Customer Reviews Hoka Challenger Mid GORE-TEX®

After a foot injury, I have been wearing Hoka One One almost exclusively (with custom orthotics) for the last five years, moving from style to style as my foot healed and fit varied. The Tor mid is my favorite hiking boot ever, but they stopped making them. (The fit of the Tor low doesn't work for me). I have been buying various mid boots over the years and this is the best one since the Tor mid. I need the rocker for my foot and the cushion is just the right amount--not too squishy, and the toe box is nice and wide. I wore them for a four-mile hike through wet, muddy, hilly terrain straight out of the box and experienced NO PAIN. Hurray! Love the breathability and waterproof features. And THANK YOU for finally offering mud-colored shoes for a mudlark like me. I don't like pink, or red, or white. Dark, grey, murky, muddy colors are the best! There are three things I don't like: (1) the edge of the plastic piece for the lace holes is sharp, so when you first adjust your laces, be careful. (2) The lace hooks (two sets at the top of the boot) are awkward and don't hold the laces, so they frequently slip out and I have to stop and relace them. (3) The heel is a little big, so I can feel my heel slipping. I have mitigated the slipping with a lacing technique, and because they are boots, my foot won't pop out, but a slightly narrower heel would be perfect. (I've had to return the low version of these shoes because of the too-wide heels.)

Soles do not hold up. Like other Hoka hiking boots, these are comfy out of the box. However, the soles on mine are very worn after 7 months and no longer grip on loose rocks. The vibram soles are way better and longer lasting.

I'm a long time Hoka fan and Hoka continue to earn my loyalty with this new purchase of Challenger Mid Gore-Tex hiking boot. I bought 7 wide boot to replace my old Hoka boot. I have difficulty finding shoes/boots that are comfortable for my wide foot. But, these boots were comfortable on the first day of wear. No break-in period was needed. For your information, I wear heavy socks with these boots because they are for overnight backpacking/hiking. I recommend these boots for serious hikers.

I am a little over 5 feet tall. I think the boot is made for taller women. Where it came up to on my foot was not comfortable. Also, the color did not appeal to me at all. I returned them.

I wear this shoe for light trail hiking. I have very weak ankle because of an old injury. This shoes gives great support on my ankle. Very comfortable. I love it! I am between 5.5-6. And size 5.5 fits perfectly.

I was able to take them on a short hike for a test drive and they were great out of the box. No breaking in needed. I ended up buying and wearing all weekend on a trip up to Yellowstone full of hiking. Great shoe and highly recommend.

The laces and lacing system are just plain cruel. Designed (I imagine) to prevent loosening while in use, the waxy laces and plastic-like lace holes serve an excruciating experience to tie up. The top two loops allow the flat shoelace to fit properly only in a precise manner. This makes for an almost impossible task to readjust quickly, and with cold fingers on chilly mornings I've failed terribly. The laces are also too long, they get in the way. Whoever decided to place the tongue pull tab right in the way of the laces should be denied even coal in their stocking each Christmas. On the bright side, they are indeed waterproof, and have the HOKA comfort we expect. Appearances were quite deceiving, as mine are much darker brown than what is shown on the website, and they are basically all one color (I feel the depiction shows a more two-tone contrast). I was extremely disappointed in the functionality of the laces and the appearance of these shoes, but cannot ignore the high comfort level. The package arrived in a timely fashion and both box and shoes were intact and new.

Got these for a week of hiking - 7-8 miles with elevation every day for 8 days. I was worried about doing this with a new boot without the ability to break it in, but I had no issue with this boot at all. I am a true 9.5 and my foot is narrow in the heel, wide in the toes and my pinky toes tend to get callused and blistered. I got the 9.5 wide and it was too big; the 9 wide was perfect. I put in my own orthotic insoles and they were perfect out of the box - I didn't get any blisters at all. The ankle support was great. Yes they are slightly annoying to lace up (the laces tend to slip out of the top hooks) but once you get the hang of them its totally fine. The extra 20 seconds of lacing is worth the great boot!

I wore these to hike the Grand Canyon. 18 miles in 2 days. While my companions were suffering from bruised toes and aching feet, I was doing just fine. The ankle support was great without feeling heavy. I felt very stable and my feet never bothered me at all. I did need to add crampons on the ice, but this ice was in sheets. Otherwise, no slipping. I absolutely loved these!

