The Hoka Speedgoat 6. All photographs: iRunFar/Bryon Powell

The Hoka Speedgoat 6 ($155) is the latest replace of a well-loved shoe that has been a favourite within the path operating and ultrarunning communities for a very long time. The 5-millimeter lugs present sufficient traction for many kinds of terrain with out being a burden on roads and harder-surfaced trails, and the Vibram Megagrip outsole with Traction Lugs sticks to rocks in each moist and dry circumstances. The shoe’s drop has elevated from 4 to five millimeters, but it surely’s a barely noticeable distinction. The 38-millimeter and 33-millimeter heel and toe stack heights for the ladies’s shoe and 40-millimeter and 35-millimeter stack heights for the boys’s present loads of cushion, even with a firmer midsole materials.

The shoe has an precise weight of 9.8 ounces (280 grams) for males’s dimension 9 and is a superb all-around shoe for coaching and racing. With a lighter midsole materials and extra cutouts on the outsole, the shoe has misplaced a pair grams from the earlier model. Hoka has up to date the higher and given it extra construction, making a design that resembles the Hoka Speedgoat 4 (evaluate) way more so than the Hoka Speegoat 5 (evaluate) and brings again that locked-in midfoot feeling.

iRunFar’s Travis Liles takes a deep dive into the updates of the Hoka Speedgoat 6 and the way it differs from the earlier two variations of the shoe.

[Editor’s Note: For those looking for alternative looks, additional colorways will be released around July 15.]

Store the Males’s Hoka Speedgoat 6Store the Ladies’s Hoka Speedgoat 6

Hoka Speedgoat 6 Overview Transcript

Hey, and welcome to Path Trials, the video evaluate part of iRunFar. My identify is Travis Liles, and on this video, we’re going to check out the brand new Hoka Speedgoat 6. Let’s test it out.

Let’s begin with the fundamentals right here. That is the sixth iteration of a really well-loved shoe within the Speedgoat. It has a 5-millimeter heel-to-toe drop, which is one millimeter greater than the earlier era. It is available in at 9.8 ounces in a males’s dimension 9. That may be a half-ounce lighter, in keeping with the web site. [Editor’s Note: We measured a smaller, 4-gram reduction in weight.] It has a special higher, a special midsole, a special tongue, and a special outsole. So, we’re going to check out all these and see what this shoe is all about.

Hoka Speedgoat 6 Outsole

The outsole of the Hoka Speedgoat 6.

Let’s begin by speaking in regards to the outsole of the Hoka Speedgoat 6. In case you try the outsole, it seems to be pretty acquainted. And by that, I imply it is a very acquainted lug patterning. It’s a really acquainted look to what the earlier Speedgoats additionally had been. This makes use of Vibram Megagrip and likewise has Traction Lugs. In case you look actually shut, you may see these little dots throughout right here. These are supposedly including extra traction, and I assume by simply advantage of additional floor space, that’s what’s occurring right here. You get slightly bit of additional grip by having these additional enamel. From a patterning standpoint, you’ve obtained reverse lugs for braking while you’re going downhill. You’ve obtained forward-facing lugs while you’re going uphill.

The key distinction between this and the earlier model is a barely completely different sample. You’ll be able to see slightly little bit of change by way of these channels right here, of the midsole poking by way of. There’s slightly extra publicity. You had the holes and the dots on this aspect, however only a barely completely different feel and appear.

Efficiency-wise, I don’t suppose it’s even noticeable — in my view, and in my put on time. Hoka says that that is meant to be extra like a hoof, and I assume that’s the fork right here. However in efficiency, I don’t suppose you’ll discover something. In case you’ve favored what earlier Speedgoats did for rock, moist, mud, and all of the issues that I believe the Speedgoat does properly with such a tread sample and compound, I believe the shoe is not going to disappoint. And with 5-millimeter lugs, they’re deep sufficient to grip, however not so deep that for those who do have highway operating or extra of a tough floor, you don’t discover these lugs poking again by way of.

Hoka Speedgoat 6 Midsole

A lateral view of the Hoka Speedgoat 6.

I’d say the midsole is without doubt one of the main updates for the Hoka Speedgoat 6. The reasoning is that it’s a brand new compound. That compound is meant to be slightly bit lighter, and this shoe is a half-ounce lighter general. A few of that could be within the much less tread. A few of that could be within the midsole as properly. It’s a single-density foam all the best way round, similar to earlier generations. I’d say from the step-in and the texture of placing this shoe on, it nonetheless has the rocker. The drop moved up from 4 to five millimeters, however I don’t really feel it’s noticeable in step, in top, or simply standing within the shoe.

You’re going to note the firmness, and particularly while you examine it to one thing just like the Hoka Mafate Velocity 4 (evaluate), and even earlier variations of the Speedgoat. This has a firmer really feel. It has extra of a rebound to it. Particularly, while you’re operating on more durable surfaces, you may really feel rather less dampening of the vibration, however you get slightly extra return while you’re doing turnover. So, it’s a firmer midsole, however by way of match and really feel, I believe the bottom really feel is similar as up to now.

Hoka Speedgoat 6 Higher

A medial view of the Hoka Speedgoat 6.

