Last but not least the rich tool. That can afford anything and wants the best, to go on their hike in the Santa Monica Mountains or Hollywood Hills. If you have made it this far reading this nonsense. I just ran arguably the hardest 50k in the United States. The speedgoat 50K. The mafadi 2s ran flawlessly. They went through dirt / roots, deep mud, deep snow with glissading, Creek and River Crossings, 4 miles of the gnarliest granite Dry Creek bed downhill you can think of, along with super Rocky technical singletrack. Anyhow you get the idea. If you want the best these are the best for people with medium / wide forefoot. With a snug mid-foot and heal. They climb, descend and corner excellent with top of the line traction, and fit with durability. I've run in the speedgoat 2 and speedgoat 3. Both are not as durable as the mafadi twos. The lugs are deeper and tougher in my opinion on the mafadi twos. Beautiful hardcore Trail shoe. I wore them getting into the car to drive to the race and everything else you read. They took a beating and still look excellent. Good Times

I'm 145 lbs., 5'7". I run on steep, technical terrain (up to and including where you need to switch to hands and feet) that is often markedly off-camber. I've been using the Speedgoat 4 (SG4), which works well for thisgreat grip and stability. Plus it fits my narrow forefoot well. The downside is that it doesn't give me quite enough forefoot cushion during the descents (I mostly land on my forefoot), and its somewhat firm midsole leaves my feet sore. I thus decided to try the Evo Mafate 2 (EM2), which has a few more mm of cushioning than the SG4, but retains the SG4's 4 mm drop (indeed, it even feels a bit flatter than the SG4, which I like). I. Here's what's great about it: I *love* the cushioning its midsole provides it gives outstanding forefoot shock absorption on descents, which really makes a difference for my knees. The midsole's cushioning is just a joy on descents. This is not merely because of its added thickness, but also because of the material. If the midsole is too soft, it bottoms out, reducing shock absorption*. Too firm, and it doesn't compress enough, also reducing shock absorption. The EM2's midsole seems to have achieved a beautiful Goldilocks middle. [*As an aside, that's why the SG2 was unusable for me on the trailthe forefoot was way too soft and squishy, so it would keep bottoming out during descents (though the softness does feel great on the flats). Also, when the forefoot compresses so much, it effectively increases the drop, which I don't likeit makes me feel like I'm falling over the fronts of the shoes on descents.] II. Here's what's not so good: I don't like the EM2's outsole as much as the SG4's. The SG4 has a continuous run, front to back, of the sticky Vibram rubber along both sides of the shoe. And its heel is as grippy as its forefoot. That makes its outsole reliable and predictable. The EM2, by contrast, has a very grippy forefoot, a someone grippy heel, and a marginally grippy middle. That makes it unpredictabl

After running in the Challengers for awhile, I was finding they didn't have enough tread/lug height and were prone to occasional slipping in the dirt. The Evo Mafate 2 was the answer - better traction, great fit for me (Speedgoat too narrow for my foot), good under-foot protection from rocks, and the right amount of cushion to keep feet happy and still feel responsive when navigating rockier trails or for speedier runs/workouts. Will buy another pair again soon!

This shoe is pure dynamite!!! Feels great, fast and responsive. It doesn't have the max cushion/plush feeling, but it gives me what I need out on the trails. I have used it for training runs, multiple 50k, and i recently wore it for several miles during my last 100 mile race. I have own 4 pair of the Evo Mafate (2 of the original and 2 of the second model) and the second version is better than the first. I am 6'4" 230lbs, and wear a size 13. This is the best fitting Hoka shoe I have ever worn!!!

...on technical terrainI've found, depending on how you land, it can do a "slide and catch", especially if you initially land mid-foot on a protruding rock, where it will slide before the heel grabs. And sometimes if you're sliding on sand, and bring your feet back under you, the forefoot can catch suddenly. I think if HOKA wanted to make the Mafates into more serious trail shoes, they would give them an outsole like that on the Speedgoats (though, granted, there would be a small weight penalty, which they're probably trying to avoid). III. And here's what, alas, made the shoe unusable for me: Compared to the SG4, it's just too unstable. There are two key reasons for this: 1) Even though the EM2 has a higher stack height than the SG4, HOKA made its base narrower instead of wider! The SG4 base flares out laterally at the forefoot, helping to prevent ankle rolls. By contrast, in my size (7.5), the outsole of the EM2, measured at its widest point, is 6 mm narrower than the SG4's. [See attached comparison picture: SG4 (orange/gray) on the left, EM2 (yellow/black/blue) on the right.] Given that the midsoles on the various Mafates are taller than those on the Speedgoats, they should be wider (or at least as wide), not narrower. I think if HOKA wanted to make the Mafates into more serious trail shoes, they would give them flaring bases like those on the Speedgoats (though, granted, there would be a small weight penalty, which they're probably trying to avoid). 2) Stretchier forefoot. In the SG4, my forefoot is pretty much locked down -- there's no lateral give in the upper material, making it feel confident on technical, off-camber terrain. By contrast, the forefoot of the EM2 has so much give that, on off-camber terrain, the outside of the forefoot of my downhill foot can press out beyond the outside of the midsole, making the shoe just *want* to roll over. That's not a good thing, and has also been a fatal flaw for me in other shoes.

