Discontinued · road · Tempo / Daily · $120
Earlier generation of the Hoka Mach line, kept for replacement lookups.
Built for tempo, daily, at a target pace of 6:45–9:00 /mi on road.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is Hoka Mach 6.
Hoka tuned this midsole balanced (3/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 34 mm of heel stack is the modern daily-trainer sweet spot — enough foam for long miles without losing contact with the road. Combined, the ride reads as lively at 3/5 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 low 5 mm drop encourages a midfoot landing and keeps the ankle working through a fuller range. The geometry is fairly traditional and flat, so the shoe follows your foot rather than steering it. Forefoot flex is middle of the road. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.
The toe-box is standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 350 miles from the outsole, about $0.34 per mile at $120.
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
241 g / 8.5 oz
34 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
34 mm
2 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
5 mm
1 mm lower than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$120
40 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
3 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~350 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Hoka line it is lighter than the brand's median (275 g / 9.7 oz) and sits lower than its median stack (38 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Adidas Duramo Speed 2
270 g / 9.5 oz · 35 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $90
Adidas Duramo Speed 2: 33 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 258 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Brooks Launch 12(2025)
249 g / 8.8 oz · 35 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $110
Firm, light, cheap — the honest budget uptempo trainer.
Brooks Hyperion 3
244 g / 8.6 oz · 36 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $150
Brooks Hyperion 3: 36 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 244 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Altra Experience Flow
238 g / 8.4 oz · 32 mm · 4 mm drop · — · $140
Altra's low-drop (not zero) speed trainer — a gateway to natural running.