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You can’t talk about the best running shoes without mentioning Hoka. But with so many cushiony pairs of shoes from the brand, how does anyone find the best Hoka shoes? Obviously, there’s no single greatest pair of Hokas, no matter what shoe reviews say, but there are preferred picks for various kinds of people, whether they’re trail runners, speed racers, or speed walkers (and every other athlete in between).
If you’re looking to get in on the action, let us be your guide; we tried pretty much every shoe the company makes to put together a full rundown of the best Hoka running shoes you can buy. From the need-to-knows to the actual pairs to buy, here’s how all those Hokas stack up.
The Best Hoka Shoes, According to GQ
- Best Hoka Shoes Overall: Hoka Clifton 9, $145
- Best Hoka Shoes for Everyday Speed: Hoka Mach X 2, $190
- Best Max-Cushion Hoka Shoes: Hoka Bondi 8, $165
- Best Stability Hoka Shoes: Hoka Gaviota 5, $175
- Best Value Hoka Shoes: Hoka Mach 6, $140
- Best Race Day Hoka Shoes: Hoka Rocket X 2, $250
- Best Road-to-Trail Hoka Shoes: Hoka Challenger 7, $145
- Most Versatile Trail Running Hoka Shoes: Hoka Speedgoat 6, $155
- Best Hoka Shoes for Technical Trail Running: Hoka Mafate Speed 4, $185
- Best Hoka Shoes for Trail Racing: Hoka Tecton X 3, $275
- Best Hoka Shoes for Hiking: Hoka Anacapa Breeze Low, $155
- Best Hoka Sandals: Hoka Hopara 2, $135
- Best Recovery Hoka Shoes: Hoka Ora Recovery Mule, $80
Best Hoka Shoes Overall: Hoka Clifton 9
According to Strava’s 2023 Year in Sport data dump, the Hoka Clifton is the most popular running shoe in the world. It makes sense, the shoe is good for just about anything. We’ve worn it to run slow, fast, short, long—even a long-distance, 15-miler through the Chamonix valley, where Hoka was first conceived. The Clifton is a neutral running shoe and it’s pretty lightweight but it still has a high stack of foam cushioning every step, and some MetaRocker to roll you through the run, though it’s not the most cushioned shoe that Hoka offers. For everyday miles, the Clifton is hard to beat.
Best Hoka Shoes for Everyday Speed: Hoka Mach X 2
The Mach X 2 is Hoka’s latest entry into the growing category of so-called super trainers. These shoes leverage race day tech in designs meant for everyday use. That’s what Hoka did here; in looks alone, the Mach X 2 is clearly a relative of the race-ready Cielo X1 and under the hood, there’s highly responsive PEBA foam and a springboard Pebax plate. The shoe feels more similar to those high-end racers than everyday compatriots—and we’d be happy to toe the line in it—but the daily drag is where it really shines. Especially if what you’re tackling is a bout of 400s or grueling tempo run, but even easier-paced miles feel good in this shoe. Technically this is an update but forget what you know about the first Mach X, this shoe’s a different beast.
Best Max-Cushion Hoka Shoes: Hoka Bondi 8
Strictly speaking, a lot of Hoka shoes fall into the max-cushion category. But the Bondi’s always felt like a real behemoth, in a good way thanks to its extra cushioning. This latest version has lighter foam and an extended heel that paradoxically makes the Bondi feel nimbler and stabler than it looks like it should be, though know that it’s not fully a stability shoe. It’s a soft and cruisy shoe with pretty good shock absorption, best for easy everyday miles, or even as daily walking shoes. Hoka always kills it with the colors it offers the Bondi in, too.
Best Stability Hoka Shoes: Hoka Gaviota 5
Stability often translates to stiffness in running shoes. Not so in the Gaviota 5, which maintains the cushy Hoka feel with a high platform of midsole EVA foam that rises to 39mm in the heel and has a cozy upper. The trick is in Hoka’s H-Frame platform, which lent to a feeling of plantedness and forward motion during test runs. The shoe also has a decently sized landing pad that, along with the above, makes the Gaviota hit a tad on the heavy side. Still, it doesn’t feel ungainly, refuting the notion that the trade you make for extra stability is a clomper of a shoe.