I am a runner from Hong Kong and I used my mafate 2 a week ago and up till now, I can say that I am kind of worried about the shoe in the long run. For starters taking it out of the box and run my first 50k with the shoe, the ride felt stiff at first but as I was putting in more miles into the shoe , the ride felt a bit more cushioned. Overall I like the midsole of the mafate 2 ; responsive while at the same time giving me enough cushion to feel comfortable in longer runs. Next , I want to talk about the lug pattern of the shoe. It is an aggressive lug pattern but it gives me the confidence to be going down very technical trails and even in the roughest conditions , I did not lose traction. It also is a great shoe for when I have to transition from the trail to the road. The lugs were not so sticky and I did not have such a tough time running along pavement with my mafate 2. To sum it up , I love how versatile this lug pattern is and it gives me the confidence to run along any surface and in any circumstance. Now to the part of the shoe which I did not like the most , the upper. The maytrx upper did well with ventilating my foot sweat and with the added vamp material , I enjoyed every step with the shoe. My biggest complaint is its overall structure. Though very comfortable , I was disappointed to find that after a week use , I got a small tear in the front of my shoe. To sum it up , the maytrx material utilised in the shoe is good but I can see further improvement. Finally , the little concern I have is the overall build of the shoe. After running 100k in this shoe not only I got a small tear in the shoe but I am starting to see a tiny rip where the upper meets the midsole. The glue is somewhat already kinda giving in and it is really the smallest of rips. It just kinda raises my worried flag for the longevity of the shoe. In conclusion, I would be using the mafate 2 in long training runs and races but my only concern is the build of the shoe.

I used the product for trail running. After 150 miles, they started to fall apart. Usually running shoes last 350-550 miles. Sole foam of the shoes started to bend right and left. After a while, unbalanced Hoka shoes caused me an ankle injury. Emailed the problem to Hoka customer service with the photos six months ago, no answer. I'm still saving the shoes, showing people why they shouldn't buy Hoka trail shoes.

Excellent cushioned suppprt. Breathable, yet durable upper material that is both lightweight and stylish. Good arch and cushion support. Great, vibrant coloration and sporty design!

Having run in Speedgoat 3, and really enjoying it for a few years, the wider forefoot of the Evo Mafate 2 feels great. I'm not a racer and really only run 10 to 15 miles per week and even some of those miles are brisk walking. But at other times I'm sprinting with a dog over hill terrain on dirt single track, open face, various sized baby heads, roots, and other technical which the Evo Mafate 2 glides over with a stable comfort. It's just as grippy but a little loose in the front compared to the Speedgoat 3, which was the attraction, so those that like the snuggle foot of Speedgoat may not enjoy the roomy Evo toe box.

This is by far the best trail running shoe has improved my running times

This is my fifth pair of Hoka's! I walk a lot and thought these may have extended life.

running in these Evo Mafate 2 is like running in pillows, they really comfy and responsive best shoes I've ever tried. For long distances are "the shoes". Grip its awesome I feel so confident in any terrain even in technical rocky single tracks. They fit a little tight but the upper material its so flexible that it is not a problem at all. One thing I wish it would be developed it is the shoe laces, I need to do a double buckle to keep them secure.

I have worn these for about 4-5 runs through the trails and I have to say that I really enjoy them. They just enough grip and my feet feel comfortable during my runs

What can I say, these shoes work for me. I'm a thru-hiker and typically get between 600-800 miles per pair. Soft and comfy yet grippy, I float over rocks and pavement that used to make me cry.

Nice fit out of the box...

I usually need to wear a wide in HOKAs but these mafate 2s feel fine. Love them!

Great balance of cushion and feel. The traction from the lugs is huge. This shoe makes you jump in the mud!

The shoes are great. I had heard about a little slippage in the heel, and there is a little bit of that, but it doesn't really bother me. I hardly notice it.

I bought this shoe because it rated very well for ultra marathons and it hasn't disappointed yet! I was amazed how very little "break-in time" it needed and I was able to do a long trail run after just wearing them around the house a few hours. Totally worth the price, in my opinion.

At first it seemed very light weight and the shoe laces are thin but the arch support has been wonderful and the shoe is very comfortable and cushioned and has great colors.

These are ugly as sin, but I don't care, because they help with my ball of foot pain (diagnosed as capsulitis or metatarsalgia). I also have insoles, and they fit in these shoes, which is nice. The extra cushioning and the early-stage rocker sole I think both help with the ball of foot pain. I use these for hiking, and I appreciate that they have aggressive lugs that keep me from slipping on steep trails.