HOKA Speedgoat 4 Review

All Hoka shoes have a ton of underfoot cushioning in the form of EVA foam, and the Speedgoat 4 is no different. With a 32mm stack height under the heel, suffice to say that the midsole of this shoe gets the job done plenty well without the need for even more foam, as is found in some other Hoka shoes. It has a 4mm heel-toe drop, which is 1mm less than most other Hoka trail runners. What really sets this shoe apart as our favorite for trail running is the Vibram Megagrip outsole. This rubber compound is very sticky, and grips exceedingly well to either wet or dry rock. The deep lugs ensure that it also grips well on slippery and loose terrain. While it's fairly similar in most important aspects to other beefy Hoka shoes, the traction is the reason we think this one is the best.

Performance Comparison

The Speedgoat 4 are some of the most comfortable and have the best traction of any extra cushioned shoe we have tested. These shoes just keep getting better.

Foot Protection

This shoe is one of the most protective you can buy, especially for the undersides of the feet. Its 32mm of EVA foam under the heel does an incredible job of dampening the effect of stepping on sharp or uncomfortable protrusions such as rocks and scree, although the slightest sensation can still be felt. To sum it up, you can feel you are stepping on things in these shoes, but you won't be able to tell that they are sharp. While Hoka claims to have tweaked the recipe for the EVA foam to make it more responsive, the fact is that we have a hard time telling the difference between it and older versions in side-by-side testing.

There is very little toe bumper on this shoe besides a simple 3D print overlay, although the rockered geometry of all Hoka shoes does a pretty decent job of helping to minimize the frequency of kicking rocks. The upper material is a thinner but seemingly more durable version of reinforced mesh that has 3D print overlays in the most critical wear areas, but doesn't do a ton to protect the actual sides of the feet. We find we need this protection less in these shoes riding so high off the ground as they do. While not the absolute most protective, foot protection is nevertheless these shoes' strongest attribute.

Running along a rocky ridgeline high above Smith Rock State Park in Oregon. These shoes are so protective for the feet that they can easily handle any type of terrain underfoot.

Traction

We like the Vibram Megagrip outsole rubber found on this shoe better than any other Hoka shoe. The main reason is that it's very sticky, which really helps it grip to rock, either dry or wet. Since we love to run where it's rocky, we appreciate a soft and sticky rubber that isn't too hard and grips well. The outsole is littered with 5mm deep lugs that have their own unique shape that is hard to describe, check out the photo. These pronounced lugs are pretty durable and not overly prone to ripping off, although as you would expect, they do begin to wear down over time.

The sharp-edged lugs do an excellent job biting into soft and loose surfaces such as loose dirt, grass, and snow. We also think they grip nicely on mud, but still experienced some pretty epic caking on one mid-winter trail run where we encountered persistent mud, suggesting that they could still stand to be spread out slightly more. Minor complaints aside, traction is not something you will complain about while wearing this shoe.

The outsole is made with Vibram Megagrip rubber, which is about as sticky on rock as they come. The lug pattern does a great job gripping into soft and slippery surfaces, although can become caked with mud depending on its consistency.

Stability

Compared to low riding, zero drop alternatives, Hokas are not exactly the most stable shoes. This is understandable when you take a look at them, as their underfoot platform is 32mm tall! Any time you are moving your foot height that far above the ground, stability is going to be compromised, and this is the essential trade-off that one must choose to pay when looking for the absolute most cushioning they can find.

That said, we think this shoe is quite possibly the most stable Hoka we have worn. It grips the foot very securely to avoid any slipping around on the inside, and combines a wide landing platform with a low heel-toe drop. We've also realized over time that it becomes possible to adapt to anything you use frequently, and we don't find that most Hoka users have too big a problem with stability. We notice it the most when running on steep uneven terrain such as grass hummocks off trail, or when running in a washed out trail that has eroded into a v-groove without a flat landing spot in the bottom. On normal trails, even rocky ones, where we find a relatively flat landing spot, the added stack height isn't generally a big deal.

