The incredibly popular Hoka One One Mach 4 was launched a while ago in our shop and consequently I´ve had plenty of time to test it thoroughly. Its a classic running shoe but also a running shoe which has let me somewhat confused. Learn more about why.
If you have already tried Hoka Mach 3 and thought it was either great or poor, you can erase that memory as the fourth version of the Mach model is completely changed. Its softer and more comfortable but still as fast and light as the previous version.
Even more foam has been added to the midsole, so its not quite as responsive and solid as its prececessor. Thats not to say that it isn´t very soft. Its still light, fast and it has a great fit from the first time you put it on.
My big issue with this shoe, however, is that I don´t know exactly which runs I should use it for. For my easy-going runs, I use Hokas Clifton 7 which is certainly softer than Mach 4 even though it has become more comfortable. For my fast runs I use Hoka Rocket X, which has got more speed and a carbon plate in the midsole. Therefore Mach 4 is a shoe that falls in between these categories as a shoe for pacy runs without going full out.
This shoe does not have anything specific that it does particularly well. Actually its a very good shoe for the one who just wants one shoe for his workouts as it performs well on all distances regardless of pace.
If I have to compare this shoe with a similar shoe from other brands, it would have to be Hyperion Tempo from Brooks or Endorphin Speed from Saucony. Fast shoes which are also great for normal runs.
The shoe is designed with a quite solid heel which makes your foot sit very stable. In addition the shoe is engineered with a tongue attached which provides a sock-like fit to make everything feel very stable and super comfortable.
In total, a Hoka running shoe which can handle a little bit of everything without being excellent in any particular area. It has been incredibly popular and certainly doesn´t collect any dust in the warehouse, so if you want this shoe, you should move fast.
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