Best Value Hoka Shoes: Hoka Mach 6
The Mach brought a trimmed-down nimbleness to the Hoka lineup when it came out, and a lot of runners we’ve spoken to have claimed earlier versions of the shoe are responsible for their conversion to Hoka devotion. The sixth iteration is more of what’s made the Mach stand out in the lineup—it’s lightweight, feels fast, and brings more ground feel into the Hoka formula. With a supercritical foam midsole the shoe stays soft but it also packs some propulsion when you want to dial up the pace. All of these traits make the Mach 6 an excellent choice for everyday runs and faster workouts, and they earned it a place in our ranking of the best running shoes out now.
Best Race Day Hoka Shoes: Hoka Rocket X 2
Runners reaching for a new PR on race day have two choices when it comes to lacing up: the Cielo X1 or the Rocket X 2. Each pair has a responsive PEBA foam platform, and each has a carbon plate for extra spring. We tested both. While the Cielo is a fast and fun ride, the Rocket X 2 seems more primed for serious propulsion. It’s an ounce lighter and its upper has more of that ultralight premium feel we want rounding mile 22. The Rocket X 2 is of the same ilk as race shoes from other companies, but it stands apart with slightly more stability and a little more grip.
Best Road-to-Trail Hoka Shoes: Hoka Challenger 7
The Challenger lives in Hoka’s trail running collection but it sort of exists in its own category. The shoe was made for those runs that start in town and venture off-grid, where a route might hit sidewalk, asphalt, gravel, dirt, rock, and route before the turnaround. The trail shoe handles all of it better than one shoe should. With 4-millimeter lugs, it leans slightly more toward trails, but it also has the same lightweight foam (37 millimeters of it in the heel) as the Clifton and it feels in many ways like a more-rugged version of that shoe. It’s perfect for dirt roads, which is where we did a good chunk of our testing.
Most Versatile Trail Running Hoka Shoes: Hoka Speedgoat 6
More than any other shoe in Hoka’s lineup, the Speedgoat sticks to the founders’ original vision of making high-cushion shoes for running down mountains. The Speedgoat happens to go up and across them just as well. It’s evolved a lot over the years but it’s maintained its standing as one of Hoka’s most popular trail models with a combination of a lot of soft, responsive cushioning, aggressive Vibram Megagrip lugs, and a comfortable upper. The Speedgoat 6 improves on the Speedgoat 5 with a revised upper that’s more supportive and breathable and lighter foam. It seems to handle any kind of trail equally well, and it’s one of our go-tos for hiking in addition to running. (The Speedgoat also comes in a waterproof version and a mid version.)
Best Hoka Shoes for Technical Trail Running: Hoka Mafate Speed 4
If you’re after a shoe to take on the most challenging trails, the Mafate Speed 4 is a good option. Similar to the Speedgoat in shape and midsole stack, the Mafate is slightly more nimble and slightly tougher. It has two layers of midsole foam—a softer one on top and a more responsive one underneath—instead of the Speedgoat’s one. It’s also slightly heavier as a result, but it’s a reassuring feeling on trails where precision and support are what you need most.
Best Hoka Shoes for Trail Racing: Hoka Tecton X 3
He’s also responsible for many of the features that make the shoe different from its predecessor. The most apparent of those is the built-in, dirt-blocking gaiter, which proved comfortable and not at all restrictive in testing (mid-height running socks required). Hoka also redesigned the parallel carbon fiber plates—sandwiched between two layers of PEBA foam—with sidewalls for additional stability and compared to the Tecton X 2 it does feel less wobbly. It also feels like it’s made to chew up any trail thrown in its way; even if you don’t race, this is a fun shoe to run in.
