Hoka Mafate 5 Review | Trail Plushness We Can Get Behind

When Hoka said plush they meant plush with the Mafate 5.  With the first update to Hoka’s trail franchise since 2022, the Hoka Mafate 5 came out as a solid trail shoe that can put in the miles day in and day out.

With a higher stack height, changed up foam combination, and deep lugs this is an all day, all the miles kind of trail shoe.  The Mafate 5 can put in all the miles but maybe not all the types of trails.

As training for my fall race ramps up the Mafate 5 is going to make it into the regular shoe rotation.  My tired legs have been as happy as tired legs can be running those long miles in these shoes.  So from my perspective Hoka’s updates have been for the better.

And a fun detail is the upper has the HOKA UTMB Mont Blanc course map on it.  I am a sucker for those hidden in plain sight things.

Hoka Mafate 5 Overview

That high stack height makes the mid-sole prominent, but the Hoka Mafate 5 isn’t an overly bulky shoe like it easily could have been.  

Hoka has dropped the Speed from the name, increased the heel-to-toe drop from 4 mm to 8 mm, and increased the stack height from 33 mm to 45 mm for starters for the Mafate 5. (Checkout our review of the Mafate 4 Speed to see the differences.)

With the first update since 2022, this might feel like an entirely different shoe to some but still maintaining some of the best feelings of past models.  Hoka has also dropped “racing” from their best use description, but I would put this as a contender for a trail ultra any day. 

The Mafate 5 has a curved TPU plate that helps maintain the rocker shape through all the miles known as Hoka’s Rocker Integrity Technology.  I had no idea this shoe had any type of plate as it just feels stable, not stiff like some plated shoes. 

But I’m guessing this subtle little plate is what gives that nice little bit of energy return.  

While the Mafate 5 is slightly heavier than the Mafate Speed 4, I didn’t think that these felt like overly heavy shoes.  I really appreciated the cushioning when I needed to get miles in on tired legs and a tired brain.

I always love a shoe that I can just forget about when I’m out on a run.  This was definitely a shoe that I could just easily get lost in the miles with.

I understand with the duel-density foam mid-sole that it has a high stack height, but it sometimes felt that I didn’t have a great connection to the trail at times.  As long as I wasn’t tearing down a steep descent I could overlook this and felt secure in my steps.

The outsole is a Vibram Megagrip with Traction Lug technology.  The 5 mm lug is super grippy but also likes to hold the mud on a damp day on the trails.  That being said, I don’t know of a good, grippy trail shoe that doesn’t pick up the Colorado mud during the monsoonal summer rains

Rolling hills and single track were great no matter the technical level but if I was looking for speed on overly rocky, steep descents I would pick a more controlled feeling shoe.

Hoka Mafate 5 Fit

The overall fit of the Hoka Mafate 5 is a true to size shoe in a standard width.  I was very happy in my typical size 9 and as a narrow footed runner I was able to cinch the upper down enough to feel secure without having all that awkward bunch.

I think a wider foot will do well as the upper does have enough give to flex and stretch.  

It’s entirely personal preference, but I like that the Mafate 5 doesn’t have the bolstered heel collar like the Mafate Speed 4 or the Speedgoat 6.  I have just never gotten used to that counter weight and to me this hugs my heel and ankle better without the bolstering.  This isn’t to say it’s not padded, there is a standard amount of padding keeping it comfortable for all the miles.  

The tongue is not gusseted/connected to the upper for the length but with the top of the tongue formed to the ankle there wasn’t any shifting left or right over the course of the miles. The tongue is the Dynamic Vamp material which didn’t seem the most breathable but feel-wise is really comfortable.  

Without being a wide toebox shoe the Mafate 5 feels wider than other Hoka models with lots of room for your toes.

Hoka Mafate 5 Feel

Hoka promotes the Mafate 5 as plush and that is exactly right.  Every time I put this shoe on I was surprised that it still felt like that new shoe softness.  

Starting at the top is a noticeably durable warp knit upper with anti-fray treatment with TPU cage.  The downside of the upper is it’s not super breathable and my feet were sweaty at the end of a long run on a hot day.  The other side of that is I feel like I will love that for running in the winter, just breathable enough but not a foot soaked in snow.  There is a nice addition of a heel gaiter hook but you need to use the lace for the front.

The mid-sole is now a dual-density foam with the super critical foam layer on top and the softer foam layer on bottom.  Which sounds weird but works really well.  When you hit a rock that soft foam wraps around it and the super critical layer cushions your foot.  I was skeptical, this doesn’t sound right, but also never complained about a single rock.

My go to miles on the Mafate 5 ended up being the long slow miles and some speed sessions on less technical trails. When Bert and I needed to pick the pace around an overly curious coyote the Mafate 5 was responsive and ready as well which is exactly what I need in a trail shoe.

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• Checkout all of our trail running shoe reviews
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