HOKA  Challenger 8 Trail-Running Shoes - Men's

This product was given to me in return for a fair review. I’m very impressed by the way these shoes absorb trail debris and protect the bottom of my feet with their great cushioning. I specifically used them on a gravelly trail above my house that has a mix of rocks and dirt. I could barely notice decent sized rocks. I also like that they don’t show dirt or dust due to the color of the sole and upper. The width was a men’s D but they felt a little wider than expected around the the ball of my feet. The sole’s width still provided me with stability on the trail. Pros: lightweight, great cushioning, nice lacing feature that keeps the tongue from moving around, and tan soles that hide the dirt. Cons: the color is polarizing with my daughter disliking them and my son liking them. The only reason I rated them as a 4 instead of a 5 is due to the color. They look like they will not show dirt from the trail but they make me a little self conscious and I probably won’t wear them much when I’m off the trail, which kind of defeats the purpose.

I purchased my Challenger 8s directly from HOKA. I'm posting this here because prospective Challenger 8 buyers should be aware of the durability problem I experienced. I've owned about 5 pairs of HOKAs, and my family has purchased more than 10 pairs over the years, so I've historically been a big HOKA fan. Unfortunately, my Challenger 8s started coming apart after only five days of hiking: three pieces of tread completely separated from one shoe and additional pieces started peeling off. This apparently isn't an isolated experience. Search the REI Challenger 8 reviews, Reddit for "Challenger 8 falling apart," or Instagram for "HokaGate" and you'll find multiple owners reporting the same type of tread/outsole separation after surprisingly little use. REI's Challenger 8 page currently has 71 reviews and includes repeated reports of tread peeling or falling off after as little as a few hikes or roughly 75–100 miles. Even more disappointing, I opened a warranty claim with HOKA on July 7, sent the requested photos immediately, sent them again when HOKA requested them a second time, and more than 7 weeks later I still don't have a resolution despite repeated follow-ups. If you do buy Hoka's make sure you purchase through REI so you are covered by the REI warranty and not thru the HOKA website as I did. After years of buying and recommending HOKA, this experience has changed my opinion of the brand. I cannot recommend the Challenger 8, and given HOKA's handling of an apparent premature outsole failure, I'm having a hard time recommending HOKA at all.

I bought these for a 300 mile section hike of the Colorado Trail. I usually hike in Altras, but wanted the extra support for some plantar fasciitis that I was dealing with. These shoes are very comfortable and also have a much wider toe box than most Hokas. However, the tread started to become unglued on both shoes after about 75 miles. I managed to eke out another 25 miles on them to get to a town and had my wife mail me a different pair of shoes. The strip of tread down the center of the shoe was the first to come undone. The pieces around the perimeter of the sole did not become completely detatched, but were beginning peel off by the time I replaced the shoes at around 100 miles.

Takes a minute to get familiar with the added level of cushion but once you do, they feel confident on trails, good to wear all day. Fit well, possibly on the larger size so may need a half size down.

These shoes are great in terms of color and comfort, but the outsole is completely coming apart after only about 20 uses for short city walks and hikes. I tried to return them to REI, but I was just a few weeks outside the one-year return window. When I asked whether it was normal for shoes to fall apart after barely a year, they said yes. It’s pretty wild that a $170 pair of shoes can barely last a year, especially when I wasn’t doing anything particularly strenuous or training for a marathon. I have other pairs of shoes that are years older and nowhere near this level of deterioration, which makes this even more disappointing. I expected much better durability for the price. I’m incredibly disappointed in the quality and equally disappointed that REI wouldn’t offer an exchange despite the obvious defect, which several other reviewers have also mentioned. I expected better from both the shoes and REI, and I would have a hard time recommending them given this experience.

I made a terrible mistake. I booked a multi day hiking trip. I decided I’d leave my trusted Oboz Bridgers in favor of something lighter. I Bought a pair of trail runners off ad on instagram. Flew across country and by the time I arrived in the city we’d leave from my feet were already hurting. Frantic, I searched for solutions. Luckily I found an REI location and was able to get some alternatives, it was 8:30 pm on a Monday, the staff at the San Francisco location helped me to find something in my size, in stock that would work. They had a couple of choices… as soon as I slipped on the Challenger it felt like “butter”. The shoe chooses the hiker, Harry… great immediate fit… and the cushion, I usually snarl at was perfect. They’re ugly..but I’m not going to Milan in them. Thanks SF Rei for bailing me out of a week of pain and blisters.

I love this shoe but it fell apart super quickly!

My son bought these for his backpacking trip. The sole started coming off on day 6, but the terrain was dirt, sand and rocks. They are very comfortable and would fare well on a dirt path. He was on only one day of more rocky path and they did not survive. Parts of the sole came off. REI wouldn’t let us return them even after 7 days of use due to “wear and tear”, which is good to know about their exception to their 1 year satisfaction guarantee rule. They did not explain this at the store when we bought these so bummed these $155 shoes lasted 7 days.

After three weeks with the HOKA Challenger 8, I can say that I have found this shoe to be very cushioned and comfortable. The heel cup is deep, comfortable, and cradles the ankle while the soft mesh upper allows your toes to spread out more than I anticipated - which is a good thing as HOKA can tend to be on the narrower side. But that was not my experience with the Challenger 8, my wide feet were happy and cozy. The excellent grip on the underfoot was a good combination of trail traction and every day pavement readiness. I would recommend the Challenger 8 as a “door to trail” shoe that can handle a little bit of everything. 

Only used these for 6 months on trails and casual wear. Tread is already falling apart.