Hoka - Speedgoat 4
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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:
1898
551
"I even washed them accidentally and still worked perfectly fine afterwards."
"Been using them for about four years working out in my gym, and cycling daily (45+ minutes on a bicycle outdoors)."
"They last absolutely forever (I know 1980s models still in daily use)"
561
131
"I was quite impressed with its comfort and trail capabilities, and truly believed I had found an excellent shoe for my long runs and hikes. ... the New Balance Hierro v9 remains my top choice for comprehensive trail running. Its superior comfort and, crucially, its consistently reliable grip in varied and challenging conditions make it a more dependable partner on the trails I typically encounter. ... I feel more secure in the Hierro, and that confidence is key. In fact I will be using it for my upcoming races and that says it all."
"The Vibram Megagrip outsole on the Hierro v9 is simply outstanding. Its 4.5mm lugs provide excellent, reliable traction across various surfaces, from dry dirt to slick roots and muddy patches. I've always felt incredibly secure, and it consistently inspires confidence in diverse conditions. ... Great Vibram outsole grip, even on mud and wet rocks"
"The Trabuco 12 have been the best trail shoes I’ve ever owned. ... I’m 6”4 and charge hard over serious rocky terrain…and I feel completely safe in them."
50
25
"As someone with severe nerve compression and multiple extruded discs; I need these shoes - they aren’t just for sport. ... Had to scour the internet to order new speedgoat 5s"
"I'm really prone to rolling my ankle. ... they definitely reduced ankle sprains for me."
"with a very nice stiff back around ankle it really plants your foot in place (and I had my ankles srrpingkled number of thimes back when I was playing baksetball)"
297
18
"Got me through a week with everything Utah can throw at you - snow, mud, dirt, gravel, sand, slickrock, slot-canyon scooting, and the occasional stream crossing - and I never felt unsure of my footing."
"can be used perfectly well on the road/treadmill too ... are the only shoes I pack if I'm heading to mixed terrain running locales. ... I was in Palm Springs just last week & did some short but gnarly trails ([Bump & Grind](https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/california/bump-and-grind-trail)), a road run and a treadmill workout, all in the same pair of Xero's."
"As far as grip goes, all three are excellent. It's truly amazing how good they are at gripping scree, sand, and unstable terrain."
266
78
"they are extremely durable. ... I’ve got well over 1000 miles out of a pair and they still have grip and the uppers are in great shape"
"they are extremely durable. ... I’ve got well over 1000 miles out of a pair and they still have grip and the uppers are in great shape"
"As far as grip goes, all three are excellent. It's truly amazing how good they are at gripping scree, sand, and unstable terrain."
269
55
"enough of a hiking shoe for class 5 tech terrain"
"Very good on rocky, technical terrain. ... Use: any trail up to marathon distance."
"My feet sweat so bad that my waterproof boots are soaked even in dry conditions so I prefer shoes that dry quickly inside and ventilate well to keep my feet from soaking. ... I did a 20 mile hike in NM that crossed the Gila river maybe 40 times and my Topo Traverse shoes were perfect because after the river section they had dried during the next 30 minutes of dry hiking."
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."
30
6
"super comfy (my knees ache so much less on descents with them) ... I can’t stress enough how much they’ve helped my bad left knee on descents."
"Made the switch to speedgoats at Shasta per the recommendation of the shoe guy and all symptoms started to get better."
"after working with blaze physio I switched into hoka speedgoats and it changed my hike! The pain in my ankles was gone"
Disliked most:
398
443
"About a year and the right bud would last about 15 minutes on a full charge."
"I've had them for a few years and now the battery doesn't last for more than 40 mins, so looking for a different model."
"And then during a race in September the mid sole of one pulled right off with less than 200 km on them."
1
33
"they break down incredibly fast ... each time it feels like they last for a shorter number of miles ... For me, they've started breaking down after about 200 miles ... my current pair has holes in the front of the sole ... My other 2 pairs got a hole near the heel part of the sole; rocks would get in and while running they would hit my heel which was quite painful"
"All cushioning felt gone to me."
"Mine lasted me 50km before they became gardening shoes."
12
51
"They fit more rigid with more pressure points and have less room in the tow box. ... They were never as comfortable out of the box or hiking as a topo athletic shoe and I’ve had several pairs. ... I’m always very ready to take these shoes off at the end of the day.. ... after a long day, my feet feel like they were in a rock crusher since the cushion 0%."
"Speedgoats are not wide, they are one of the narrowest trail shoes ive worn ... I regret buying the Speedgoat wide because it squished my pinky toe and midfoot."
"they’re much narrower than the 5s. ... My 5s were my favorite trail shoe ever and the 6s were painfully unwearable for me. I wear a 2e wide and never had a problem with any other hoka before."
91
88
"the toebox is too narrow for me and gives blisters on the outside of my big toes. ... the toe box is just too tight for me."
"They fit more rigid with more pressure points and have less room in the tow box. ... They were never as comfortable out of the box or hiking as a topo athletic shoe and I’ve had several pairs. ... I’m always very ready to take these shoes off at the end of the day.. ... after a long day, my feet feel like they were in a rock crusher since the cushion 0%."
