Hoka - Challenger 8
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Reddit Reviews:
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Based on 1 year's data from Jan 28, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
142
60
"the splay in the toes is naturally better with that wide toe box"
"My foot (as measured by Fleet Feet's scanners) is D width (women's wide) at the forefoot and my heels are really narrow so Topo's shape works well for me."
"I think I have a similar foot to you - front is wide due to bunions but the rest of my foot is regular width. I absolutely love my Topos"
480
156
"Ran a 50k and never once bothered my feet."
"They have a normal heel and midfoot, but the forefoot is very roomy. ... My feet haven't felt so good in years."
"They have a normal heel and midfoot, but the forefoot is very roomy. ... My feet haven't felt so good in years."
113
19
"the shoes felt great, had no slippage whatsoever, were cushioned, responsive, and comfortable. I ran up and down the mountain without much concern about where my feet were placed... the shoes handled it wonderfully."
"If you're a bigger guy and are looking for a road-to-trail, groomed trail, gravel shoe.... Buy with confidence!"
"slightly tougher/longer lasting tread than speedgoats ... Challengers can tolerate it due to the tougher outsole ... nothing stops you from almost literally running them into the ground with how much of an outsole they've got on them."
23
9
"slightly tougher/longer lasting tread than speedgoats ... Challengers can tolerate it due to the tougher outsole ... nothing stops you from almost literally running them into the ground with how much of an outsole they've got on them."
"the tread doesn’t wear too quickly on the tarmac ... I’m about 1200k into this pair and probably looking to replace them soon."
"I’ve just passed 120k on this pair and no problems apart from some slight wear on the tread of the heel (the first thing that always goes for me). ... My previous pair lasted about the same amount of time too so I’ve never had issues."
10
2
"They’re super grippy and have gotten me up 4k+ft of tough trail"
"Hoka challenger is designed specifically for this. ... they are fantastic for road and any non technical trail"
"on dry surface, shoe is fantastic."
Disliked most:
17
59
"Also, the grip was really crap, particularly when it’s a purpose built trail shoe."
"outsole does not perform well on wet rock ... I agree 100%, and it's a pity because in all other aspects Saucony makes excellent trail shoes. I just hope they will follow the xodus ultra 4 trend and implement vibram on the peregrines 16"
"I’m not convinced the Zegama is suitable for terrains that are moderate and up in terms of technicality. ... And I’m not convinced they can hold up on slippery surfaces. ... If I’m going to go for a mountain run with small rocks and tree roots, where there might be some damp/water, I’m going to reach for another shoe."
30
37
"I always roll my ankles ony Altra Olympus, doesn't really happen with anything that has a lower stack."
"the new mid height are total garbage. ... My favorite part of the speed goat 5 was the ankle support, the new 6 has no ankle support, and simply a water resistant gasket that provides no support. ... So my big gripe is the 6 only comes in 'low' and 'water resistant gasket' and there is no longer a 'mid' option ... 6 only has the weird high sock option."
"I did the first half in Topos and got terrible Achilles tendinitis and planter fasciitis. ... Made the switch to speedgoats at Shasta per the recommendation of the shoe guy and all symptoms started to get better."
12
14
"they blistered my feet even if I just used them for walking"
"they blistered my feet even if I just used them for walking. ... Hoka Challenger 7 are the first shoes I ever gave up on."
"pointy little toebox ... I got them in a wide and still got massive blisters on the insides of my big toes ... if you need a wide toebox, you may have similar issues"
61
87
"And then during a race in September the mid sole of one pulled right off with less than 200 km on them."
"My Timps got holes after 4 weeks of wearing lol ... Forgot exactly where but it was the toe box. ... Never seen running shoes with such a shitty build quality before. ... Altra is definitely skimping on the materials since they were sold a few years ago."
"I beat the ever living shit out of my shoes in the Colorado high country and have had to shoe goo the soles twice in spots so it’s definitely not bomb proof."
12
34
"had some real, uhm, "challenges" with my knee (very swollen) after my last 100 ... feel like I might need a bit more "cushion" for a 100 ... I've had horrible knee swelling after a 100 in Challengers and obviously that could be from a lot of different things BUT I wondered if a bit more cushion might help mitigate the issue."
