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Hoka Just Overhauled an All-Time Favorite Trail Running Shoe

First released in 2015, the Speedgoat returns to the trails with changes designed to help you run hard, far … and fast.

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Jack Seemer

By Jack Seemer

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On the road, Hoka’s built its reputation on big and bouncy running shoes — like the Clifton, Bondi and newly released Skyward X — that prioritize comfort over speed. But that’s the road, and the trail demands a different type of beast.

Here, Hoka’s not afraid to be nimble, offering runners stable yet responsive rides that dominate races like the prestigious Western States Endurance Run (recently won by Hoka athlete Jim Walmsley).

Such is the purpose of the ever-popular Speedgoat, first released in 2015 and recently overhauled for its sixth iteration.

Rebuilt from the ground up

Fans of the Speedgoat series call it the GOAT, but the name is no longer a simple nod to its place in the pantheon of trail running shoes. For the sixth iteration, Hoka actually modeled the shoe’s lug pattern to resemble the split-toed hoof of a mountain goat.

hoka running shoe
The new orientation of the lugs was modeled after the hooves of mountain goats.
Hoka

While the pattern doesn’t guarantee you’ll be able to scale sheer cliffs in record time, it does promise security on wet and dry terrain alike, helped along by Hoka’s use of Vibram Megagrip — a durable rubber compound found across a variety of brands.

Lighter, firmer, faster

Other changes on the Speedgoat 6 come in the spirit of helping trail junkies pick up the pace.

For starters, Hoka reformulated the compression-molded EVA midsole, resulting in firmer, more responsive ride that sheds a little weight in the spirit of going fast.

hoka running shoe
The reformulated EVA midsole isn’t just lighter, it’s more durable, too.
Hoka

For runners who found the Speedgoat 5 lacking in the durability department, Hoka also promises that the new midsole should hold up better after the 100-mile mark.

Perhaps the most welcome change, however, pertains to the upper. Here, Hoka opted for an engineered woven material that, together with an internal support chassis, offers a more secure fit and improved lockdown compared to previous iterations.

hoka running shoe
A new woven upper works with an internal support chassis to provide better lockdown.
Hoka

A patent-pending vamp and double-gusseted tongue help to ensure the design retains the comfort Hoka is famous for.

Pricing and availability

The Speedgoat 6 is available now. It costs $155 and comes in a suite of colorways, from black to a reddish Sherbert and Beet Root.

Hoka says it has plans to expand the collection in the fall with the release two Gore-Tex models in low and ankle-height configurations similar to the Speedgoat 5 Mid GTX.

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