Trail-Running Shoes Buying Guide

Upgrade your Speedgoats with more traction and less weight. These low-drop HOKA shoes now have lighter midsoles. And the new burly Vibram® outsoles deliver great grip on technical trails.
Imported.
View the HOKA Speedgoat Product LineView all HOKA Women's Trail-Running ShoesBest Use | Trail Running |
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Trail-Running Shoe Type | Rugged-Trail |
Running Shoe Cushioning | Moderate Cushion |
Heel-to-Toe Drop (mm) | 4 |
Heel Stack Height (mm) | 31 |
Forefoot Stack Height (mm) | 27 |
Footwear Height | Ankle |
Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
Upper | Recycled engineered mesh |
Midsole | CMEVA |
Outsole | Vibram Megagrip rubber with Traction Lug |
Rock Plate | No |
Vegan | Yes |
Weight (Pair) | 1 lb. 1 oz. |
Gender | Women's |
Sustainability | Contains recycled materials |
5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | |
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U.S. Women's | 5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 |
UK | 3.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 |
EU | 36 | 36.6 | 37.3 | 38 | 38.6 | 39.3 | 40 | 40.6 | 41.3 | 42 | 42.6 | 43.3 | 44 | 44.6 | 45.3 |
Foot Length (in.) | 8.7 | 8.8 | 9 | 9.2 | 9.3 | 9.5 | 9.6 | 9.8 | 10 | 10.2 | 10.3 | 10.5 | 10.7 | 10.8 | 11 |
Measurements are stated in inches.
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I bought these for backpacking in and out of the Grand Canyon (Sept, four days) and was not disappointed. I had spent a couple months in these training before the trip and they didn't even need breaking in. I had trained with Merrell boots a few months before that and always had sore soles. These shoes aren't meant for backpacking but were ideal for weight, breathability/quick-dry, and most importantly comfort. My feet were so happy the whole trip. The material held up really well and allowed me to easily climb all over the desert terrain and boulders. They gripped quite nicely. They don't have ankle stability, but I don't have prior ankle issues and took the risk. I would absolutely recommend these and this brand, generally - I have a pair of Hokas that I use for my standing desk and can be on my feet all day without pain. Same apparently goes for their trail runners!
This is the most comfortable shoe I have ever worn. No break in period... straight out of the box these trail runners were like walking on clouds. The traction on slippery rocks is great. My feet didn't get the faituged feeling like they usually do until many, many miles in. I have struggled with achilles and plantar facsia pain and these shoes supported me in all the right places. I can't recommend these enough!
I will start by saying I did not get a single blister and for that I am beyond grateful! I bought these to hike the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. It was a 500 mile pilgrimage. But by day 7, the soles of my shoes were just worn/gone. I was literally in the middle of nowhere and told my family about it. My daughter spent 3 hours trying to contact Hoka, and their customer service person pretty much said, "So what?" Then told her to return them REI, bc REI has an excellent return policy. THat's nice, but WHY should REI have to eat the cost of these shoes that within 10 days had list almost all its tread? Unfortunately every time I was in a "bigger" city, I either got there after the stores closed or on a Sunday, so I did have to use these sneakers for all 500 miles. The tread was 100% gone by then. But again, I did not get a single blister. Not sure who to thank, the Darn Tough socks or Hola.
Too narrow! I used these for hiking 280 miles of the Arizona Trail over 15 days. I was very excited about the new light weight version. 1. Too narrow. I was hiking 20 - 30 miles per day. Bought a size larger but did not do the job. 2. Inside of the heel wore out. Huge holes developed just below the pull tab on the inside on both shoes. I've never had a pair of Hokas do that. 3. The cushion in the ball of the foot wore out quickly. Granted I was carrying a 15 - 20lb pack, but I only weigh 115lbs. The cushion does not feel like it held up. Let's hope they come in WIDE before next year!
These trail runners were used for hiking in NJ and NY, where the trails are full of rocks and tree roots. I bought them on the advise of a friend to help with pain in the balls of my feet, which occurred towards the end of every hike. They are incredibly comfortable. No more pain in my feet on any of my hikes. However, I don't think they are going to be as durable as my other hiking boots as the tread is already worn down and the rubber seems to be flaking off on the edges. The shoelaces are a little flimsy and pulling the tongue up is problematic. However, if one wants a comfortable fit and relief of foot pain, these are the boots for you.
I have been wearing HOKA speedgoats as my primary walking shoe for several years. I wear them for daily walks and do all of my hiking and backpacking in them. I absolutely love the cushion and support but I just can no longer keep buying them. The Vibram soles just do not last. My last two pair have worn to the point of needing to be replaced (just to have decent traction) in three months. While I am a daily walker, I am not putting a major mileage on these shoes. I am so disappointed and do not anticipate buying another pair.
I wore these everyday hiking in Sedona, AZ for a week and they performed great! Grippy on the red rock and stable on gravely, sandy parts and steep hills. Sooo cushy, and my feet stayed put, no slipping around and not a hint of a blister. Threw them in the wash and air dried them after the trip and they came out like new! Love, love, love them!
I own 10+ Hoka running shoes but these where my 1st Hoka trail hiking shoes. When it come to hiking shoes I truly believe it a very personal decision. So many brands and styles. After reading the reviews on this specific Hoka I was uncertain but decided to give them a try. WOW! they were beyond my expectations. We went to Sequoia National Park for Memorial weekend and hiked 30+ miles in 3-days. The trails differed everyday and no discomfort! When it comes to hiking, it never fails I will get blisters but we tough it out and continue hiking but with these Hoka I never got blisters!!! I am super pleased with these shoes and they will be the Hoka for my summer hikes this year to Crater Lake, Klamath Falls, Lake Take, Mt Lassen and Big Sur. Regarding size, I always get my Hoka running shoes 1/2 size larger so I did the same when I purchased the Hoka trail hiking shoes, I got a size 8 1/2 especially since I knew I would wear hiking socks with these Hoka
I cannot say enough about how fantastic this shoe is. I walked the Camino (500 miles) in 2019 wearing Vasque hiking boots. No blisters, but my knees suffered. I decided to wear the Speed Goat 5 in my 2022 Camino, where I walked 600 miles - honestly could have run it, I felt so great wearing these shoes. No knee issues whatsoever and fantastic on an enormous range of surfaces. They had little tread by the end of my journey, but they did what they promised to do! I’m walking a third Camino this September, and I’ll be purchasing a new pair for that journey as well.
I bought these trail shoes to use on the Camino Santiago. They fit great and are comfortable but I have less than 130 miles on them and the sole is already showing signs of wear. They definitely won’t last for the entire trip! I’m very disappointed