In production · road · Daily / Long run / Recovery · $150
Big soft stack at a light weight, with a roomier forefoot than most max trainers.
Built for daily, long run, recovery, at a target pace of 8:30–12:00 /mi on road.
The midsole is CMEVA, tuned very soft (5/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. At 42 mm of heel stack this sits in max-cushion territory; legs stay fresher on long efforts, but the platform is tall. Combined, the ride reads as calm at 2/5 responsiveness.
There is no plate here. The midsole does all the work, so the shoe flexes naturally and stays versatile across paces — easier on the feet day to day, but without the snap of a plated shoe when you want to roll.
A 8 mm drop is the mainstream middle — familiar to almost anyone coming from a standard trainer. The rocker is aggressive: the sole is curved and stiff enough to tip you into the next stride on its own, which saves the calf on long runs but feels strange when you slow right down. Forefoot flex is middle of the road. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.
The toe-box is wide, with space for the toes to spread late in long runs. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 400 miles from the outsole, about $0.38 per mile at $150.
For the foams and plates Hoka uses across its line, read the Hoka brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
277 g / 9.8 oz
2 g heavier than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
42 mm
6 mm taller than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
8 mm
2 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$150
10 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
2 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
5 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~400 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Hoka line it is heavier than the brand's median (275 g / 9.7 oz) and sits taller than its median stack (38 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Mizuno Wave Sky 8(2024)
277 g / 9.8 oz · 42 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $175
Mizuno's max-cushion trainer: dense, protective and long lasting.
Puma MagMax Nitro 2
275 g / 9.7 oz · 46 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $190
Puma MagMax Nitro 2: 46 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 269 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Asics Gel Pulse 17
275 g / 9.7 oz · 42 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $110
Asics Gel Pulse 17: 39 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 275 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Saucony Endorphin Shift 4
300 g / 10.6 oz · 42 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $150
Big, stable, rockered cruiser for high-mileage easy days.