HOKA  Speedgoat 4 - Men's Trail-Running Shoes

First of all 5 Stars ***** to REI Burbank location! They're awesome and much appreciated how much they cared about me being happy and they made that happened. I ended up having to exchange these shoes after how quickly the uppers started to deteriorate and stretch out in front section creating significant fold creases where the shoe flexed causing the fabric to fail (holes starting) near the front of laces. I exclusively run on single tracks in the mountains and about 30% of it on fire roads (100+ mi/month). I normally use La Sportiva's Wildcats (especially in difficult steep terrain) which I loved but I needed something with more cushion and longer lasting. The speedgoat 4's are lightweight and I love the shock absorption, they still had just enough stability & control going down steep trails allowing me to keep pace and stay upright. These shoes are larger volume than La Sportiva Akasha's and Wildcats in same size, the toe shape is rather pointy compared to my other shoes and you need to go slightly longer so your big & little toes don't get jammed, also the fabric stretched out after 2 runs, it could just from breaking in and may not get worse but I now needed to go down a half size. I'll let you know. The Hoka Speedgoats are significantly cushier and much more energy absorbing than the La Sportiva's and my bones are very thankful with the Speedgoat but the speedgoats are also much clumsier, I almost feel like Dumbo trying to run on a trail, foot placement is much less precise compared to the LA Sportiva's but with the La Sportiva's I had to be cautious of every stone as I would easily feel every stone I stepped on but with the Speedgoats that didn't matter as the sole would absorb so much compared to the Wildcats and the Wildcats would also lose its absorption properties (for me) around 200 miles (maybe less). So they sort of even out in that regard. Two others things I did not like about the Speedgoat is the almost non-existent toe guard, there's barely any protection up there compared to any other shoe in the same category. Nothing is worse when you're tired after 10-15 miles and blurry eyed (depth of field) and foot placement is off and you kick a good size rock, I foresee toes getting bruised. Also the clear rubberized coating in the front started to bubble up and peel after about 30 miles especially where the creases were (shoes were well treated). The heel cup on the SG4's had more volume and increased heel lift compared to La Sportiva's but no blisters so far. I think these are definitely worth trying out, if they work for you, your bones will thank you and allow more avg. miles. I don't think they'll make you faster but you'll last longer and give you quicker recovery. It's still too early to tell how long the mid-sole will last but I hope to get 400 miles out of them. I would love if Hoka adopted some of the rugged foot protection features and foot stability of La Sportiva's into the Speedgoat or created another model. For me that would be bliss.

Running in the Speedgoat 3 was like being a ballerina born a loft the wings of angels. This the latest version, is as comfortable as falling down a flight of stairs whilst wearing leg calipers. You would have to be a truly sick individual to enjoy running in this shoe, I’m talking a proper masochist. The notion of raising children in a world where shoes such as this exists rattles me to my core. Indeed, it is not only a dark day for runners alike but for all of humanity.