"Anyone else find the foam in Hokas goes dead way too quickly? ... I literally got < 300km out of my Challenger 7’s before my knees started hurting"
"honestly it was pretty painful for the last 5 or 10 miles ... it's not the lack of cushioning for me but the way they're stiff and clunky."
heyyyjoo 1.0Generally Hoka Challenger 8 is regarded to be lighter, bouncier, better for mixing in road miles and all-day comfort, less technical, wide-friendly. Brooks Caldera 8 is more of a ultra/trail tank - plush but firmer, ultra-stable, slightly better for more technical stuff. So if your trail is not gonna so technical you might find the challenger better. FWIW, I recently did an analysis on Reddit data for trail runners. Basically ranked them by aggregated sentiment. Maybe you'll find it helpful [https://redditrecs.com/trail-running-shoes/](https://redditrecs.com/trail-running-shoes/) You can get a breakdown of what ppl have said about the most often recommended ones (disclaimer some links are affiliate they help fund the analyses)
Kelsier25 1.0Just beware that wide in most traditional shoes, Hoka included, widens the midfoot without really widening the toebox. I have wide Challengers I was trying out and they're great shoes, but the pointy little toebox just isn't working for me. My two big toes have some pretty awful blisters right now from being pressed in.
Word of warning on the challengers. Great shoes, but pointy little toebox. I got them in a wide and still got massive blisters on the insides of my big toes. Definitely not an issue for everyone, but if you need a wide toebox, you may have similar issues.
KobiLou 1.0Unfortunately the 8s now have a different heel:toe drop. :(
Higher. I think it's 8 now if I remember right. Same with Cliftons. How you can change something so significant, yet call it the same model is beyond me.
Matej1889 1.0Nike Pegasus Trail 5. I have been using Pegasus Trail 4 extensively and it was one of the best if not the best hybrid shoe out there. Had two pairs, ran over 1400 km with them. Now got the new version Trail 5. It seems great too. I tried Challenger 7 and 8 on but I didnt like their heaviness and they didnt seem so much hybrid, they were more robust and bulkier into more technical hybrid terrain.
mmfrazier1 1.0I have 130miles on my challenger 8s with no issues- they are very comfortable cruisers for easy trails-
Ok-Method5635 1.0Normal width, large toe box See altra, topo, inov8. I’ve actually found Hoka challenger 8 (wide) to be a little bit snugger than inov8 trailfly max (wide).
VirtuallySober 1.0I’m trying to break in the new Altra Olympus 275. Zero drop but their original foot shape. It’s quite a comfortable shoe so far. I’ve been struggling with numb toes on all my trail runs and want to transition to zero drops in the hope of maybe alleviating it. Other trail shoes I’ve had success with as a high volume, wide foot: Nike zegama 1 (2 was okay but too low volume. Definitely the better shoe - half sized up in both) Hoka Speedgoat 6. Not a fun ride but it fit okay (half sized up) The new hoka Challenger 8 (true to size and 2E) - these are actually pretty nice.
5lipn5lide 0.1Hoka Challengers are my go to shoe for mixed terrain with light trails. They feel like slippers when they’re on and I’ll choose them over my Speedgoats whenever I can.
Hoka Challengers are my go-to for most runs. Must be 1,000km into this pair at least. And Speedgoat 6s for the heavier stuff. Went into the shop to go for something else after a bad experience with the 5s but they were still the best fit of everything I tried.
Love my Challengers. I use them for over 80% of my runs and the tread doesn’t wear too quickly on the tarmac; I’m about 1200k into this pair and probably looking to replace them soon. They’re like wearing slippers compared to my Speedgoats.
I’m on my third pair of Hoka Challengers as they’re great for the majority of what I do, with a pair of Speedgoats for harder terrain. They last pretty well too with my most recent ones going for 1,200k before I retired them and I still use them for walking. (I’m not a Hoka fanboy but whenever I’ve been into a shop to try new shoes, I’ve still always preferred these ones).
I have a love/hate relationship with Hoka. I've had two amazing pairs of Challengers and a pair of Speedgoats but I've also had a pair of each I've had to ditch because of severe rubbing on my Achilles. Same size and fit as what I've had before so can't find any reason for it. But I've yet to find shoes I like better than those models.
Aaron4_6 0.1The Hoka Challenger is a really good door-to-trail shoe.
aggiespartan 0.1The foam on the zegama 2 is more comfortable for me for long efforts than the challenger. My feet get sore in the challengers a lot faster than the zegama.
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