The key updates of the Hoka Speedgoat 6 are within the higher. Only for reference’s sake, I’m going to drag up two variations right here — that is the Speedgoat 4, 5, and 6. In case you have a look at these, there’s extra occurring within the 4 and the 6, because it pertains to the higher. The 5 obtained very, very stripped down. They used this engineered mesh — there have been no inner or exterior cages, and many floppiness. I actually needed to crank it all the way down to get a match that simply by no means, in my view, held properly for actually technical terrain and downhill operating. I at all times felt like my foot was shifting round loads, particularly after I in contrast it to the 4.

Once we pull the 4 in, what I’ll name out is you had this exterior caging that locked your laces down and allowed that midfoot to lock down loads higher. You don’t see that externally on the 6, however they exist. You’ll be able to really feel them on the within of the shoe. Most likely the best visible is that this spot proper right here, the place you may see dust on either side. There’s slightly strapping inside this shoe that takes the lacing system and brings that all the way down to the midsole. And there’s extra of that on the shoe’s outdoors, or the lateral aspect, as properly.

There’s slightly little bit of caging on the within, so while you put your foot in there and pull the laces, as an alternative of simply cloth holding it in, there’s slightly bit of additional mechanical strapping that retains your foot in place. It’s not as aggressive because the exterior strapping on the 4, but it surely’s undoubtedly noticeable. Your foot stays locked in.

The secondary piece including to that locked-in really feel is that the higher is much, far much less stretchy. Versus, once more, such a stuff [in the 5] which you could simply see has a ton of flex in it. You’ll be able to actually transfer that throughout. This can be a way more structured higher. It’s very a lot a extra locked-down really feel. In case you moved from the 4 to the 5 and didn’t have that, you’re getting it again within the 6.

One other factor to name out right here that’s completely different is a padded tongue. It’s solely actually padded from in regards to the lace keeper within the center up, and it’s most prevalent up right here on the high the place you’re going to lock your laces down. You’ll be able to see that little bulbous piece right here, and while you’re tying your laces, you may see that the highest of these laces are going straight over it. It’s slightly small. I’d prefer it to come back up a bit greater, particularly for me with a slim heel — I exploit this again eyelet. Most of this top-of-your-foot stress is dispersed, particularly at this lock-down level on the high.

The toebox may be very related in dimension to the 5, which I believe is nice. This stretchy mesh space was additionally within the 5, whereas within the outdated variations, it was an enormous piece of plastic that simply sat there. They up to date it, and now it’s way more useful versus a design resolution. And that is stretchy, so it permits slightly little bit of respiratory room out of right here, I’d say for getting warmth out, but it surely additionally permits this toebox space to flex slightly bit and provides your toes some room to wiggle.

There’s a deal with on the again to drag your shoe on. You in all probability don’t want it a lot with this large wing right here within the again, however that’s there. [The wing] is slightly bit knocked down from the earlier model. It is perhaps exhausting to inform from this video, however that is undoubtedly slightly bit shorter and never fairly as pronounced, which can be a pleasant replace. After which lastly, customary stuff right here, the toebox across the toes itself is calmly bolstered with this overlay. After which very a lot a robust apex right here that wraps up from the midsole and gives safety from kicking issues.

Hoka Speedgoat 6 General Impressions

A high view of the Hoka Speedgoat 6.

I believe while you have a look at the three collectively, the Hoka Speedgoat 6, 5, and 4, you’re getting again to what the Speedgoat is most recognized for, which is a locked-in really feel. I believe the Speedgoat moved again, or fairly darn near, the place it was with the 4. All that stuff that occurred within the 5 with that stretchy higher that didn’t lock your foot down has been acknowledged and adjusted. There’s the inner cage that’s inside right here that locks your foot down.

The higher materials is much much less stretchy than on that model. When you concentrate on the Speedgoat, you concentrate on hammering downhills and going throughout rugged terrain. This locks your foot in significantly higher than that earlier model and far nearer to the two, 3, and 4 of this shoe — getting again to the roots, if you’ll.

The distinction is that it’s obtained a firmer midsole. There’s simply no denying it. This can be a firmer, springier sort of really feel, and that’s obtained its execs and cons. If I’m operating on the highway, I’d need that. If I’m form of going over repetitive terrain over and again and again, it undoubtedly shouldn’t be as forgiving and as mushy because the earlier model. Actually, while you examine it to one thing just like the Hoka Mafate Velocity 4, and I’d say these sneakers fill an analogous area, however the Mafate Velocity is softer. You’ve obtained an possibility right here, which is the excellent news. In order for you a softer, extra beneficiant general match, the Mafate Velocity fills that. In order for you one thing slightly firmer, slightly extra athletic, slightly tighter bundle general, the Speedgoat goes to try this.

So, with that mentioned, questions, feedback. Are you enthusiastic about this new Speedgoat? Is the earlier model of the Speedgoat, the 5, one thing that you just actually favored and also you’d like that extra beneficiant and unfastened match, or again to this little bit of a tighter bundle? Go away questions and feedback beneath. Thanks for watching. We’ll catch you subsequent time.

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Name for Feedback

• Did you just like the adjustments to from the Hoka Speedgoat 4 to the Speedgoat 5?
• Are you excited for the brand new updates within the Hoka Speedgoat 6? If that’s the case, which replace to this shoe do you suppose makes the most important distinction?

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