"They fit more rigid with more pressure points and have less room in the tow box. ... They were never as comfortable out of the box or hiking as a topo athletic shoe and I’ve had several pairs. ... I’m always very ready to take these shoes off at the end of the day.. ... after a long day, my feet feel like they were in a rock crusher since the cushion 0%."
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."
0
12
"6 blisters me."
"sucks big time on road. ... I would not take the Speedgoat 5 on the road."
"The SG6 is like running on a block of wood compared to SG5"
15
64
"they are not sturdy. ... Actually, I think I’m on my 5th pair in 2 years and I am a weekend overnight backpacker. ... I’ve had the treads come loose less than 15 miles out of the box. ... Their durability is crap to the point it’s hard to believe a legit company accepts this as their product."
"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."
14
34
"I jokingly call my clown shoes because that’s exactly how they feel! ... I’m constantly stubbing them on branches, rocks, and gravel ... it’s like the lugs are magnets for anything they could possibly trip over. ... I only wear them when I have to."
"I jokingly call my clown shoes because that’s exactly how they feel! ... I’m constantly stubbing them on branches, rocks, and gravel ... it’s like the lugs are magnets for anything they could possibly trip over. ... I only wear them when I have to."
"they shit clumpy things with even shittier grip on muddy terrain"
19
27
"The stability around the ankles is terrible ... keep rolling the ankle ... it has happened with both ankles"
"The only thing I don't like about these is that for very rooty trails the heel height really contributed to ankle rolls."
"I was running exclusively in SGs, and rolled my ankle badly thrice in three months at the end of last year."
1
5
"they shit clumpy things with even shittier grip on muddy terrain"
"If it's snow/slush/excessive mud, I'll move up to Salomon 4D GTX boots and usually gaiters."
"I wouldn't recommend either the Sense Rides or the UGs for very muddy conditions."
Admirable_Avocado_45 1.0I have always worn Speedgoats in wide (2e) the past but moved to a NB Hierro 9 this year. It’s a softer, more comfortable ride. Gonna try the Norda 005 when they arrive in a few days.
akamark 1.0I have a pair of the NB Fresh Foam More V3 in 4E and they've been good. I have wide feet in the toe box and mid area with normal heels. I hike in them regularly in UT, and they hold up well on the rocky trails. Had the Hoka Speedgoats in wide - loved them, but they weren't wide enough. They irritated a toe injury and neuroma, so had to get surgery. I'm still building up my running mileage, so haven't done more than 5 miles at a time with the NB. We'll see how they handle higher mileage and a full running season next year!
Allaboutgiraffes 1.0This thread has been so helpful for me. I love my speedgoat 4s, and have been disappointed by the "improvements" made to the newest Speedgoat models. Not sure if this will gain any traction, but I made a petition with the hope of convincing Hoka to bring back the Speedgoat 4. If you feel similarly, please feel free to sign and share. Likely nothing will happen, but might as well try... [https://chng.it/ttq7VG4zsv](https://chng.it/ttq7VG4zsv)
benbot85 1.0Oh how I miss the days when I could go to a store and buy the Hoka Speedgoat 4's. Those were "My" shoe.
Brilliant-Rough7490 1.0Speedgoats are not wide, they are one of the narrowest trail shoes ive worn
Yes, I regret buying the Speedgoat wide because it squished my pinky toe and midfoot. I have switched to Altra Olympus and it was the perfect fit for me, perfect toe box and my midfoot is no longer squished.
CALL_ME_ISHMAEBY 1.0Wide versions of both Speedgoat and Challenger are good to me.
I’ve bought wide versions of both the Speedgoat and Challenger. Altra’s have been fine as well.
deep-_-thoughts 1.0I had 4s and 5s and loved them. I returned the 6 after one run. The Mafate 4s are great but my pair was done after maybe 300 miles. I just got a pair of la Sportiva Prodigio pro. They feel amazing so far.
duathlete222 1.0I had Speedgoat 3s up until a few weeks ago (I only ran trails occasionally up until recently) and just got some 6s. They feel about the same to me, if not better.
EffectiveGlass2121 1.0Unfortunately, the materials on the SG6 changed quite a lot. From my point of view the shoe deteriorated since SG4. So check out whether you have a good fit: for my wide feet with a high span and the tougher materials it does not work out: too much space in the toe box, too much pressure on the span, a tougher mid sole and still (like the predessors) a limited feel for the underground. It is a pity, as I liked 3 and 4 a lot...
Unfortunately, the materials on the SG6 changed quite a lot. From my point of view the shoe deteriorated since SG4. So check out whether you have a good fit: for my wide feet with a high span and the tougher materials it does not work out: too much space in the toe box, too much pressure on the span, a tougher mid sole and still (like the predessors) a limited feel for the underground. It is a pity, as I liked 3 and 4 a lot...
Far_Persimmon6474 1.0HOKA for the win! Daily work shoes are gaviota 5, trail runners are speedgoat 4, slow hikes and walks are the Stinson 7, and a spare kick around pair are the Clifton 9. Can't beat Hoka for their durability and comfort, especially if you're going to be in your feet multiple hours a day.
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