Best Hoka Shoes for Hiking: Hoka Anacapa Breeze Low
It’s easy to see how, with all the comfort-forward tech that Hoka’s developed, the company could come up with a solid shoe for hiking. Plenty of people hike in the company’s trail running shoes, but the Anacapa is built for it with more support and a heavier-duty upper to handle scrapes against rocks and roots. It maintains Hoka’s super-comfy EVA midsole and even has some MetaRocker to roll you along the trail, a feeling that’s amplified by the shoe’s extended “Hubble Heel.” We prefer the Anacapa Breeze because it adds extra ventilation to the mix, but there’s also a waterproof Gore-Tex version and a taller design that offers full ankle support.
Best Hoka Sandals: Hoka Hopara 2
Hoka doesn’t make many sandals so it’s easy to call out the Hopara as the best of the bunch, but the hybrid hiker-water shoe stands out easily in the wider world of all-terrain footwear. Calling to mind OG KEENs, the Hopara adds a little air to Hoka’s tried-and-true formula, which here still includes thick running shoe EVA for a comfy ride. A quick lacing system and heel strap make it easy to dial in the fit, and a mostly mesh upper keeps things dry and breezy without that explicit water-shoe look. Meaning, sure these might’ve been made more for river trips, but if you sock up in them for a stroll around town no one will be the wiser.
Best Recovery Hoka Shoes: Hoka Ora Recovery Mule
The Ora line comes in all the forms that recovery shoes take—slides, slip-ons, flip-flops—but we’re partial to these mules. Like a sleeker set of Crocs, they’re easy to slip into and don’t look as casual or… orthopedic… as the other options. The Oras aren’t as soft as other EVA slip-ons but they make up for it in support, and that’s just as important for recovery.
FAQ
It’s impossible not to have noticed the recent meteoric liftoff of Hoka. We could illustrate this by informing you that in the past few years, the company has gone from making millions to making billions, with an “s.” But chances are the financial reports are unnecessary because you just see Hokas everywhere now—in specialty running and outdoor stores, sure, but also in collabs with the likes of Brain Dead and Nicole McLaughlin. Nurses love them, restaurant back-of-housers love them, even parents are catching on but somehow it doesn’t matter. And in a fitness apparel world ruled by brands like Nike, Asics, New Balance, and Adidas, Hoka’s proven itself to hold its own on race day, training day, and well, every day.
It’s good to remember that Hoka started as a very niche trail running shoe company before the whole big sole thing caught on. Now they’re the norm, but despite the recent mainstreaming of Hoka, the company is still dedicated primarily to running. Just consider that at the 2024 Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, trail running’s premier race event, the winner not only crossed the finish line in a pair of Hokas, he was one of the company’s employees. Hoka makes more than trail runners—road running shoes, hiking shoes, and recovery shoes are all in the lineup. Not all of them have massive foam platforms beneath them (okay, most do) but all are distinctly Hoka.
Features of Hoka Shoes
Hoka’s been known for its chunky midsoles since the get-go. Its shoes come with varying levels of thickness, or stack height, from the maxed-out Skyward X to the lower-to-the-ground Mach 6 (which, to be fair, is still pretty thick). Hoka mixes and matches various types of midsole foam depending on the shoe, too. Many are made with lightweight EVA, a rubberized version of EVA, or super-critical PEBA for faster models, and to figure out how each fares for you, we recommend you head to your favorite running store to try on some shoes.
Active Foot Frame is how Hoka achieves stability on top of all that foam. Raised sidewalls create what Hoka describes as a cockpit-like feel that prevents wobbling. A version of Active Foot Frame called H-Frame adds additional stability to shoes that have it, and another called J-Frame specifically targets overpronation with extra medial support.
MetaRocker is how Hoka describes the curved profile of its outsoles, which are designed to aid transitions through each stride. Where so-called Late Stage MetaRocker is applied, the shoe’s sole begins to curve upward close to the toe, increasing ground contact for more stability. Early Stage MetaRocker moves that point closer to the ball of the foot for faster transitions and a more rolling feel.
Beyond the above, you’re likely to also come across shoes with Gore-Tex waterproofing and various types of Vibram rubber outsoles. You might also encounter Hoka’s SwallowTail heel, engineered for stability on uneven terrain, or the extended Hubble Heel that rolls feet from heel to toe.
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