Running down steep hills or across uneven terrain like this one is a test of a shoe's stability. While these shoes are not super stable compared to the competition, they are still plenty stable on terrain like this, as long as you step carefully.

Comfort

We find this shoe to be very comfortable. Hoka claims that they made the toe box slightly wider than previous versions, as many people complained that they were too narrow. There is no doubt that this toe box is still on the narrow side, and tapers to a point in the front that isn't really shaped like a foot. However, the heel also seems to fit a bit narrower, which helps grip the foot better, an issue we had in previous versions. Overall, we think the fit is excellent, and also point out that those with wider feet can order a wide version. There is no need to intentionally size up or down.

The quality of the upper construction is excellent, with a seamless interior to the upper that has no obvious rub points. The tongue is now a thin piece of material that does less to pad against the pressure of the laces, but we never felt any discomfort despite this. The only downside is that in our water bucket test, we noticed that the shoe absorbs more water than the previous version, despite being made of thinner material. It also doesn't shed that water as quickly. So if you want a shoe for the very wettest of daily runs, this may not be the top choice, but regardless it is quite comfortable.

Showing the old Speedgoat 3 on the left compared to the 4 on the right. The 4 has less padding around the ankle and heel opening, and has an unpadded tongue. It is also made of thinner material on the upper, and is a bit wider in the forefoot. While both versions are very comfortable, we think the newest version is more so.

Weight

Our size men's 11 weighed in at 23.6 ounces on our independent scale. For reference, the older Speedgoat 3 weighed 22.5 ounces, so we logged an increase in weight of roughly half an ounce per shoe.

This version saw adjustments to both the midsole foam and the upper, which combined make up the majority of the shoe. Any changes this drastic are sure to have repercussions on the weight, but we are of course a bit bummed that the increase was so much. It's now one of the heavier choices that we have featured here, and yet, considering the size of the shoes themselves, we are still impressed that they aren't heavier.

A close up view of the aggressive lugs on the bottom of the shoe, as well as its weight (size 11) on the scale.

Sensitivity

No matter what type of terrain you are running over, there is very little trail feel to be experienced with these shoes. We found that on the very roughest of trails, where we were constantly stepping on rocks and scree, we experienced some sensation in our feet, but by and large this sensation comes severely dampened.

There is no rock plate sandwiched into the layers of foam, but the foam itself is so deep and plush that there doesn't need to be in order to effectively insulate the foot from the ground. Runners who value sensitivity over foot protection are barking up the wrong tree if they are considering this shoe.

Heading back down after summiting, we love wearing Hokas cause we can just bomb the trail! While they sure aren't very sensitive, the amount of cushioning they offer really takes the stress off the joints on the downhill.

Value

Like most Hoka shoes, these ones are not cheap. However, all shoes seem to be getting more expensive these days, and so the price you pay is not totally out of line considering their performance. We've found that the thick foam in these shoes tends to last for many hundreds of miles without becoming too played out, and so degradation of the upper or sole is likely the point of failure. Despite the price, we feel that they present good value because of their longevity and solid performance.

The scar above Smith Rock is a straight up the hill trail that we usually can't run all the way, but we love to try! With awesome traction and at a relatively light weight, the Speedgoat 4 helped us crush on this day.

Conclusion

The Hoka Speedgoat 4 wins our Top Pick for Maximum Cushioning because it's the most comfortable, performance fitting, and grippiest maximally cushioned shoe we have worn. Despite adding a little bit of weight over the previous version, we feel the fit is enhanced to provide even better performance. If you are in the market for super thick, absorptive cushioning, this is where we recommend you begin your search.

We love running in Maximally Cushioned shoes like the Speedgoat 4 on pretty much any sort of trail, and only ever avoid them if we are going off trail. The fat stack of cushioning allows us to run day after day with less soreness in our body.