I'm an avid hiker with deformed feet so it's always been difficult for me to find a comfortable hiking boot. Until now! I've been wearing Hoka One sneakers for over a year now and have found them to really work for me. Hoka One was recommended by my physical therapist and I can't thank her enough. I decided to try the hiking boots after seeing an ad for them and have not been disappointed. There was absolutely no break-in time. Comfortable from the start. I hope they don't wear out but if they do, I'll certainly purchase another pair.

These are by far the most comfortable hiking boots I have had. They are cushioned enough inside so my feet do not hurt, but still provide enough support for uneven trails and rock scrambling.

If you love the running shoes and you hike, you'll love the hikers. Super cushy and wayyy more comfortable than my "traditional" hiking boots! I've only done easy 5-6 mile hikes, but I've been very pleased with their comfort.

I've tried countless different hiking boots looking for something that is comfortable. I have a bunion and a few other foot problems and this is the FIRST pair I've ever tried that gave me zero discomfort. Would absolutely recommend to anyone looking for a comfortable pair of boots and love that these come in wide sizes.

These fit me great right out of the box, a rarity in my life. I am a 6.5 - 7.0 wide and it's not easy finding comfortable sturdy shoes, even boots, that fit my width. I ordered a 7.5 to accommodate thicker socks and my Aetrex inserts. They are perfect. Good cushioning, wide toe box and good ankle support. I wear them with thin liner socks and hiking socks. Ah, bliss! I love the color because it won't show dirt and mud. Contrary to a previous review, my laces stay in the top 2 lace holders just fine, no slipping or popping out. I don't find the heel to be too wide, perhaps because I have a wide foot (tho my heel isn't wide, just my toes). I also appreciate that they are waterproof. When you look at the photo, be aware that the uppers do not have any mesh in them - they are not breathable. The uppers have embossing that looks like mesh but isn't. The tongue of the boot is fabric, but the rest is a plastic type material. However, very comfortable. My feet don't sweat or feel hot. I totally recommend these boots! Thank you HokaOneOne!

These are my 8th pair of Hokas I've purchased of all different kinds. I bought these due to the higher ankle support. I was suffering from falls and since I have been wearing these I feel super secure. The bottom tread is amazing and the cushion is great. I have had 2 foot surgeries so the cushion is important. Way more cushion than the Hupanas. The color to me looks like an army green they are cute. I had to wear them in with long socks because it was rubbing and a little tight on the upper ankle part but all good now. I feel safer wearing these regarding my falls and the amazing tread. Also waterproof!

First the good: so comfortable right out of the box. Well-cushioned. Warm and waterproof. But the lacing system! I guess I have forever taken lacing systems for granted since they are a forgettable but necessary part of most any shoe. Not this one. First to get the shoe on you have to loosen up each lace individually to get your foot in. Then to tighten you need to retrace your steps and tighten each loop individually. Then you need to position the flat lace at the right angle to engage the top two loops. I'm imagining this design was to keep the laces from loosening during wear, but trust me, these suckers aren't loosening without some serious effort on your part. I have a pair of Hoka running shoes that lace up with eases, so I'm not sure what the philosophy was here, but they're lucky this boot is so comfortable or I'd never put up with the hassle of getting them on and off.

Use for hiking and backpacking. I needed a wide width due to toe issues; was a bit concerned how the boot would fit overall and happy to say it's a good fit. I do find the top two lacing eyelets to be a bit difficult to get the lace to hook through; the Kaha mids I bought a few years ago were much easier.

giving these a four because they are a bit of a pain to get into and lace up, but they are comfortable and make cold weather hiking a joy. as soon as the weather warms up though, these swelter -- no breathability at all.

I wanted to love and adore these boots and say nothing but nice things. Unfortunately, Hoka has failed me. These boots are waterproof and comfortable, but the pluses stop there. I selected these boots to hike the Colorado Trail because knee problems run in my family, but they started falling apart after less than100 miles. The sole is ripping apart and falling off even though they weren't badly treated. Honestly, I don't have much of an issue with the laces like other reviewers have said, although they are a pain to lace up. I wouldn't recommend these for serious hikers, not even for day hiking if you want them to last more than a few hikes. Thankfully I noticed the soles falling off while I was still close to a town so I could run to REI and pick up some La Sportiva's. I understand a strenuous, long trail will tear up most equipment, but falling apart after just 100 miles? Come one, Hoka.

These are very comfortable Gore-tex waterproof boots, although they wear like sneakers.